Evonik to build a new silicones plant

Evonik

EVONIK, a world leader in specialty chemicals, is to build a new silicones plant at its Geesthacht site in Northern Germany, 30 km outside of Hamburg.

The new, multi-purpose silicones manufacturing facility (expected to be operational by the end of 2019) will be a “double-digit million-euro” investment for the company, though it declined to give an exact figure at this stage.

The facility will provide additional capacity for Evonik’s range of silicones and silane-terminated polymers, which the company sells under the brand names Polymer VS and Polymer ST. The products have many applications, including use in parquet adhesives, wound care adhesives, and electronics encapsulation.

Dietmar Schaefer, head of the interface and performance business line at Evonik, said: "The planned investment at the Geesthacht site has an important strategic significance by helping us to further strengthen our focus on innovative specialty chemical products".

In addition to the silicones build the company is building a facility for filling tank trucks at the Geesthacht location. According to Sabine Giessler-Blank, head of the polymer and construction specialties product line: “this will simplify the delivery and storage process for our customers and in doing so increases efficiency.

“The additional production capacity will also create room for us to develop new products…and to react to future demands in the adhesives and sealants market.”

The Geesthacht site will focus on silicones and nanotechnology. Addition- and condensation-curing silicones, along with silane-terminated polymers are used as binders in adhesives and sealants and have applications in electronics and medicine. Silica-based nanomaterials also have a range of applications, including use as property-enhancing additives in fibre composites in the automotive and aerospace industry. 

Evonik acquired the Geesthacht site when it bought Hanse Chemie in 2011, which became fully integrated into the Evonik Group in 2016. The upgrades to the facilities and capabilities of the site represent the next phase of Evonik’s investment.