Arlanxeo modernises 2 plants

Arlanxeo is strengthening its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of synthetic rubber. Over the next 3 years, the company is set to invest EUR mid double-digit million to modernise its production sites in Triunfo, Brazil and La Wantzenau, France. 

 

“With this investment program, we are laying a foundation for the company’s further profitable growth,” said Jorge Nogueira, ARLANXEO CEO. In this context, Arlanxeo is systematically implementing advanced technologies for growing high performance rubber grades in order to support the development  of its customers in important regions over the long term, Mr. Nogueira explained.  

 

In Brazil, Arlanxeo is investing in its facility in Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, to make the production of polybutadiene rubber (PBR) more flexible. Currently emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR), which is mainly used in car and truck tires, is produced there. As a result of the upgrade, the company will also be able to produce the more advanced PBR types Nd-BR (neodymium butadiene rubber) and lithium butadiene rubber (Li-BR) for tyre and non-tyre applications in Triunfo in the second half of 2020. This is in response to the growing need of the local tyre manufacturers for high performance tyres. At the same time, Arlanxeo is relocating part of its existing E-SBR production in Triunfo to its facility in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, where E-SBR is already produced. This should allow for better economics going forward.

 

Polybutadiene rubbers under the Arlanxeo brand name Buna® are primarily used in the tread and sidewalls of tyres. In addition to tyres, they are also used to modify plastics in the production of HIPS (high impact polystyrene) for injection moulding applications. Other areas of application include golf balls, running shoes, and conveyor belts.

 

 

In addition to the regular maintenance investments, ARLANXEO is modernizing its production site in La Wantzenau, France, the world’s largest nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) facility.“This investment lays the foundation for further targeted growth of our NBR specialty rubber grades as an important part of our rubber portfolio,” says Christian Widdershoven, member of the Managing Board at ARLANXEO and Head of the High Performance Elastomers business unit. “This enables us to strengthen and secure our position as a leading global supplier of NBR rubbers for the long term,” Mr. Widdershoven stressed. 

 

Arlanxeo expects global demand for high-quality NBR rubbers to increase in the coming years. The focus here is on growth in traditional business areas and new applications, some of which have been developed with customers, but also the use of NBR as a raw material for the production of the company’s Therban® (HNBR) specialty products.

 

The NBR synthetic rubber produced by ARLANXEO in La Wantzenau is sold under the Perbunan®, Krynac®, and Baymod® N brands. It is used in the production of cables, seals, hoses, blankets, and soles for safety and athletic shoes, among other uses. The most important markets are the automotive industry, the construction sector, as well as oil and gas production and processing.