Leading specialty chemicals producer Clariant is increasing production capacity for its Licocene Performance Polymers by 50% at its facility on the Frankfurt-Höchst Industrial Park in Germany.

“The decision to increase capacity reflects the steady double-digit growth experienced for Licocene Performance Polymers since their launch in 2006. It presents an efficient opportunity to support the current strong rise in demand particularly from China, India, Indonesia and Turkey, in line with Clariant’s general strategy to invest in growing businesses,” Christian Kohlpaintner, Member of Clariant’s Executive Committee, said.

According to Clariant, Licocene Performance Polymers are unique metallocene polyolefins with low molecular weight yet high mechanical strength. Their low melt points and low viscosities are said to allow optimum processing at lower temperatures and with lower dosage than alternative products. Without compromising mechanical and other properties, even improvements in end-product performance such as weight reduction can be achieved, Clariant claims.

Licocene’s ability to support more sustainable processing is said to be particularly valued by customers in energy-intensive sectors, such as technical textiles for mattresses, furniture and carpets for automotive and aerospace interiors. They are also used in the manufacture of masterbatches and engineering plastics, as well as in industrial coatings, and in printing inks and adhesives for packaging applications.

Michael Grosskopf, Head of Business Unit Additives, commented: “Licocene Performance Polymers were developed to address the gap between easier processing for our customers and optimised properties for the consumer. They bring added-value by offering more sustainable solutions that allow them in turn to formulate products with sustainable benefits, such as lower volatile organic compounds (VOC) for the automotive interior, weight reduction for aircraft carpets, higher concentration in Masterbatches and lower dosage in adhesives.”

Clariant is a leading specialty chemicals company, based in Muttenz near Basel/Switzerland. On December 31, 2013 the company employed a total workforce of 18,099 and in the financial year 2013, it recorded sales of CHF 6.076 billion for its continuing businesses. The company reports in four business areas: Care Chemicals, Catalysis & Energy, Natural Resources, and Plastics & Coatings. Clariant’s corporate strategy is based on four pillars: managing businesses for profitability, research & development and innovation, growth in emerging markets, and repositioning of the portfolio.

www.clariant.com