Wacker starts new specialty monomers plant at Burghausen

Wacker Chemie AG has started up a new specialty-monomer plant with an annual capacity of 3,800 metric tonnes at its Burghausen site in Germany. The specialty monomers vinyl neodecanoate and vinyl laurate are key raw materials in the manufacture of specialty dispersible polymer powders. The goal of the new plant is to ensure that Wacker has sufficient specialty-binder capacity available, both now and in the future, to provide its customers with a secure, long-term supply of high-quality products. Wacker invested about Euro 8 million in the facility and has, as a result, strengthened its position as the world’s biggest producer of dispersible polymer powders.
 
By expanding its capacities, Wacker is meeting global demand for its dispersible polymer powders – which is rising amid such world trends as urbanisation, renovation and energy efficiency. The specialty monomers vinyl neodecanoate and vinyl laurate give Wacker’s dispersible polymer powders special properties, such as hydrophobicity.
 
Christoph Riemer, head of polymer-powder business at Wacker Polymers, said, “With our new specialty monomer plant, we now have the capacity we need to secure long-term a captive supply of these raw materials, which are important for polymer-powder production at Burghausen. In addition, the facility reinforces our leading market and cost positions sustainably.”