Evonik to expand specialty silica capacities in Japan

DSL Japan Co Ltd (DSL), a joint venture between Germany’s Evonik Industries and Japanese Shionogi & Co Ltd, has announced an expansion of its specialty silica capacities in Ako, Japan.
 
The expansion, with an investment volume in the single-digit million Euro range, is scheduled to become operational in 2015. The specialty silica of the Evonik Sipernat brand improve the properties of products such as batteries, silicones, engineered rubber items, or coatings. Silicas of particularly high quality are used in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, for example in toothpastes or in beer filtration.
 
"This capacity expansion in Japan will continue to strengthen the specialty character of our silica business. We are a leading global provider of highly developed inorganic materials for resource efficient applications, and we accompany this attractive growth market with targeted investments,” said Patrik Wohlhauser, Member of the Evonik Industries Executive Board and Chief Operating Officer.
 
Evonik has been expanding its silica capacities all over the world in the last few years - in 2014 alone they are projected to have grown by approximately 30 percent compared to 2010. A plant expansion for precipitated silicas is to become operational in Chester, USA this year. Furthermore, the Group just approved the construction of a silica plant in Brazil, which is to start up in 2016. The expansion in North and South America follows the expansions in Europe and Asia, which have already been completed. Thus, a larger production facility became operational in Thailand in March 2014.
 
Evonik is one of the leading global manufacturers of silica. In addition to precipitated silica, the Group also manufactures the fumed silica Aerosil and matting agents made from silica under the brand name Acematt. Overall, the global annual production capacity of Evonik for precipitated and fumed silicas as well as matting agents reaches 550,000 metric tonnes.