PPG to increase silica production capacity at Dutch plant

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – US-based PPG Industries has announced that it is increasing precipitated silica production capacity at its site in Delfzijl, The Netherlands, due to a supply agreement with a major tire maker.

The increase of more than 15,000 tonnes per year is due to come online in 2016, said a PPG news release on 3 Feb, adding that the new capacity would help PPG meet growing demand for its silica products.

The large-scale production of performance silica Agilonis is part of an expansion which PPG said was “tied to a new multi-year global supply agreement with a multinational tire manufacturer”.

“Based on positive customer trials and interest, demand for Agilon performance silica is growing globally,” said Anup Jain, PPG vice president, specialty coatings and materials.

“The multimillion-dollar investment in Delfzijl will not only expand capacity but also give us the flexibility to rapidly switch existing production capability between conventional precipitated silica and Agilonperformance silica to meet marketplace needs,” Jain added.

PPG describes Agilonperformance silica as a “high-value technology platform of chemically-modified precipitated silica that can improve the performance of products in which it is used.”

In tires, for example, the silica can replace traditional silica-silane in rubber compounds.This, said PPG, can improve vehicle fuel efficiency, tire traction and treadwear by as much as 5 to 10 percent.