Arlanxeo advances CR, NBR upgrades in Europe

Maastricht, The Netherlands – Arlanxeo has completed a turnaround of its chloroprene rubber (CR) production facilities in Dormagen, Germany, bringing the total production capacity to 70 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) at the site.

The ‘multi-million-euro’ project, originally announced in 2018, involved upgrading and modernising the plant to increase the flexibility and capability of the unit to produce speciality products, Arlanxeo said 8 Oct.

In addition, Arlanxeo said it had made “substantial progress” modernising its nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) plant in La Wantzenau, France. 

The “double-digit million euro” investment programme started in mid-2018 and aims to bring the plant up to the latest technology standards. 

Arlanxeo did not provide further details on the production capacity increase at the French site but said the investment would serve the rising demand in its NBR rubbers.

The La Wantzenau facility is claimed to be the world’s largest NBR production site, serving as Arlanxeo’s centre for research and development activities for NBR. 

The facility produces a broad range of NBR grades which is supplied to more than 500 customers in over 60 countries worldwide. 

The investments are examples of how Arlanxeo keeps upgrading its plants to support increasing customer demands, said Christian Widdershoven, member of Arlanxeo’s executive leadership team.

Arlanxeo produces and markets its CR grades under the Baypren brand. 

The materials are used, amongst others, in the production of cable sheathing, belts, conveyor belts and wetsuits. 

The NBR produced by Arlanxeo is sold under the Perbunan, Krynac, and Baymod N brands. 

The materials are used the production of cables, seals and hoses, for key markets such as the automotive and construction sectors as well as the oil and gas production and processing industry.