Lanxess inaugurates butyl tech centre in Canada

ERJ staff report (DS)

London, Ontario - Lanxess AG has inaugurated a research and development centre dedicated to butyl elastomers inCanada. Lanxess claims it is the largest such centre in Canada, though that would be in a very small class - possibly just a class of one.

Located in the Research Park of the University of Western Ontario, the centre's official inauguration was marked by a ceremony attended by Axel Heitmann, Lanxess AG's chief executive and Ron Commander, head of lanxess' butyl rubber business unit.

lanxess said the R&D Centre plays a central role in product applications that meet the growing demand for high-quality rubber products in emerging markets. The company said the market for medical goods and closures in China is growing as that country's population ages.

Lanxess said new grades of butyl rubber are being used in tyre treads in ways that provide greater traction, significantly improving tyre performance in wet and dry conditions and adding to their safety performance. Rolling resistance and tread durability is not negatively affected.

In his address, Heitmann said, “One of the most promising areas of research for our new R&D Centre is rubber made from biomass instead of petroleum-based raw materials. Here in this R&D Centre, we have produced the first quantities of 'bio-butyl.' This bio-based rubber will enable us to decouple our resources from petroleum dependency.”

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Press release from Lanxess