UPM expands distribution of renewable rubber fillers

Helsinki – UPM Biochemicals has expanded the distribution network in Europe and Turkey for its bio-based renewable functional fillers (RFFs) for rubber and plastics.

The company’s distributors’ list now includes Lehmann&Voss&Co. which will market UPM BioMotion RFF for the DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)  region and Italy for rubber applications.

The distributor will market the polymer additives in the UK for both rubber and plastics applications, said UPM 12 May.

Krahn Chemie Deutschland GmbH will distribute the RFFs in the DACH region for plastics applications, the materials producer continued.

Meanwhile, Azelis will cover both rubber and plastics markets for the fillers in France, Turkey and Benelux, as well as the plastics sector in Italy.

Algol Chemicals will market the materials in the Nordics and Baltics regions for both rubber and plastics and Omya will cover Eastern Europe and Iberia for both applications.

RFFs are billed as more sustainable alternatives to fossil-based carbon black and precipitated silica fillers for polymer applications.

The products can be used as reinforcement in materials for the production of automotive profiles, hoses, precision sealings, flooring and footwear.

UPM is investing €750 million to establish the “world’s first” large-scale biorefinery to transform woody biomass into a range of chemials and materials.

The 220 kilotonne-per-annum facility in Leuna, Germany was initially scheduled for start-up at the end of 2022, with ramp-up scheduled for 2023.

In its latest announcement, UPM said that the plant was now due to come on-line by the end of this year.