Arkema completes 40% increase in elastomers production capacity

Paris – Arkema SA has completed a 40% expansion of its global production capacity for thermoplastic elastomers, the company has announced.

In a statement 1 Feb, the French company said it has now started the new ‘Pebax’ elastomers facility at its site in Serquigny, France.

Launched in 2022, the project was initially aiming to raise global elastomer capacity by 25% and was further expanded to 40% by Arkema later that year.

The elastomer will particularly be supplied to customers in sports and consumer good markets, said the French supplier.

The new unit can produce both the “bio-circular Pebax Rnew” and classical Pebax elastomer ranges.

The bio-based grades are derived from renewable castor beans and are claimed to offer a “significantly lower carbon footprint” compared to conventional elastomers.

As previously reported by ERJ, the Pebax polymers are claimed to maintain a combination of the toughness traditionally associated with polyamides and the flexibility/elasticity more often seen with polyethers/polyesters.

The materials’ properties are particularly appreciated in sports equipment, such as soles for running shoes, ski boots or technical textile.

They are also suitable for use in consumer goods such as smartphones and flexible screens, as well as in other markets such as medical equipment.

In addition to expanding capacity, the investment in France also saw Arkema optimising the water consumption of the plant by 25%, contributing further to the sustainability efforts of the French company.

“This [expansion] represents a great opportunity for us to meet growing demand in existing and new applications," said Erwoan Pezron, SVP Arkema’s high performance polymers business line.

In addition to Serquigny, Arkema also manufactures the Pebax materials at its production facility in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania.