Arlanxeo to build new HNBR production plant in China

The Hague, The Netherlands – Synthetic rubber maker Arlanxeo is expanding its production of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) with the construction of a new plant in China.

The facility to be built in Changzhou, in eastern China, will have a nameplate production capacity of 5 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa), Arlanxeo announced 29 Feb.

The first phase of construction will allow for the production of 2.5ktpa the Therban-branded rubber, said the statement.

The plant is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2025, according to Arlanxeo.

“Arlanxeo continues to invest in high-growth markets,” Arlanxeo CEO Stephan van Santbrink commented in the statement.

The decision, he added, marks “a significant step toward meeting growing global demand for advanced synthetic rubber products.”

The move will enable Arlanxeo to serve increasing demand with locally produced synthetic rubber, said Hong Sun, managing director, Arlanxeo China.

Arlanxeo has made a number of investments in its HNBR capacity in recent years, having most recently upgraded facilities in Germany and the US to increase supply.

Last November, the Dutch-based company said it was debottlenecking its HNBR facilities in Leverkusen, Germany and Orange, Texas by the yearend.

Once completed, the upgrades were expected to add "close to 1,000 tons" of new capacity for the HNBR grades.

In 2022, Arlanxeo completed a debottlenecking project at its Leverkusen plant to add 10% capacity for the high-end elastomer at the site.

HNBR is widely used in automotive/new-mobility, oil & gas, mechanical engineering, and aerospace applications, the supplier pointed out.