Specialty chemicals group Lanxess has decided to expand the global capacity of its high-performance rubber Nd-BR (Neodymium Butadiene rubber). Lanxess will invest about EUR 20 million to increase production by an additional 50,000 metric tons per annum at its sites in Dormagen/Germany, Orange/USA and Cabo/Brazil. The extra capacities will go on stream between the first quarter of 2011 and first quarter of 2012.
The additional capacity will serve the global demand for Nd-BR, which is expected to grow annually by close to ten percent in the coming years. Without this capacity expansion, there would be a worldwide product shortage for this type of material by 2014. The positive development of Nd-BR is being driven by the trend towards greater mobility – especially in Asia – as well as motorists, who are demanding higher environmental and safety standards in performance tires.
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