Pilot reactor for dispersions begins operations

Wacker in China

Pilot reactor for dispersions begins operations

Wacker Chemie AG has started a new pilot reactor for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions at its Nanjing site in China. The new facility will allow Wacker to expand its local research and development activities in China and grow to its regional portfolio of product development, application technology and customer services. The investment needed for the pilot reactor amounts to around 2.4 million Euros.

“Our objective is to work with our customers to develop first-class solutions adapted to local needs and, in that way, to contribute to Wacker’s growth going forward,” explained Peter Summo, president of Wacker Polymers. “Wacker is now one of the world’s few VAE manufacturers that can support customers in China from the development lab all the way up to large-scale production.”

Paul Lindblad, president of Wacker Greater China, emphasized: “The new facility will allow us to strengthen our role as a leading technology partner for numerous key industries and to underscore our long-term commitment to China.”

The pilot reactor serves as a research facility for custom-made VAE dispersions and dispersible polymer powders, which go on to be used in the construction, adhesives and coatings industries, among others. The experienced local technical team, supported by the state-of-the-art equipped Technical Center Shanghai, can now cooperate even better with Wacker’s customers to develop first-class products with consistent high quality, optimize production processes and shorten developing periods. In this way, Wacker will be able to meet rising demand for high-grade polymeric binders in China and Asia, while continuing to grow its local expertise, application technology and customer service.