German speciality chemicals company Evonik has announced the reorganisation of its polyamide business to focus activities on speciality materials.
Under the reorganisation process, the company will move out completely from the polyphthalamide (PPA) business at the Witten site.
In addition, the company said that the production and sale of PPA are expected to cease by the end of the first quarter of next year.
Furthermore, employees at the PPA site will be shifted to the Marl site to work at the new PA 12 production plant.
Evonik High-Performance Polymers Business Line head Dr Ralf Düssel said: “Reorganising our polyamide business will concentrate our production and innovative strengths on speciality materials for promising applications in attractive markets such as lightweight construction, additive manufacturing, and composites. This, in turn, will give us a solid foundation for continuous growth.
“For our customers, the move will mean a more intense focus on developing sophisticated speciality solutions.”
Evonik has invested approximately €400mn ($449m) in Germany in order to expand its overall capacity for PA 12 by more than 50%.
It has already started construction works on a new polyamide 12 facility complex in Germany.
The company aims to expand its production of transparent polyamides at the Marl Chemical Park.
The project will contribute to the existing production of PA 12 at Evonik’s Marl Chemical Park in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It also includes additional plants for the polymer and its precursors.
The new complex is expected to commence operations in the first half of 2021.
The company also has plans for transparent polyamides production expansion in Marl, which is expected to complete by the first quarter of 2020.
Source: Chemicals Technology
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