Wacker Chemie AG announced plans to expand its production capacity for dispersible polymer powders capacity at its Nanjing (China) site in 2014. By productivity improvement and debottlenecking measures in existing facilities, the Munich-based chemical company intends to essentially double its current capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year to meet increasing customer demand in China. Debottlenecking work is scheduled to start immediately upon issuing of the necessary permission by the local authorities. Wacker’s dispersible polymer powder production output in Nanjing is expected to reach up to 60,000 metric tons annually, depending on product mix.

With progressing urbanization and increasing need for environmentally-friendly dry-mix building materials in China, local customer demand for Wacker’s dispersible polymer powders is poised to grow over the next few years. The planned capacity expansion will give Wacker sufficient long-term capacity to meet market demand in the region. As a result, Wacker will be able to offer its customers consistently high product quality and supply security in the years ahead.

“After the successful capacity expansion for vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) copolymer dispersions in Nanjing site earlier this year, we are now ready to increase our dispersible polymer powder capacity as well,” explained Arno von der Eltz, president of Wacker Polymers. “The market demand in China is continually growing, in particular for residential construction. The increasing trend towards construction of pre-decorated housing is also driving demand for ceramic tile adhesives, which require high-quality dispersible polymer powders. This capacity expansion will support market growth and strengthen our position as the leading manufacturer of dispersible polymer powders in China.”

Located in the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park, Wacker’s Nanjing site manufactures VAE dispersions and dispersible polymer powders for the construction, coatings, and adhesives sectors, as well as for a variety of other industries. Wacker’s backward-integrated polymer production not only ensures reliable raw material supply for dispersible polymer powders, but also enables synergies and economies of scale through a common infrastructure and energy supply.