MUNICH – Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its existing production plants for polymeric binders in Germany. The Munich-based chemical group is currently building another dispersion reactor with an annual capacity of 60,000 metric tons at its Burghausen, Germany, site. Some €25 million have been earmarked for the production and local infrastructure expansion. The plant is scheduled for completion before the end of the year.

WACKER’s dispersions are commonly used to formulate low-odor and low-emission indoor paints, but can also be found in plasters, adhesives, carpet applications or technical textiles. Moreover, they are the key raw material for the production of dispersible polymer powders for construction applications. WACKER manufactures these powders by spray drying at its Burghausen site.

“The enlargement of our dispersion production in Burghausen is part of our strategy to achieve further profitable growth through expansions at existing production plants,” said Rudolf Staudigl, President and CEO of Wacker Chemie AG, explaining the investment measure. “The additional capacity will strengthen our market position as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of dispersions and dispersible polymer powders, and will help us meet our customers’ continuously increasing demand over the long term,” said Staudigl.

With the expansion, WACKER is responding to the globally rising demand for high-quality polymeric binders, which is being driven by worldwide trends such as urbanization, renovation and energy efficiency. Alongside the new reactor, the group is also investing in the expansion and modernization of local infrastructure. “We are not only making a key contribution to supply security in the years to come, but also to the cost-efficient production of our dispersions and dispersible polymer powders,” explained Peter Summo, head of the WACKER POLYMERS business division.

With over 60 years of experience in the development and production of dispersions and dispersible polymer powders, WACKER is a global technology and market leader in the field of vinyl-acetate-based copolymers and terpolymers. The binders are used in sectors such as construction, coatings and adhesives.