PITTSBURGH – PPG Industries announced that it is increasing its global precipitated silica production capacity by more than 18,000 tons per year in response to growing global demand. The capacity expansion includes projects at PPG’s Lake Charles, LA, and Delfzijl, the Netherlands, manufacturing locations.

Kevin Braun, PPG General Manager, Silica Products, said that some of the capacity will begin to come online during the fourth quarter 2011, and that the expansion projects will be completed by the end of 2012. Employment at each site will increase slightly as a result of the expansion projects, he said.