ATLANTA - The Fire Retardant Additives (FRA) business unit of the Huber Engineered Materials division of J.M. Huber Corp. (Huber) announced a 10% capacity expansion of its Martinal^® fine precipitated alumina trihydrate production at its newly acquired Martinswerk Plant in Bergheim, Germany. The additional capacity is projected for completion by the third quarter of 2017. This addition follows a 20% capacity expansion in precipitated alumina trihydrate just completed at Huber’s Bauxite, Arkansas, facility.

The investment by Huber in additional capacity in Bergheim started only seven months after the February acquisition of Martinswerk GmbH, including the joint venture interest in Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co KG. “This investment is the first in a series of expansions planned for Bergheim as we begin implementing our longer term strategy for the business,” said Jerry Bertram, Vice President and General Manager of Huber’s FRA business unit.

“The capacity expansion is part of our ongoing global growth plan and underlines Huber’s commitment to the non-halogenated fine precipitated fire retardant market and enables us to meet increasing demand from our valued customers,” adds Martin Schulting, Managing Director of Huber’s FRA European operations.

Huber is a leader in the production of fine precipitated alumina trihydrate and magnesium hydroxide, both non-halogenated fire retardants. Its FRA business unit has four manufacturing sites in North America and two in Europe.

Huber has been a supplier of non-halogenated flame retardants and smoke suppressants for more than 30 years, manufacturing a large portfolio of Martinal, Hydral^®, Hymod^® and Micral^® alumina trihydrate; Magnifin^®, Vertex^® and Zerogen^® magnesium hydroxide; and Kemgard^® molybdate smoke suppressants. In addition, Martinswerk produces Compalox^® specialty oxides, Martoxid^® calcined aluminium oxides, and Pergopak^® carriers and matting agents.