DARMSTADT, Germany/MOBILE, AL - Evonik is expanding its production capacities for its VISIOMER^® brand methacrylate crosslinkers. To this end, the Methacrylates business line has made an investment at its Mobile, Alabama, site. The start-up is scheduled for the third quarter of 2018.

“With this investment, we will further improve the global positioning of application monomers. It will allow us to provide customers with crosslinkers from our plants in the U.S., Germany and China,” explained Hans-Peter Hauck, head of the Methacrylates business line in the Performance Materials segment.

“In the future, we will be able to provide methacrylate crosslinkers for the U.S. market out of the Mobile plant,” continued Grant Lafontaine, General Manager of the Application and Bulk Monomers Product Lines in the United States. “We will thereby significantly improve our flexibility and responsiveness for the benefit of our customers in the U.S.”

The investment in Mobile will continue to develop the strengths of the methacrylates business, which include leading market positions, operative excellence, strong brands, leading technologies and excellent network structures. To ensure future development of these strengths, Evonik is currently looking for the best owner for its Methacrylates business, which is being set up as an independent entity. The aim is to find a new owner who will invest in the long-term growth of the Methacrylates business.

Evonik's VISIOMER crosslinkers are used in many applications, including paints and coatings.