AMSTERDAM — Nouryon has launched a new version of its Expancel^® expandable microspheres targeted at specialty thin coatings applications. Expandable microspheres work as a filler and blowing agent to make products lighter and reduce overall costs. The new Expancel Extra Small Microsphere (XSMS) line brings additional benefits to specialty thin coatings applications, such as improving the printability of thermal paper labels, tickets and receipts, as well as filling and upgrading genuine or artificial leather without sacrificing volume.

“Expancel XSMS will bring significant cost-saving and performance benefits to customers in the specialty coatings industry,” said Sylvia Winkel Pettersson, Vice President Expancel at Nouryon. “It can replace more costly raw materials while providing improved properties in the finished coatings. Furthermore, our on-site expansion solution offers notable sustainability benefits for customers. By reducing the need for transportation, they can lower their carbon dioxide emissions and, ultimately, lower their overall environmental impact.”

Expancel is already used in several traditional coatings applications, including cool roof coatings, where the high solar reflectance of the microspheres helps to decrease roof temperatures, reducing the need for air conditioning.

“The history of Expancel dates back 40 years when we started our first production unit at Sundsvall, Sweden,” said Johan Landfors, President of Technology Solutions at Nouryon. “We deliver total solutions, including product development support and on-site expansion systems for our customers worldwide. We are now expanding our position in the coatings industry with Expancel XSMS as the newest innovation in our portfolio of microspheres, which will provide additional important sustainability benefits to our customers.”

Nouryon completed an expansion of the unit in Sundsvall in 2019, and recently announced that it would build a facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the United States. It also produces Expancel in Brazil and China.

Read more about Expancel expandable microspheres here.