Durethan is 65 years old, and the future has only just begun
- Tailor-made for technically sophisticated components
- Wide range of potential applications for new types of mobility
- Global production network for above-average growth
What started small quickly grew big
Durethan was born in the Uerdingen district of Krefeld, Germany, in 1953. A production facility for polyamide 6 and another for caprolactam, the base monomer for the thermoplastic material, were built there. While fiber production was initially the priority, the focus for research and development soon shifted to materials for molded parts. The first unreinforced compounds were offered, rapidly establishing themselves in the production of parts such as sprockets or fasteners such as wall plugs and clips. Product versions reinforced with glass fiber were later added to the ever-growing range. They are the material of choice for components that require good strength and rigidity, such as housings for power tools, bobbins and parts of office chairs.
Wide range of specialist products
Today, the range of Durethan polyamide 6 and 66 compounds covers a diverse array of requirements. Examples of products available include very soft elastomer-modified types for charge air pipes for turbocharged engines, carbon-fiber-reinforced compounds as lightweight materials subject to heavy stresses in tennis, squash and badminton rackets, and thermally conductive product types for thermal management of devices. The range also includes flame-retardant compounds for industrial and domestic electrical applications and for new components in electric vehicles, as well as extremely heat-resistant material variants for air ducts near the turbochargers of combustion engines. Durethan is also a base resin for Tepex continuous-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites, produced by LANXESS subsidiary Bond-Laminates. They are currently becoming established in large-scale production of lightweight components for cars, such as front ends, door module carriers and underbody panels.
Global demand on the rise; new facility in Krefeld
What began 65 years ago in the Uerdingen district of Krefeld has since blossomed into a global success story. “LANXESS now operates a global production network for Durethan that ensures that international customers in all major economic regions of the globe are supplied with tailor-made compounds, all of consistently high quality no matter where in the world,” explained Zobel. HPM operates compounding plants in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Wuxi in China, Jhagadia in India, Gastonia in the USA and Porto Feliz in Brazil. The business unit is currently building additional facilities in Uerdingen and in Changzhou in China, and these are due to start production at the beginning of 2020 and in the second quarter of 2019, respectively.
The investment volume for the new facility in Krefeld-Uerdingen is in the mid double-digit million euro range. It will create around 20 new jobs and has been designed to allow its capacity to be gradually increased to suit demand in years to come. HPM currently employs roughly 600 people in Germany, nearly 300 of whom work at the Uerdingen site.
High level of backward integration
LANXESS produces most of the feedstocks for its high-performance compounds at its own world-scale facilities, including glass fibers to reinforce the compounds as well as polyamide 6 monomer caprolactam and its raw materials. “This high level of backward integration ensures optimal supply and delivery reliability, which is something that our partners in the automotive industry in particular appreciate very much,” emphasized Zobel. As a result of the expansion in compounding capacity in recent years, HPM is also able to process most of the feedstocks manufactured in-house and to transform them into high-performance plastics.
Outpacing the market
“With the latest investments in new facilities, we are consolidating our position as one of the world’s leading producers of polyamide 6 and polyamide 66 compounds,” commented Zobel. LANXESS intends to significantly surpass the global growth anticipated for compounds based on polyamide 6 and 66 in the coming years. As Zobel explained, “We are focusing in particular on innovative product solutions for state-of-the-art forms of mobility, from components in electric powertrains to peripheral devices for electric mobility, such as charging stations.”
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.