Rhein Chemie doubles capacity for polymer-bound chemicals in Qingdao

By Liz White, ERJ staff

Mannheim, Germany-Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH, based in Mannheim, is investing Euro 2.8 million in a new production facility for polymer-bound chemicals-which it markets under the Rhenogran brand-as part of its joint venture in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao.

The supplier is responding to the sharp increase in demand for Rhenogran in China and other east Asian countries,” said Rhein Chemie in a statement. The firm claims the move will double the company's capacity for Rhenogran in China.

Building activity will continue through August 2005, and we will start installing the plant in September, said Arnd Kühnberger, global project manager, adding that construction will be finished in the first quarter of 2006. After that, we will be in a position to produce 4800 tonnes of polymer dispersions annually for the Asian market," Kühnberger continued.

Rhein Chemie claims its Rhenogran concept has been very successful all over the world." In the dispersions, active ingredients are incorporated in a universal binder system, usually at 80 percent, giving a dust-free form, easy to dispense into a masterbatch and suitable for virtually all types of rubber, the firm says. Users can avoid fluctuations in the degree of dispersion, which commonly occur in powders and cause problems in processes and products, according to Rhein Chemie.

An elaborate filtering process with special straining and fine filtering before pelletising, is used to produce Rhenogran at all Rhein Chemie production sites worldwide. This removes even the smallest residues from the masterbatches,” the company said.