Wacker expands silicones production

Munich, Germany – Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its silicone elastomer production capacity in Jincheon, South Korea, the German company announced on 22 June.

The new facilities will include production plants for silicone sealants, speciality silicones and liquid silicone rubber.

The existing production units in Jincheon, said Wacker, will be transferred to the new site.

Construction work on the €16-million expansion will officially start end of July with production expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018.

Wacker said that the expansion was in response to growing regional demand for silicone elastomers in the construction, electronics and automotive industries.

“The Asian market for sealants and encapsulants is growing at an incredible rate,” noted Wacker executive board member Auguste Willems.

“In order to meet increasing demand over the long term, we have decided to significantly increase our production capacity in Jincheon,” he added.

Wacker operations in Jincheon began in 2010 with the production of silicone sealants for construction applications and speciality silicone products for the electronics industry.

The current site will be “dismantled” late next year to be transferred to the new facility, Wacker added.

The new project, said the German chemicals company, would not only help meet the growing demand, but will also help Wacker grow its speciality silicones business.