Solvay to add silica capacity at US plant

Princeton, New Jersey – Solvay is adding 10,000 tonnes of capacity to its Chicago Heights, Illinois Silica plant, the Belgian company has announced.

Construction work has started on the project which is expected to deliver an additional 10,000 tonnes of highly dispersible silica (HDS) capacity by 2018.

“The additional capacity will further Solvay’s commitment to serve its customers in the North American Market,” said Solvay in a statement on 1 Aug.

The expansion will also add new grades from Solvay’s Zeosil and Tixosil silica reinforcement product lines to meet the “expanding demand for new products in North America.”

This project, said Solvay, is part of the company’s global investment in the HDS market and follows its recent investments in a new plant in Poland, HDS production in Brazil this year, and the scheduled start-up of a new plant in Korea this year.

The Chicago Heights, Illinois, Silica plant, was founded in 1995, and is one of nine Solvay Silica plants across Europe, South America, North America and Asia, producing highly dispersible silica.