Specialty chemicals provider Nouryon announced it has started full-scale production at its new Expancel^® expandable microspheres plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Nouryon reports that the launch of the new plant is an important milestone to better serve specialty additives customers in North America in the packaging, construction, mining, and automotive industries, and complements its existing full-scale plant in Sundsvall, Sweden, and product expansion facilities in China and Brazil.

Expancel expandable microspheres are used as a lightweight filler and blowing agent to make customers’ end products lighter, incorporate high-performing insulation properties, or better reflect light to reduce energy consumption, cost, and environmental impact. These properties are valued across applications that include cool-roof coatings and automotive coatings and body fillers.

“Nouryon continues to invest in developing solutions that support our customers’ sustainability targets while boosting the performance of their end-products,” said Larry Ryan, president at Nouryon. “Our customers around the world rely on our Expancel expandable microspheres and we are pleased to expand our capacity to meet growing demand.”

Customers also use the expandable microspheres to enhance products in applications including curbside recyclable packaging materials, freeze- and thaw-resistant concrete, as well as sealants and coatings applications in the construction industry where prevention of cracks and water absorption are essential to prolong the life of weather-exposed building materials.

“Nouryon is seeing a marked increase in demand for expandable microspheres, particularly in the packaging, construction, mining and automotive industries and we are pleased to open a full-scale manufacturing facility to support our customers in North America,” said Sylvia Winkel Pettersson, vice president, Engineered Polymers, at Nouryon. “This investment underscores our dedication to growing with our customers.”

Nouryon is a leading producer of expandable microspheres worldwide and has over 40 years of expertise in expandable thermoplastic microspheres under the Expancel brand of expandable microspheres.

Learn more about Nouryon at www.nouryon.com.