Arkema Announces Plans to Boost Elastomer Capacity by 40%
Arkema is boosting its previously announced global Pebax® elastomer capacity expansion at its Serquigny, France, site from an increase of 25% to an increase of 40%. The expansion is set to roll out in two separate phases. In the first quarter of 2023, the company will raise global capacity by 15%, and an additional 25% production capacity increase will begin in the third quarter of 2023. The greater increase in Pebax elastomer capacity will support the demand from partner customers in the sports, consumer electronics, medical, and industrial markets. Applications range from ultra-fast running shoes to catheters or flexible device screens.
Beyond this new capacity expansion in France and to support the growth of its global customers, Arkema is currently assessing further investment opportunities, including in Asia. As customer demand is increasingly driven by sustainability and social responsibility, Arkema has benefited from strong growth in particular for its bio-based Pebax Rnew® grades, derived from renewable castor beans. These materials reportedly have a significantly lower carbon footprint thanks to their bio-based content and can be fully recycled as part of Arkema’s Virtucycle® recycling program for advanced polymers.
Arkema continues to innovate and invest to improve its materials’ carbon footprint. As part of this expansion, for example, the company is reducing water consumption by 25% at its Serquigny site thanks to process improvements.
“We are very excited to announce this acceleration of our Pebax elastomer capacity increase,” said Erwoan Pezron, senior vice president of Arkema’s High-Performance Polymers business line. “Demand continues to grow, especially for our bio-based Pebax Rnew range. There is no compromise between high performance and sustainability. Our customers demand both.”
For more information, visit: www.arkema.com.
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