Evonik Opens Two Plant Units for TAC AND TAICROS Crosslinking Activators

Evonik has started up two new plant units for the production of crosslinking activators at its multi-user site in Wesseling. With triallyl cyanurate (TAC) and triallyl isocyanurate (TAICROS), the company now offers two high-quality crosslinking activators for use in plastics and rubber.

“The new production allows us to meet our customers’ rising quality requirements as well as the growing demand worldwide, especially in the photovoltaics sector,” said Matthias Hau, head of the Evonik Agrochemicals & Polymer Additives Business Line.

TAICROS enhances the quality of so-called EVA films, which encase the sensitive silicon cells of solar panels—and thus the solar cell as a whole—to protect them from environmental influences. TAICROS ensures better crosslinking and also protects films against long-term yellowing, which means the solar cells perform well on a sustained basis. “What’s more, TAICROS speeds up crosslinking, which results in a quicker lamination process and the corresponding efficiency improvements for customers in the photovoltaics sector,” explained Segment Head Dr. Frank Kraushaar. TAC is primarily used in high-quality rubber materials such as hoses and cable coatings in the automotive sector to increase aging resistance and, accordingly, the life expectancy of such items.

Thanks to the backward-integrated production system in Wesseling, the new plant units are connected to an existing cyanuric chloride plant. Cyanuric chloride is one of the source materials for TAC and TAICROS.

In the area of research and development, Evonik works with customers in the plastics industry on innovative new developments on a continuous basis. The most stringent demands and individual requirements set the benchmark for new solutions.