Wacker Chemie AG said it is expanding its existing production plants for polymer binders in South Korea.

The Munich-based chemical company said it plans to build a new spray dryer for dispersible polymer powders at its Ulsan site. The dryer will have a total capacity of 80,000 metric tons per year, the company said.

WACKER said it also plans to build a further reactor for dispersions based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE). Its dispersions will be used in the spray dryer for the production of dispersible polymer powders. 

Capital expenditures of around €60 million ($70.65 million) have been budgeted for the capacity increase and for expanding local infrastructure, the company said.

Scheduled to start before the end of the year, construction work is expected to be finished by Q1 2019, per Wacker. 

“Our investment in expanding our polymer-binder production facilities in Ulsan is a key step in our global growth strategy,” said Rudolf Staudigl, CEO of Wacker Chemie AG. “The additional capacity will strengthen our market position the world’s leading manufacturer of dispersions and dispersible polymer powders, and will help us meet our Asian customers’ continuously rising demand over the long term."

“The new facilities will not only secure WACKER’s supply chain in South Korea in the years ahead, but will also enable us to supply first-class, locally manufactured products and solutions to our regional customers to meet their specific needs," added Dal-ho Cho, who is in charge of the Korean subsidiary Wacker Chemicals Korea, stressed the importance of the expansion program for Asian markets."

WACKER already produces VINNAPASVAE dispersions at its Ulsan site.
 



Photo courtesy Wacker Chemie AG