International. AkzoNobel's Specialty Chemicals business is working on plans to double production capacity at its organic peroxide facility in Ningbo, China, over the next two years.
A project to increase capacity by 40% is already underway, which is expected to be completed by mid-August. The company is considering a larger-scale expansion that would increase current capacity by 100%. This site produces dicouple peroxide (DCP), an organic peroxide used as a cross-linking agent in the manufacture of polymers.
"Demand for our products is growing rapidly and the expansion of our existing facilities provides a great opportunity to meet the needs of our global customers," said Johan Landfors, Managing Director of Polymer Chemistry at AkzoNobel. "This expansion will allow us to consolidate our position as the world's leading producer of organic peroxides."
DCP is a cross-linking agent used to produce a variety of polymers with exceptional durability. These polymers can be found in many different products, such as shoe soles, a market that has been growing in developing countries in particular. DCP is also used in polymers to insulate high-voltage cables, which are in increasing demand to improve power grids and connect offshore wind farms and other renewable energy sources.
