International. Specialty chemical company Lanxess announced that it will expand the capacity of Macrolex dyes at its Leverkusen site. With an investment volume of more than five million euros, the current production capacity will increase by 25 percent, which will be available from the end of 2018.
"With this capacity expansion, we want to meet the growing global demand for high-quality dyes for the plastics industry," says Philipp Junge, head of Lanxess' Rhein Chemie business unit. "We see a significant increase in demand, especially in Asia."
Dominik Risse, head of the colour additives business at Lanxess, adds: "There are also stricter regulatory requirements. Especially in sensitive areas of application, particularly products with high purity are increasingly needed."
The investment is also a clear commitment to the Leverkusen site, Risse adds. The expansion represents a significant investment in the dyes business, which will also create additional jobs at Chempark Leverkusen.
Soluble and organic dyes of the Macrolex brand are mainly used for the coloring of high-quality plastic products, such as beverage bottles, electronic devices, car taillights and children's toys. The products are used to color polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
