Lanxess to expand North Carolina plastics plant

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is expanding its compounding facility for high-tech plastics in Gastonia, North Carolina, the company announced Thursday.

The expansion is designed to add a second production line. Representing an investment volume of about $15 million, it will double the existing capacity from 20,000 to 40,000 tpy.

Construction for the second line is expected to commence in the second half of 2014, with production scheduled to begin in early 2016.

The LANXESS Gastonia facility produces the high-tech plastics Durethan (polyamide) and Pocan (polybutylene terephthalate), which allow automotive engineers to design lighter-weight plastic components to replace metal parts in cars, contributing to fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

“The United States is the leading market for high-tech plastics, with the automotive industry at the forefront,” said LANXESS chief executive Flemming B. Bjoernslev. 

“Automotive industry sales are at their highest level in almost ten years and by adding the second line in Gastonia, we are underlining our ongoing commitment to our customers," he added.