Wacker to Expand Production Capacity of Dispersible Polymer Powders in Germany

Munich and Burghausen -- Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its production capacity for dispersible polymer powders in Germany. The Munich-based chemical company is currently building a new spray dryer with an annual capacity of 50,000 metric tons at its Burghausen site, investing an amount of around ?0 million. The facility is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2015 and will be one of the largest of its kind worldwide.

WACKER aims to meet the globally rising demand for dispersible polymer powders, which is driven by worldwide trends such as urbanization, renovation and energy efficiency, as well as the increasing need for environmentally compatible dry-mix mortar products. With the planned production expansion, the Group is creating the necessary capacity to reliably meet the market growth predicted by industry experts in the long term.

 "Worldwide, demand for high-quality dispersible polymer powders is rising particularly in residential construction and infrastructure measures," explains Arno von der Eltz, president of WACKER POLYMERS. "We started to extend our dispersible polymer powder production at our Nanjing site at the end of last year and now want to push ahead with expanding our capacities in Burghausen, too ? and thus strengthen our global position as a leading manufacturer of dispersible polymer powders."

WACKER has been producing dispersible polymer powders as binders for dry-mix mortars in Burghausen, Germany, since 1957 and, today, is a global technology and market leader in this field. VINNAPAS dispersible polymer powders find use in various construction applications such as tile adhesives, self-leveling flooring compounds, plasters, repair mortars, external thermal insulation composite systems and cementitious waterproofing membranes. They enhance important end-product properties, such as adhesion, cohesion, flexibility and flexural strength. Water retention, processing properties and weatherability benefit from VINNAPAS, too.

About WACKER POLYMERS

WACKER POLYMERS is a leading producer of state-of-the-art binders and polymeric additives based on polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate copolymers. These take the form of dispersible polymer powders, dispersions, solid resins, and solutions. They are used in construction chemicals, paints, surface coatings, adhesives and nonwovens, and in fiber composites and polymeric materials based on renewable resources. WACKER POLYMERS has production sites in Germany, China, South Korea and the USA, as well as a global sales network and technical centers in all major regions.