2013-05-19

LANXESS’ inorganic pigments: Sustainable color choices for China’s plastics industry

LANXESS at Chinaplas 2013 May 20- 23, Booth Number: L01, Hall 11.2

Guangzhou/Shanghai, May 19, 2013 - Specialty chemicals company LANXESS, one of the world’s leading producers of iron oxide and chromium oxide pigments, showcases its sustainable solutions at the Chinaplas 2013. This important industrial trade fare takes place in Guangzhou, China from May 20 to 23.

Inorganic pigments from LANXESS, are produced according to the highest environmental standards and therefore offer sustainable solutions for all applications. The world recognized pigments under the brand names of Bayferrox and Colortherm are characterized by their unmatched color consistency, the high color strength, the unmatched lightfastness and their weather-resistance.

For the plastics industry, the LANXESS business unit Inorganic Pigments (IPG) produces pigments with unique heat resistance and uses special processes that protect them from changes in the hue even when they are subjected to intense heat, milling, grinding or dispersion. Bayferrox and Colortherm pigments are the first choice in all temperature demanding applications, including the plastics industry.

New Red Iron Oxide Pigments Plant in China

LANXESS has announced to build a high-tech facility for the production of New Red iron oxide pigments in the Ningbo Petrochemical Economic & Technological Development Zone (NPEDZ) on China’s east coast. The company is investing a total of EUR 55 million in the project and the plant will initially have an annual capacity of 25,000 metric tons.

The new plant is designed to meet the latest environmental standards and is intended to manufacture high quality iron oxide red pigments using state-of-the-art technology for a truly sustainable Penniman Red production process.

“The new plant will further complement our existing product range and expand our global production network. With the innovative premium products, LANXESS is well-positioned to serve the growing markets in China and globally,” said Wolfgang Oehlert, Vice President for the Inorganic Pigments business unit for Asia Pacific.

The construction will begin in the second quarter 2013 and the production is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2015. LANXESS will market the red pigments with their unique yellowish cast globally under the well-known brand names Bayferrox and Colortherm.

Broad Portfolio of Sustainable Coloration for Plastics Industry

LANXESS’ broad product range enables the specialty chemicals group to accommodate the latest color trends in the plastics industry.  The unique red iron oxide pigments from LANXESS Bayferrox and Colortherm Red series cover a broad range of hues, extending from a yellowish cast to a distinctly bluish shade. The red pigments from its future plant in Ningbo will even further complement the product range.

Alongside the red shades, LANXESS is also showcasing the colors yellow, black and brown of the high-performance Colortherm series, which are specifically developed for high-temperature demanding applications and show unmatched color stability during the plastics extrusion processes. LANXESS’ Colortherm Yellow series comprises of unique yellow iron oxide pigments with high color saturation that can be used in plastics due to their special treatment for heat resistance. The premium product Colortherm Yellow 30, for example, is a yellowish tan shade pigment that can resist heat up to 300 degrees Celsius.

LANXESS’ high-performance pigments, with their tight tolerances in color shade and tinting strength, make color reproduction when formulating master batches faster, easier, more reliable and energy efficient; shading work is reduced to a minimum. These industry leading characteristics represent decisive advantages for LANXESS’ customers in the plastics industry.

“LANXESS sees a growing demand for high-performance pigments with an increasing number of consumers in China and globally turning to eco-friendly, sustainable products and solutions. We are committed to offer our customers added-value solutions through cutting-edge technology, ecologically efficient production processes, and innovative products that contribute to sustainable development. All plants are running at full capacity to ensure reliable supply throughout the year,” said Oehlert.

With an annual capacity of more than 350,000 metric tons, the LANXESS Inorganic Pigments (IPG) business unit is one of the world's leading manufacturers of iron oxide and chromium oxide pigments. The heart of global production is located in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany. The business unit has close to 1,500 employees and is part of LANXESS’ Performance Chemicals segment.

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 9.1 billion in 2012 and currently around 17,400 employees in 31 countries. The company is at present represented at 50 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals. LANXESS is a member of the leading sustainable indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World and FTSE4Good as well as the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by LANXESS AG management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to confirm them to future events or developments.

Information for editors:

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Information on chemical products from LANXESS can also be found in our Web Magazine at http://webmagazine.lanxess.cn.