Evonik starts work on speciality polyamide 12 powders production plant

Evonik Industries has broken ground in Marl, Germany for construction of a new production plant for speciality polyamide 12 (PA12) powders. The company will, therefore, increase capacity for its Vestosint brand of PA12 powders by 50%/yr. The amount invested lies in the mid-double-digit million euro range. The plant is scheduled to come on stream at the end of 2017.

Dr Ralph Sven Kaufmann, Chief Operating Officer of Evonik, said: "Organic growth is an essential cornerstone of our long-term growth strategy, which is why we’re continually investing in new capacities and innovative products. With the Marl investment we’re also further consolidating our leading position as a supplier of polyamide 12 based high-performance polymers.”

Dr Claus Rettig, Chairman of the Management Board of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, said: "Our polyamide 12 powders are targeted at highly attractive markets, such as the coatings industry and additive manufacturing. We see strong potential for growth here. New production capacities in Marl will enable us to service the growing demand for speciality high-performance polymers.”

Evonik’s Resource Efficiency Segment is the market leader in polyamide 12 powders, which are marketed under the Vestosint brand name. The powders are used, for example, for coating of metals in household goods, such as dishwasher racks, in the automotive industry and in medical technology. For many years Evonik has also been developing speciality polymer powders that allow industrial production of high-tech components in 3D printing. Vestosint impresses here by its high quality and its processing behaviour and property profile are optimally suited to the relevant 3D printing technology.

Vestosint is a modified PA12 powder produced from polyamide granules by a special proprietary process at Evonik’s Marl site.