Lanxess successfully completes plant expansion for Macrolex dyes

Speciality chemicals company Lanxess has successfully completed the expansion of its Macrolex dyes production plant at the ChemPark Leverkusen.

With an investment of more than €5M, the capacity was increased by around 25%.

The expanded plant was officially in operation at the beginning of May.

"By expanding the plant, we are responding to the increased global demand for high-quality dyes in the plastics industry,” said Philipp Junge, Head of the Lanxess Rhein Chemie business unit (RCH).

"With the expanded capacity, we can now continue to grow, especially in sensitive application areas, such as high-quality plastics packaging.

"Here, the solvent dyes under the Macrolex brand meet very high standards,” said Dominik Risse, Vice President Colorant Additives Business at RCH.

The investment is also a clear commitment to the Leverkusen site.

"With the expansion of our colourants business at the ChemPark Leverkusen, we were able to create six additional jobs,” added Dr Axel Lache, Head of Production of Colorant Additives at RCH.

The soluble organic dyes marketed under the Macrolex brand are mainly used to colour high-quality plastics products, such as beverage bottles, electronic equipment, car tail lights and children’s toys.

The portfolio of Lanxess’s colourant additives business comprises a total of 150 products and, in addition to Macrolex dyes, other high-quality colourants for use in a wide range of demanding applications, from LCD screens to colourants for writing instruments.

The business line supplies dyes and pigments to more than 800 customers worldwide.