MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik is expanding its production facilities in Birmingham (Alabama, USA) and Darmstadt (Germany), as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.
This will create additional capacity for the production of biodegradable polymers marketed globally under the brand names RESOMER and RESOMER SELECT. These poly-lactic-glycolic-acid (PLGA) copolymers are primarily used to manufacture bioresorbable medical devices and controlled-release formulations for parenteral drug delivery.
"We expect the global demand for biodegradable polymers to continue to grow in the coming years," said Paul Spencer, Head of Biomaterials at Evonik’s Health Care Business Line. "With this in mind, we are currently investing to increase the capacity of our production facilities in order to serve our global customer base."
The expansion will involve construction of a new building adjacent to Evonik’s existing facility in Birmingham. Commissioning is slated for late 2018.
As MRC informed before, in November 2014, Evonik Industries launched a modular system of bio-based polyester polyols for reactive hotmelt adhesives, under the name DYNACOLL Terra. The DYNACOLL Terra range includes nine medium-molecular-weight polyester polyols in which the content of renewable raw materials ranges from more than 30 to 100 percent. As in the case of the petrochemical based grades, this is a modular system consisting of amorphous, liquid, and crystalline grades; their spectrum of viscosities, melting points, and glass transition temperatures determine to a large extent the properties of the formulated PUR hotmelts such as open time, initial strength, and setting time. The bio-based formulations allow the production of reactive hotmelts with properties comparable to those of petrochemically based polyesters; in some cases the products can be even better.
Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world.
MRC