MOSCOW (MRC) -- LANXESS is continuing the systematic expansion of its production for synthetic iron oxide pigments. The company is the only supplier worldwide to produce these pigments using the Laux process, said the company.
Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has expanded its capacity for black synthetic iron oxide pigments at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site by more than 5,000 metric tons per year. “The increased demand from the construction industry, in particular for our unique black pigments to color concrete, can be even better met with the debottlenecking measures that have now been completed,” says Holger Huppeler, head of the Inorganic Pigments business unit at LANXESS. The company is thus continuing the systematic expansion of its production capacities for synthetic iron oxide pigments. LANXESS is the only supplier worldwide to produce these pigments using the Laux process.
In architecture and landscaping, the black coloration of concrete has been a trend for some time now. Concrete is a creative material, which provides a multitude of possibilities to building material producers, architects, and building contractors. With the use of suitable pigments, this applies not only to the architectural design of concrete, but especially to its coloration. “Thanks to their up to 15 percent higher tinting strength and reliable color consistency, our Bayferrox 330 and Bayferrox 340 black pigments are the preferred choice for coloring high-quality cement-based building materials – for example not only in manufacturing concrete paving stones and roof tiles, but also in architecture," explains Huppeler.
In addition, these special iron oxides from LANXESS offer further clear benefits. The pigments produced using the Laux process are the only synthetic iron oxides that are specially certified by an independent testing institute for safe use in ultra-high-strength concretes (UHPC). UHPC is used in construction projects where, for example, high load capacities and very lightweight, customized structures are required. And these high-quality pigments are also impressive when it comes to their sustainability credentials. They are certified for their high content of recycled raw materials by SCS Global Services, one of the leading companies for audits and independent certifications worldwide.
In Krefeld, LANXESS operates the world’s largest plant for manufacturing synthetic iron oxide pigments. The global importance of this site is confirmed every year by its extensive investment in capacity expansion and process optimization, as well as the continuous expansion of environmentally friendly production technologies.
Thanks to the unique Laux process, the production facility at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site already has an excellent carbon footprint. This is because this special chemical process uses the heat generated during the reaction to create steam, which is in turn used in the subsequent process steps.
"Our goal is to use targeted measures to continuously reduce the CO2 footprint of our pigments. In the future the energetic use of hydrogen, which is produced during the production process of our pigments and can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels, will also play an important role,” says Huppeler. Specialty chemicals group LANXESS has set itself an ambitious climate protection target. By 2040, the group aims to become climate-neutral and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from the current level of around 3.2 million metric tons of CO2. By 2030, LANXESS aims to cut its emissions by 50 percent to around 1.6 million metric tons of CO2 compared with today.
Lanxess, meanwhile, says it will pay a special bonus for the “extraordinary commitment” of its employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. “In particular, our colleagues at the plants played a crucial role in keeping our business running during the crisis,” says Zachert. “With this bonus, we would like to thank them and all the others who have made special contributions over the past months.” The company will distribute a high-single-digit million euro sum. The amount of the payment varies from employee to employee. In Germany, the special bonus will be paid out in December, and different rules apply in other countries, Lanxess says.
As per MRC, LANXESS' net profits in the second quarter of 2020 were almost eight times higher than in the same period of the previous year, to EUR798 million (USD943 million). This is primarily due to the sale of its 40% stake in chemical park curator Currenta to Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in April, which resulted in a disposal gain of EUR740 million. Sales declined 16.7% year on year, to EUR1.44 billion, due to weak demand across many industries and lower raw material prices, the company says. EBITDA and EBIT shrank by 23.8% and 57.3%, to EUR198 million and EUR61 million, respectively.
We remind that Russia's output of chemical products rose in September 2020 by 6.7% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals increased by 6.1% year on year in the first nine months of 2020, according to Rosstat's data. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the January-September output. Last month's production of primary polymers decreased to 852,000 tonnes from 888,000 tonnes in August due to shutdowns in Tomsk, Ufa and Kazan. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 7,480,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 16.4% year on year.
MRC