MOSCOW—Wacker Chemie A.G. is strengthening its presence in Russia by expanding its technical center in Moscow, along with gaining a valuable accreditation at the center's existing laboratories.
Wacker is integrating a new dedicated laboratory for adhesives and sealants based on silane-terminated polyethers (hybrid polymers) used mostly in the construction industry, according to a company release.
The expansion and accreditation, Wacker said, allow for it to meet increasing local demands for silicone and polymer products.
"The market for sealants and adhesives in Russia has huge potential, which was the main factor behind our decision to open the new facility," Alexander Serov, managing director of Wacker Russia, said during the opening ceremony.
The new lab offers the capability to test and develop formulations based on local fillers and additives, with planetary and asymmetric centrifugal mixers to prepare adhesives and sealants of varying viscosity and thixotropy. It also is possible to determine tensile strength, adhesion, shear strength and shore hardness.
The Moscow technical center has a climate room for testing samples under standard conditions to provide repeatable results. All tests for liquid and cured adhesives can be conducted along international standards.
Complementing the new center, Wacker said the existing labs there for dry-mix-mortar, paints, coatings and construction silicones applications has been accredited by the Russian Federal Service for Accreditation as an official test lab with GOST ISO/MEK 17025. The accreditation enables Wacker to issue a Russian state-approved protocol on the results of product tests, which allows customers to apply for quality certificates for their products.
The chemicals firm said the certificates for tile adhesives, paints and coatings, self-leveling compounds or renders are increasingly required in both public and private construction.