HAGUE, Netherlands—Arlanxeo will increase capacity of HNBR with a new production plant in China, the global synthetic rubber firm said Feb. 29.
HNBR is used extensively in oil exploration and other demanding applications for seals and rolls.
"Arlanxeo continues to invest in high-growth markets, and today we are delighted to announce our plans for a new Therban plant in China," said Stephan van Santbrink, CEO of the company. "This announcement marks a significant step toward meeting the growing global demand for advanced synthetic rubber products."
The plant will be built in Changzhou, located in eastern China in southern Jiangsu.
Nameplate annual capacity will start at 2,500 tons and top out in a second phase at 5,000 tons per year.
The plant is expected to come online in the third quarter of 2025.
According to Arlanxeo, Therban can withstand a wide temperature range and has excellent mechanical properties.
Arlanxeo's Therban line of HNBR also stands up to chemicals and abrasion, climates in which mechanical engineering, oil and gas, aerospace and e-mobility battery industries typically work.
"Arlanxeo's new Therban plant in Changzhou will allow us to serve the growing market demand for HNBR with high-quality, locally produced synthetic rubber," said Hong Sun, managing director of Arlanxeo China. "We look forward to collaborating with our customers and business partners as we continue to explore the considerable application potential of Therban."
Arlanxeo late last year said it would debottleneck production processes for Therban plants in th U.S. and Germany.
Activity on HNBR lines in Orange, Texas, and Leverkusen, Germany, should be complete by the end of this year and will add close to 1,000 tons of additional HNBR capacity.
Arlanxeo first announced operations in China in August 2016, and employs about 400 people in the country today. The firm also has production locations in Nantong, and a sales and administration office in Shanghai.
The company also maintains a joint venture with TSRC Corp. in Nantong.
Based in the Netherlands, Arlanxeo now has more than 12 production sites in nine countries and seven innovation centers around the world.