Issue 2 2018 – WACKER to expand production capacity for silicones and HDK pyrocarbon black

WACKER to expand silicone and HDK pyrosilica production capacity Considering growing demand in some regions, WACKER is following a series of construction projects to expand its silicone and HDK pyrocarbon production capacity

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The expansion will involve hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in North America, including infrastructure development and additional equipment to increase production capacity
for elastomers, intermediates, defoamers and silicone dispersions.
With this expansion, WACKER's production capacity for silicone elastomers, liquid silicone rubbers and dispersions will be significantly increased
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The expansion is building a new HDK fumed silica plant in Charleston, Tennessee, scheduled to open in mid-2019
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According to Ian Moore, Vice Chairman of WACKER Group's Silicones division, WACKER has allocated around $150 million
for the investment that will provide the region with around 14,300 metric tons of pyrocarbon per year.
WACKER will also build a new 10,000-square-foot silicone research and development center at its innovation headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is scheduled to open
in June.