The joint venture between German chemicals firm Evonik and the Chinese company Wynca – Evonik Wynca (Zhenjiang) Silicon Material Co., Ltd. has officially started the construction on a new fumed silica plant in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China. Scheduled to become operational in 2021 with a projected output of 9,000 tonnes/year, the new plant will produce fumed silica marketed under the name Aerosil, in order to fulfil the market demand for silicones, coatings and paints, modern adhesives and gel batteries in China.
Together with the business partners, representatives from local government and media, Evonik and Wynca took part in a ground-breaking ceremony recently in the Zhenjiang New Material Industry Park.
“As a kind of Smart Materials, silica belongs to one of the four strategic growth engines identified by Evonik because of its rapid market growth and extensive applications. As our first fumed silica plant in China, the new plant in Zhenjiang will further improve the global production network of Aerosil and ensure a more solid supply for Chinese customers,” said Andreas Fischer, board member of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“As leaders in different industries, Evonik and Wynca have a lot in common and are highly complementary in strategic concepts. Forming a high-end fumed silica project in Zhenjiang New Material Park through this strong alliance is in line with the business strategies of both sides.” says Jianhua Wu, Chairman of the Wynca Group.
The joint venture will combine Evonik’s advanced product technology with the leading local silicone industry value chain formed by Wynca, building a production facility for fumed silica products by utilising chlorosilanes from Wynca.
Meanwhile, the by-product hydrochloric acid will also be fully utilised as a raw material for Wynca Zhenjiang Site. This integrated production loop is expected to make full use of by-products from each side and achieve perfect resource recycling and synergies among organic silicon monomer, chlorosilane and fumed silica production.
Fumed silica is an important high-tech nanomaterial with an annual market growth above GDP on a global basis. China is among the countries with the fastest growing market size and demand for fumed silica. Key drivers for this market in China include the silicone industry for adhesives and sealants in buildings and cars as well as gel batteries.
Evonik is a global manufacturer of silica. Overall, Evonik has a global production capacity for all silica-based products of about 1 million tonnes/year.