German specialty chemicals firm, Evonik Industries is expanding its production capacities for tyre silica. At its plant in Adapazari, Turkey, the move is anticipated to increase the current production capacity for silica by 40,000 tonnes.
The expansion is in response with the growing demands of silica for low rolling resistance tyres. At the same time, it will provide the product needs of consumers from the Southeastern Europe and the Middle East after its completion in late 2019, the company said.
Andreas Fischer, the head of the Silica Business Line at Evonik said that aside from the company’s response with the growing demand for silica, Evonik wants to improve the supply security and local availability of tyre silica and other specialty products.
Currently, two new sites in Americana, Brazil and Charleston, US as well as in Chester, US manufacture the innovative silica Ultrasil 7800 GR for energy-saving SUV tyres, which was launched last year.
Evonik manufactures different silica products including fumed silica Aerosil and the precipitated silicas Ultrasil, Siparnat, Zeodent and Spherilex.
For all the silica products, Evonik has 1 million metric tonnes of global production capacity in a year.