Arlanxeo, a synthetic rubber company based in The Netherlands, will be shutting down its ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomers facility in Orange County, Texas, in the second quarter of 2020 as it realigns global production and supply. As Arlanxeo’s only production site in the US, the Orange facility produces nearly 70 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) Keltan-branded EPDM, butadiene rubber (BR) and hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) under some 300 employees. Arlanxeo will provide alternative opportunities for those affected by the closure.
Chretien Rooijakkers, the company’s VP Marketing/Sales, also said their teams will support customers in North America, and around the globe, to make their transition to Arlanxeo’s specifically-developed alternative Keltan grades.
Meanwhile, Arlanxeo recently announced a steady increase in sales of EPDM sold under the Keltan KSA brand – these grades are being produced in Saudi Arabia by Petro Rabigh, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemicals. Arlanxeo is the sole distributor of Saudi Aramco’s share of the Petro Rabigh EPDM output, which since has “ramped up” production from a nameplate capacity of 75ktpa.
Arlanxeo currently operates EPDM production facilities in The Netherlands, China, and Brazil. Its operations involve the developing, manufacturing and marketing of high-performance rubber for use in various industries.