Synthetic rubber producer Arlanxeo, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, says it has reached a new milestone in advancing operations efficiency at the EPDM plant in Changzhou to increase annual capacity by 15%. Leveraging on its R&D capability at the Changzhou plant, the operations efficiency advancement project will support the production of various Keltan grades, which can be widely applied in component parts for 5G construction, ultra-high voltage, charging pile and big data centres in new infrastructure areas. These products are also commonly used to produce rail pads, railway sound barriers and rubber boots for the rail transit system, auto profile for new energy vehicles and washing machine gasket, air-conditioner damper in home appliances.
The expansion is in line with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan that strives towards high-quality development with the acceleration of new infrastructure and electric vehicles.
“Arlanxeo is committed to meeting customers’ expectations for premium products and services. With the improvement in efficiency and supply, we hope to support our partners to expand application possibilities, and thus to seize growth opportunities in a fast-changing environment”, Boyang Lu, Vice President Sales, China.
As a strategic location for Arlanxeo in China, Changzhou is important to its development and business growth.
The Changzhou EPDM plant, and the R&D centre were established in 2013, under German chemical company Lanxess.
At Changzhou plant, Arlanxeo adds it has also come up with many innovative achievements, such as Keltan Ultra-High Mooney 100+ Innovation Platform, primarily focusing on the development of new grades with high Mooney viscosity and enabling improvement in physical properties with reduced costs.
Following the establishmentof Arlanxeo in April 2016, through a joint venture between Lanxess and Saudi Aramco, Arlanxeo officially commenced operations in China 2016. Headquartered in Changzhou, Arlanxeo has a staff of around 350 employees in China, with production facilities in Changzhou and Nantong, in addition to a sales and administration office in Shanghai. Arlanxeo is also a partner of a joint venture with TSRC Corporation located in Nantong.
In 2018, Saudi Aramco acquired the remaining 50% of Lanxess shares, and became the sole owner of Arlanxeo.