Evonik has opened expanded facilities in Ako, Japan for the production of speciality silicas.
The German company has increased its Japanese production capacity for speciality silicas, including the Sipernat and Carplex lines by approximately 50%.
Applications for Sipernat and Carplex include their use as drug carriers for pharmaceuticals.
Evonik manufactures these ingredients through DSL Japan, in which it has a 51% share through a joint venture with Shionogi & Co in Japan.
'The expansion will allow us to continue providing exceptionally high-quality silica that will support the growth of our customers in sophisticated sectors such as the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals industries,' said Andreas Fischer, Head of Evonik's Silica Business Line within the Resource Efficiency Segment.
This move is part of Evonik's expansion of its global silica production capacities
DSL President Tadashi Kanai said the investment would strengthen the company’s market position.
He said: 'As the expansion shows, we see growth potential for the high-quality speciality silica business in Japan. Our aim is to strategically enhance our already strong market position.'
This move is part of Evonik's expansion of its global silica production capacities. Following expansion projects in Europe and Asia, the firm is now constructing a facility in Americana, Brazil, which will be the first plant in South America for highly dispersible (HD) silica, a product used primarily in tyres with low rolling resistance. In the spring of 2015, the company began the initial planning stages of a new world-scale production plant for precipitated silica in the US. The company hopes to finish construction by the end of 2017. The overall project – the largest investment that Evonik has made in North America in the past five years – is still subject to board approval.
