Evonik starts production at new Geesthacht multi-purpose silicone facility
Engineers carried out small batch runs, and the essential safety assessments required for production to start, despite the added complexity posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the inauguration in January, the new plant in Northern Germany, 30 kilometers outside Hamburg, is now producing the silicones and silyl-terminated polymers (SMP’s) used for example, in parquet adhesive flooring, liquid membranes for roofing or electronical potting applications.
“Fortunately, we commissioned the facility’s new tank farm before the full impact of the COVID-19 virus was realised, but still had testing to do before we could be fully operational,” said Dr. Sabine Giessler-Blank, head of the Polymer & Construction Specialties Product Line. “I’m very proud of our team and our partners’ achievements – as we still managed to complete the project on schedule despite several additional safety measures.”
Addition-curing silicones and the SMP’s
The new facility is supposed to strengthen Evonik’s innovation capabilities and its focus on silicone and nanotechnology specialty chemical products. These include addition-curing silicones and the SMP’s used as binders for adhesives and sealants in parquet adhesives, adhesives for wound care and other medical applications or in electronics, for example in thermally conductive polymer filling compounds for e-mobility.