Lanxess increases production volume of micronised iron oxide red pigments
Lanxess continues to optimise its global production network for the manufacture of iron oxide pigments.
Through targeted “debottlenecking” at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site, the specialty chemicals company has increased the product availability of its “Bayferrox” and “Colortherm” micronised red pigments by more than 5,000 metric tons per year. Due to their properties, micronised iron oxide pigments are mainly used in technically demanding paints and coating systems and for colouring plastics. The micronisation process is characterised by intensive milling in which the proportion of agglomerates is significantly reduced. Micronised pigments can thus be more readily dispersed. In addition, they provide high colour strength and colour consistency.
Development of an own manufacturing process
Lanxess uses its proprietary Laux process to manufacture Bayferrox and Colortherm red pigments at its site in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany. Black pigments are heated up to 800 °C and oxidised to red pigment. Since the Copperas process, which was an alternative, is no longer used worldwide on a market-relevant scale, the much more environmentally friendly Laux process is the only production process applied for iron oxide red pigments that includes a calcination step at very high temperatures.
