Wacker to expand silica specialties plant

Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its hydrophobic silica specialties plant located in Burghausen, Germany to increase the production capacities for HDK pyrogenic silica. It will spend close to €1.4 million to increase the capacity of the plant by over 40 per cent. The project, which will begin early next year, is expected to be completed by Q3 2017.

“The expansion enables us to meet rising customer demand for high-quality specialties and tailored solutions from Wacker. This project is part of our strategy to achieve further profitable growth through cost-effective expansions at existing plants and to increase the proportion of specialties in our total business,” said Auguste Willems, executive board member, Wacker.

Hydrophobic or water-repellent specialty silicas are used in toner powders for printers. They enhance the stability of the end product, as well as its flow and charging properties.