Company
The Sarnia site is a wholly owned subsidiary of LANXESS AG and is part of the Butyl Rubber (BTR) business unit at LANXESS.

Production volume
LANXESS Sarnia site has an annual capacity of 150,000 tons of synthetic rubber.

Employees
Currently LANXESS employs about 500 full time employees at its Sarnia site.

Key economic figures
BTR is part of LANXESS’ Performance Polymers business, which recorded sales of EUR 3,782 million in fiscal 2010.

Products
LANXESS operates a major synthetic rubber production facility in Sarnia for Butyl Rubber (regular Butyl, Chlorobutyl, and Bromobutyl).
C4 Business – within the BTR business, responsible for the manufacture of fossil resources and bio-based raw materials.

Applications
The major application area for LANXESS butyl rubber is the tire industry, but its remarkable properties make it a key polymer for a variety of technical rubber applications. Butyl vulcanizates offer an
attractive range of properties including low permeability, high damping, good reversion and chemical resistance, and excellent mechanical properties.

LANXESS halobutyl rubbers are widely used in pharmaceutical rubber products, such as closures for infusion containers, injection vials, lyophilization and blood collection tubes. They are also used as o-rings and gaskets in a variety of aerosol containers and inhalers; and as plungers for applications such as infusion pumps, pre-filled syringes, insulin injectors and dental anesthetics. Chewing gum is one of the most interesting applications of LANXESS food-grade butyl, which is also manufactured in kosher grades. Due to its direct contact with human saliva, LANXESS applies the most stringent quality control standards for this grade, this is consistent with national and international food regulations and standards of this application.

Innovation
LANXESS aims to create a culture of innovation, promoting investment and expanding exports to world markets.

LANXESS has been a leading contributor to the future knowledge base of the Sarnia region through participation in developing programs at Lambton College in specialized fields such as the chemistry of polymers and synthetic rubber processing. An example is the newly opened Advance Material Engineering Research Lab.

LANXESS continues to build in the area of research and development establishing partnerships with academia, similar to the one with Lambton College and University of Western Ontario, with the objective to encourage young people to explore careers in science.

Sustainability
LANXESS Inc. Sarnia business philosophy incorporates the concept of sustainability that focuses on social responsibility towards our employees and the general public, prosperity for the company and local community, efficient use of energy and conservation of natural resources and reduced environmental impact.  LANXESS Inc. has strong ties to the community in the areas of emergency response, environmental performance and health & safety with sustainability partners that include:

Community Awareness Emergency Response (www.caer.ca)
Sarnia-Lambton Environmental Association (www.sarniaenvironment.com)
Industrial Education Cooperative (www.iecpartnership.com)
Bluewater Sustainability Initiative (www.bluewatersustainabilityinitiative.ca)
Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (www.canadianchemistry.ca)

As a large industrial company we recognize the need to continually improve and become more sustainable as our commitment to current and future generations.