Cologne-based specialty chemicals company LANXESS has expanded its capacities for light-colored sulfur carriers at its sites in Mannheim, Germany, and Kallo, near Antwerp, Belgium. For the Rhein Chemie Additives (ADD) business unit, this step strengthens its already strong position in the market segment for highly specialized industrial lubricant additives. Light-colored sulfur carriers are used as additives in formulating high-performance metalworking fluids and gear oils that ensure good lubrication between metal surfaces at very high pressures.

“Our high capacities for light-colored sulfur carriers make us one of the top 3 global suppliers. And we want to move to the front of the field in the future,” said Dr. Martin Säwe, head of the Lubricant Additives business line within LANXESS's ADD business unit. “We have now expanded the capacity of our production plant for light-colored sulfur carriers at our Mannheim site by about 20 percent,” Säwe explained. The investment was completed in late 2015 and totaled EUR 1.5 million. Production capacity in Kallo was increased by a comparable amount by means of process optimization. The plant in Mannheim was intentionally designed for future expansion. “This means we are prepared for any necessary increases,” said Säwe.

LANXESS has over 50 years of experience in manufacturing sulfur carriers, and this capacity expansion was its response to the steadily growing demand for these products worldwide. Modernized continuously, LANXESS's plants have proven their high level of safety for decades. This track record is of critical importance for these products, the synthesis of which is very demanding in terms of safety. “This is also the reason we see no major difficulties coming our way from the upcoming tightening of the German Federal Immission Control Act, the keyword being the ‚Seveso-III‘ Directive, No. 2012/18/EU. And for our customers, this translates into even higher supply reliability,” said Säwe.