Specialty chemicals company Lanxess has planned to strengthen its global asset base for flame retardant additives with investments of around €200 million over the next three years. The company runs a strongly backward integrated production network for bromine and phosphorous based flame retardants with plants in the US, Germany, France and UK.

Lanxess has significantly expanded its market position for flame retardant additives after integrating the former Chemtura businesses with brominated flame retardant additives, bromine and bromine derivatives, according to a press release by the company. Due to their high effectiveness, these substances are used among others in the construction industry and are an ideal complement for the already existing Lanxess business with phosphorus-based flame retardant additives.

“With the acquisition of the US company Chemtura in spring 2017 we became one of the world’s leading suppliers of flame retardant additives. With the new investment package we will further strenghten our strong position in this growing market,” said Karsten Job, head of the polymer additives business at Lanxess.

In addition to the production network for flame retardants, Lanxess is running two technical development centres for these products in Naugatuck,USA and Leverkusen,Germany. “Out of Leverkusen and Naugatuck, we are driving global innovations like reactive and polymeric flame retardants,” said Job.

Reactive and polymeric flame retardants, like Lanxess’s Emerald Innovation 3000, enjoy a constant rise in demand as they offer a much better sustainability profile than standard flame retardants, the company said. (PC)