Degussa expanding Chinese carbon black facilities.(ERJ newsbrief)(Brief Article)

European Rubber Journal, November, 2003

Dusseldorf, Germany -- Degussa AG is to expand the capacity of its carbon black plant in Qingdao, China, to over 70 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) from 50 ktpa at present.

"We will be increasing our production capacity by over 20,000 metric tons by the end of 2004," said Robert Wissner, head of Degussa's Advanced Fillers & Pigments Business Unit, in a 9 Sept company statement.

Degussa is "also exploring additional growth options at other Chinese locations," said Wissner to meet growing demand in China, now the world's largest truck tyre market.

The Qingdao unit is run by Qingdao Degussa Chemical Co. Ltd, a joint venture of Degussa, Zhenya Carbon Black Co. and DEG (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH).