— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

To meet growing demand, particularly from European and US customers, Envalior (Cologne, Germany; www.envalior.com) is setting up its first in-house production facility for polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) compounds in Uerdingen, Germany. The company plans to commence production at the former Lanxess site in the second half of 2025. Envalior already manufactures polyamide and polyester compounds at this location.

When asked by Plasteurope.com, the company did not disclose details regarding capacity or investment volumes. Globally, compounding capacities for this high-performance polymer range between 6,000 t/y and 10,000 t/y, and Uerdingen’s future capacity is expected to fall within this range.

Related: Envalior launches high-performance composites, sustainable PBT compounds

The high-temperature thermoplastic was brought to the market in 2016 under the Xytron brand by the former DSM plastics division. The base polymer for the new compounding operation is likely to be supplied by Zhejiang NHU Special Materials (Xinchang, Zhejiang, China; www.cnhu.com), as it was during DSM’s time. NHU also previously operated as a contract compounder for DSM. However, Envalior did not provide any information on its planned arrangements with NHU, despite repeated enquiries. NHU’s materials division includes, alongside PPS, smaller-scale production of polyamides and long-glass fibre compounds.

Envalior was formed in 2023 from the merger of the former Lanxess operations, primarily focused on polyamides and polyesters, with DSM’s plastics division at the time. Since then, private equity firm Advent International has held a 60% stake in the company, while Lanxess retains the remaining 40%. Envalior, a company with around EUR 4 bn in turnover and approximately 4,000 employees, is led by CEO Calum Maclean.