NEWS
BYK invests at sites in Germany and China
Additives group BYK has expanded its production and storage capacities in Schkopau, Germany, with the new facility at the Dow ValuePark specialising in thermoplastic and high-per- formance modifier produc- tion. With the construction of the new extrusion line, BYK can now produce granulated products to be used in household appliances, among other things. “In Schkopau, we’re using technologies that are new to BYK in this form,” said Matthias Kramer, Managing Director Production. “The experience gained here will be invaluable when it comes time to implement these technologies at other BYK sites.”
With the €12m invest-
ment, production capacity will increase by about a quarter at the site which has approximately 50 employ-
IMAGE: BYK
Clariant expands China R&D
BYK’s site in Schkopau, Germany
ees. Additionally, a state-of- the-art warehouse with 600 extra pallet spaces and a loading ramp for container- ized goods has been built. The company has also opened a new mini-plant in Shanghai, China, providing local customers with faster, more flexible, and custom- ised additive solutions. The mini-plant has highly flexible production capacity tailored to meet the rapidly chang- ing demands of the Chinese market with a production
capacity of 500 tonnes/yr. BYK further cemented Chinese operations with new laboratory facilities at the South China New Material Industrial Park in Guangzhou where the floor space has grown from 150 m² to 280 m². The range of services at the new facilities will gradually expand to include additional application areas such as adhesives, printing inks, and materials for new energy projects. �
www.byk.com
Epoch acquires PA 66 facility
UK biotech startup Epoch Biodesign is acquiring a 52,000 tpa PA 66 plant in Blanes, Spain, for over €4m. The site was formerly run
by Domo Chemicals, whose Spanish entity entered insolvency earlier this year. It will fully integrate Epoch’s production of recycled PA
66, made using an enzymatic process. Epoch’s demonstra- tion plant is expected to open later this year. �
https://epochbiodesign.com
Clariant has launched two new research and develop- ment laboratories for its additives business in China: one at the Daya Bay production site in Huizhou, and the other at the One Clariant Campus in Shanghai. The newly established labs will enable the full synthesis and development of new additives entirely on Chinese soil. “The new facilities will enable us to develop high- value specialty additives for plastics, coatings, and ad- hesives with greater speed and precision, tailored to the needs of our customers in China,” said Manuel Mueller, Head of Strategy and Innovation, Business Unit Adsorbents & Additives. This twin launch is the
latest investment in Clariant’s Chinese ecosys- tem. In November 2025, it announced a joint venture with Fuhua to develop phosphorus-based flame retardants, and in the same month inaugurated a second production line at its Cangzhou joint venture with Beijing Tiangang. �
www.clariant.com
New compounder Qualis sets up in Indiana
A former co-founder of Omni is part of a group of investors which has launched Qualis Engineered Plastics, a custom compounding operation located in a former Lucent Polymers plant in Evansville, Indiana, US. “Indiana’s excellence in manufactur-
4
ing and our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses make our state the ideal destination for companies like Qualis Engineered Plastics,” said Mike Braun, Governor of Indiana. The new company, which is expect-
COMPOUNDING WORLD | September 2026
ed to create over 30 jobs within five years, will operate from a site with 50-plus years of plastics manufacturing history, fitted with new equipment and new capabilities and will serve indus- trial, automotive and other markets. �
https://qualisengineeredplastics.netlify.app
www.compoundingworld.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
