AkzoNobel's Specialty Chemicals business is investing more than €20 million to increase production capacity in Sweden for its Expancel product line for expandable microspheres, according to the company. Increasing demand for the product, an essential ingredient in many consumer goods, industrial applications and the construction industry, means the company will expand its Stockvik facility near Sundsvall. Completion is reportedly expected by the end of 2018.
Expancel consists of expandable, microscopic spheres comprising a thermoplastic shell encapsulating a gas. When heated, they expand dramatically - up to 60 times in volume - making them suitable for a variety of uses, such as insulation in shoe soles or as filling material, according to the company. The number of applications for microspheres is reportedly growing, particularly for products where weight is critical, such as cars and wind turbines.
"We continuously develop new solutions to fulfil new and exciting customer needs," says Sylvia Winkel, director of Expancel at AkzoNobel. "For example, we worked with key customers to introduce microspheres to corks, allowing better preservation of bottled wine. Another niche growth market is the use of microspheres in porous ceramics, such as for diesel particulate filters in trucks, which lead to lower emissions."
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