Nouryon Expands Colloidal Silica Capacity in China for Catalyst, Coatings Demand

Nouryon, a specialty chemicals company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, said it is expanding production capacity for its colloidal silica products at its manufacturing site in Guangzhou, China, to support demand in catalyst and advanced coatings applications.

According to the company, the expansion will increase output of premium grades of colloidal silica used in emissions control catalysts, electrical steel coatings and non-stick coatings. The company said bringing production closer to regional customers will enable shorter lead times and improve supply reliability for manufacturers scaling industrial processes.

Colloidal silica is used in emissions control catalysts to help meet environmental standards, in electrical steel coatings to improve transformer energy efficiency and in coatings formulations to enhance durability and performance, according to the company.

In a press statement, the company said the investment is intended to support growth in Asia-Pacific markets where demand for advanced materials in catalyst and coatings applications continues to increase.

The expansion follows other recent investments in China, including a capacity increase at the Jiaxing site to double production of triethylaluminum used as a co-catalyst in polyolefin manufacturing. According to the company, it also plans to begin production of modified methylaluminoxane at the site in 2027 and open an organic peroxides innovation center in Tianjin in 2026 to support polymer development.

The company said these investments are aimed at strengthening its ability to support catalyst technologies, coatings formulations and polymer production in the region.