German chemical producer Evonik has started up two new plants for crosslinking activators at its multi-user site in Wesseling, Germany.

With the new production facility for its triallyl cyanurate (TAC) and triallyl isocyanurate (Taicros), the company now offers two high-quality crosslinking activators for use in plastics and rubber that allow it to meet customers' rising quality requirements as well as the growing demand worldwide, especially in the photovoltaics sector, said Matthias Hau, head of the Agrochemicals & Polymer Additives business line.

Evonik said Taicros is designed to enhance the quality of the EVA films that encase the sensitive silicon cells of solar panels - and thus the solar cell as a whole - to protect them from environmental influences.

The product is claimed to ensure better crosslinking and also protect films against long-term yellowing, which means the solar cells perform well on a sustained basis, said segment head Frank Kraushaar. It also speeds up crosslinking, which he said results in a quicker lamination process and the corresponding efficiency improvements for customers in the photovoltaics sector.

TAC is primarily used in high-quality rubber materials such as hoses and cable coatings in the automotive sector to increase aging resistance and, accordingly, the life expectancy of such items.

Through the backward-integrated production at Wesseling, the new units are connected to an existing cyanuric chloride plant, which provides feedstock.