AkzoNobel Investing €30 Million in Expancel

Akzo Nobel is enlarging capacity in Sweden for its Expancel to meet global demand. AkzoNobel's Expancel product line is continuing to evolve new applications in markets such as thermoplastics, printing inks, coatings and paper and board.

The company's site in Stockvik, Sweden, will be extended in early 2012. Some of the investment will also be used for upgrades and improve of the eco-efficiency.

Rob Frohn, AkzoNobel's executive committee member responsible for Specialty Chemicals explained that this is a significant investment in organic growth and shows AkzoNobel's commitment to seize opportunities in established markets and contribute to the company's accelerated growth agenda.

AkzoNobel is a worldwide provider of expandable microsphere solutions. They say that this improvement of their capability will ensure that they increase their capacity to supply customers.

Ruud Joosten, managing director of AkzoNobel's Pulp and Paper Chemicals business, which runs the Expancel activities described that they become more competitive in the marketplace by finding new applications for Expancel. An important fact is the worldwide demand which is forecast to intensify in the coming years, so Ruud Joosten said that they will be well positioned to establish themselves in new markets when the opportunities arise.

Expancel are small plastic spheres filled with gas which increases its pressure when it is heated and the thermoplastic shell softens, resulting in an increase in the volume of the spheres which can be increased more than 50 times when fully expanded.

Some of the newest Expancel products include ultra-high temperature microsphers which reduce weight and save on expensive raw materials. More common applications include fillers for vehicle bodies, inhection-moulded PVC soles for footwear, tennis balls and wine bottle corks.