Specialty chemicals company Lanxess is strengthening its butyl rubber plant in Zwijndrecht, Belgium. The company has significantly invested to expand the production capacity of the existing plant and to build two new pilot plants for the development of production technology for butyl rubber. The biggest share of butyl rubber produced in Zwijndrecht is premium halobutyl rubber.

With the expansion, the capacity of the facility increased by 10% up to 150,000 metric tons of butyl rubber per year. The expansion representing an investment of €20 million was completed at the end of 2011, several months ahead of schedule.

In addition to the expansion in Zwijndrecht, Lanxess is building a new butyl rubber facility on Jurong Island, Singapore, with a total capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year. The plan is expected to start up in the first quarter of 2013.