The laboratory will develop novel silicone-based products and solutions that are able to improve the performance of cement and concrete and to make these materials more sustainable, WACKER said.

The five-hectare site in Shanghai (around 54,000 square miles) is home to laboratories, a distribution center, and administration. BYK reportedly invested around 38 million euros, and some 100 employees will work at the location when it is in full operation.

With more than 450 employees, Hemmelrath operates manufacturing facilities in Klingenberg and Erlenbach, Germany; Jilin, China; Duncan, South Carolina, United States; and Indaiatuba, Brazil.

After the start-up in 2020, BASF’s global annual nameplate capacity of AEOA will reportedly be more than 110,000 metric tons per year at its production facilities in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Geismar, La., USA; and Nanjing, China.

The company stated that this new production line will help to meet the strong demand in Asia in the electronics, 3D printing, adhesives, and inkjet printing markets.

BASF stated that the research center houses highly automated experimental facilities for efficient process development and testing of new process catalysts.

The site produces a range of products, including UV, solvent-based, and water-based wood coatings, such as paints, stains, and lacquers.

With this partnership, Azelis reportedly becomes the direct and exclusive distributor of TOFA and DTO in the European market.

It will also serve as a single technical service touchpoint spanning PPG’s complete product offering for automotive and commercial vehicle OEMs, the company stated.

The lab expands Henkel’s capabilities to deliver innovative solutions and design customized applications, technologies, and production processes to better serve customer needs, according to the company.