Plastics additives manufacturer Baerlocher (Unterschleißheim / Germany; www.baerlocher.de) is investing heavily in its production at Changzhou, Jiangsu / China to meet rising local demand. The PVC stabiliser plant went on stream in 2012 – see Plasteurope.com of 14.11.2012. With the expansion announced at "Chinaplas" (www.chinaplasonline.com), the company intends to support the Chinese plastics industry in its transition to sustainable calcium-based stabiliser systems for PVC applications.

China's switch from lead-based stabilisers to calcium-based alternatives will gain momentum in 2016-2017 with a focus on rigid PVC applications, Baerlocher said. This reflects plans by the Chinese Plastics Piping Association (CPPA, Beijing; www.ppia-china.com/en) to complete the conversion for pipes and fittings by the end of 2017. Leading Chinese piping and cable manufacturers "have successfully completed the switch to calcium-based stabilisers" using Baerlocher's technology, the company said.

As China is said to be showing increasing interest in replacing fittings stabilised with methyl-tin, due to water quality concerns, Baerlocher additionally expects a switch to calcium-based stabilisers in this application. Since starting production of calcium-based stabilisers at the Changzhou plant, where capacity now exceeds 20,000 t/y, the German company has been offering these additives for all PVC applications.

During 2016, Baerlocher will inject an additional USD 5m in capital into the facility, lifting total investment to USD 25m and continuing its steady expansion of production capacities for non-dusting calcium-based stabilisers. A plant in Malaysia using the identical technology will continue to ensure supply of the Chinese market. Baerlocher is by far the largest foreign company investing significantly in supporting the Chinese plastics industry in its switch to calcium-based stabilisers, said Wilson Wang, general manager of Baerlocher Plastic Additives (Jiangsu), adding that the company focuses exclusively on the Chinese market, offering high quality solutions based on its proven technology.

As demand for calcium-based stabilisers is growing more and more rapidly, Baerlocher said it sees competitive products and services as well as innovation as key factors for long-term success in China. The company has begun producing its own metal soaps – important raw materials for calcium-based plastics stabilisers – locally. In future, it also plans to offer non-dusting and powdered stearates to various polymer and non-polymer markets in China. “Raw material integration clearly sets Baerlocher apart from its competitors and will be vital to maintaining our competitiveness,” said Andy Jones, global head of Baerlocher’s PVC Additives business unit.