Due to growing demand, the WACKER chemical group is expanding its production and cartridge filling capacities for silicone sealants at its Nünchritz site in Germany. The expansion will increase the company’s capability to supply customers who contract WACKER to produce ready-to-use silicone sealants for their direct sales. Some €20 million has been budgeted for the new manufacturing lines, which are scheduled to begin production in the fall of 2024. Construction is expected to start before the end of this year, subject to approval from the regulatory authorities involved.

Construction silicones are in high demand, and in recent years, development has been particularly dynamic for alkoxy silicones. These one-component neutral-cure silicone sealing compounds release alcohol upon crosslinking, which renders them safe to use. They can also be applied on sensitive construction materials such as natural stone or metal, making them versatile sealants for interior and exterior applications.

“WACKER is among the leading manufacturers of consumer-friendly silicone sealing compounds. Expanding production in Nünchritz will allow us to tap into new markets and strengthen our position as a key sealants manufacturer in Europe,” said WACKER Executive Board member Auguste Willems. The investment supports the company’s commitment to products contributing to sustainable, innovative applications and solutions. “We’ve made it our goal to more actively promote products that support energy efficient, climate-friendly and sustainable construction methods. Our alkoxy silicones play an important role here,” said Willems.

The project plan at the Nünchritz site sees construction of a fully continuous compounding plant for silicone sealing products including expansion of the cartridge filling facility. The new production lines will be built next to the existing plants. “We will integrate the plants into our production process fully utilizing existing on-site filling capacities and logistics,” said Nünchritz Site Manager Jutta Matreux.

The expansion project will significantly increase WACKER’s production capacity for silicone sealing compounds and cartridges in Nünchritz. Depending on the grade, the new filling line will be capable of filling up to an additional 30 million cartridges each year.

Start-up for the new plants is planned for the fall of next year, pending timely approval from regulatory authorities. The expansion will create several new jobs at the site, to be filled preferably by skilled workers from the region.

Learn more about WACKER at www.wacker.com.