Wacker to build new pyrogenic silica plant in US

MUNICH, GERMANY/CHARLESTON, US: Wacker Chemie AG to build a new production plant for its HDK brand of pyrogenic silica at its site in Charleston, US.

The new facility, with an annual capacity of about 13,000 metric tonnes, is anticipated to involve capital expenditure of some $150 million. Construction work will start in the second quarter of next year, with completion planned for the first half of 2019.

This is expected to create some 50 new jobs at the Charleston site. Wacker already produces hyperpure polysilicon for the solar and semiconductor sectors in Charleston, with some 650 employees there.

The new facility is a key addition to the Charleston site’s supply chain. The main byproduct of polysilicon manufacturing is tetrachlorosilane, which either has to be converted and fed back into the production loop or can be used to create added value by being further processed into HDK.

Wacker produces HDK pyrogenic silica at Burghausen and Nunchritz in Germany and Zhangjiagang in China. It is the world’s third-largest manufacturer in this sector. Ultrapure amorphous silicon dioxide powder is used as a filler in silicone elastomers and as a rheology control additive in paints, adhesives, unsaturated polyester resins and plastisols. It also serves as a flow aid in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food-processing industries.

“The new plant is the next logical step toward expanding Charleston into a fully integrated silicon site in the world’s second-largest chemical market,” he explained, underscoring the investment’s strategic importance,” said Dr Rudolf Staudigl, CEO of Wacker.

Read More: Wacker to build new pyrogenic silica plant in US