Materials: Evonik’s new coating lab in Turkey; Arlanxeo strengthens EPDM position with new quality control lab in Netherlands

German chemicals firm Evonik has opened a new Coating Additives laboratory at its Tuzla (Istanbul), which includes a customer service centre to support customers with the development of surface coatings in Turkey and throughout the Middle East.

The application technology laboratory features equipment for processing customer requests for a wide range of coatings and printing ink applications. This allows the lab staff to formulate, apply, and test a variety of coatings and printing inks in water-based, solvent-based, or radiation-curing formats. The modern laboratory equipment also includes a spray booth and a climatic chamber.

From its Tuzla site east of Istanbul, Evonik Ticaret Ltd. manages the distribution for the Turkish domestic market and exports to adjacent growth markets with a staff of 50 employees. It will celebrate its 30th anniversary in Turkey in August 2017. The opening of the new laboratory is just another milestone of the Evonik growth strategy for Turkey.

Evonik’s products in Turkey include monomers, amino acids, cyanides, silicas and superabsorbents. The Group also holds 51% of shares in Egesil Kimya Sanayi & Ticaret, a joint venture based in Adapazari (near Istanbul) for the production of silica. It also recently completed the acquisition of the Performance Materials Division of Air Products, making the Group a leading provider of additives for the coatings industry.

Meanwhile, synthetic elastomers firm Arlanxeo has opened a new Keltan Quality Control Laboratory in at the Chemelot site in Geleen, Netherlands. The new 250 sq m facility is located beside the German firm’s Keltan EPDM plant. It is directly connected to the control room, which makes it possible to implement changes driven by test results immediately in the plant’s operations.

Laboratory staff will carry out a full range of tests on the Keltan EPDM product, including all industry standards such as Mooney and gel tests. Until now, these production quality tests have been carried out by external resources. The Quality Laboratory will operate continuously on a 24/7 basis, to ensure the consistent high quality of the production plant’s output, says the firm.

By moving to internal tests at the new Q-Laboratory, Arlanxeo says it is strengthening the competitive position of its global EPDM business in the ongoing challenging market environment, while at the same time optimizing its global footprint. The opening of the new Q-Laboratory comes as the company marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Keltan EPDM. This well-established brand is best known for its premium quality and best service, and linked to global partnership and sustainable innovation. Keltan has a global footprint with plants in every strategic region with the ability to serve customers with premium products locally.

The company also says it is preparing for the future by developing a more sustainable EPDM production technology, including the use of Keltan ACE catalyst technology, and the recent introduction of Keltan Eco EPDM grades, the world’s first EPDM rubber based on bio-ethylene.