German chemical company Oxea has increased its capacity for speciality esters by 20% at its Amsterdam Esters Plant (AEP) in the Netherlands. To this end, the company invested an amount in the single-figure million Euro range to implement several optimisation measures.

Oxea produces several phthalate-free plasticisers at AEP, including Oxsoft TOTM (trioctyl trimellitate) and DOTP (dioctyl terephthalate), marketed under the brand name Oxsoft GPO. This capacity upgrade will specifically benefit producers of medical devices and flooring that are looking for alternatives to replace the conventional plasticisers, dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and diisononyl phthalate (DINP).

“At the end of last year a leading flooring company announced its decision to switch to phthalate-free products. Shortly after, the main European DOP producer announced that it would discontinue production of this plasticiser, which is also still widely used in medical applications,” said Jacco de Haas, Global Marketing Manager Specialty Esters at Oxea. “Our successful capacity expansion will enable our customers to make a timely switch from DOP to alternative products such as TOTM and DOTP.”

“The increasing demand for phthalate-free plasticisers re-affirms the strategic vision of Oxea and the necessity of continuous investments and initiatives that we have embarked upon to address the industry’s changing requirements,” affirmed Cristobal Ascencio, Global Vice President for Oxo Derivatives at Oxea. “This capacity enhancement in Amsterdam is another excellent example of our strong commitment to supporting our customers with sufficient and reliable supplies of speciality esters.”