Germany-based chemicals firm Evonik Industries is building a new production plant for polymer dispersants at the Goldschmidtstrasse site in Essen. The speciality chemicals company is thus investing an amount in the double digit-million-euro range and is tripling its global capacity for polymer dispersants. Plans call for start up in the first quarter of 2015. Polymer dispersants are mainly used in water-based systems in paints and printing inks and in high-solid systems with a low proportion of solvent.

Dr. Ulrich Küsthardt, head of the Coatings & Additives Business Unit of Evonik: "The product group of polymer dispersants is developing in an extremely attractive way. With our expanded capacity, we want to serve this growing market. For our customers, we are a competent innovation partner; offering outstanding solutions for functional coatings and paints".

Dispersants support the trend toward more environmentally friendly and efficient paint systems. They increase colour intensity and colourant yield.

Evonik markets the dispersants as additives under the name TEGO Dispers. Because of their viscosity-lowering effect, the products permit economical production of paints and pigment concentrates by maximising the pigment concentration during dispersion.

The broad product range under the umbrella brand TEGO stands for additives, hydrophobing agents, co-binders, nanoresins, and silicone resins for demanding coating formulas.