Press release
Rubber Silanes
May 15, 2014

Evonik inaugurates new building for its Applied Technology for tire and rubber in Wesseling

• Concentrated know-how for precipitated silica
• Production, research and applied technology for precipitated silica are unified in Wesseling near Cologne
• Investment in the lower double digit million €-range

On May 15, Evonik Industries inaugurated a new building to house precipitated silica applied technology for tire and rubber at its Wesseling site near Cologne. In so doing, the leading specialty chemicals company has added applied technology to the world’s largest facility for precipitated silica production and research. Evonik invested an amount in the low tens of millions of € in the new building. The building was completed in only 13 months and 34 technicians and scientists have been working there since October 2013.

Dr. Johannes Ohmer, Head of the Inorganic Materials Business Unit of Evonik, said, “the unified and strengthened Wesseling team will now be able to work on qualitatively first-class production and on ideas for the future with its colleagues worldwide in an even more targeted and efficient manner. We and our customers will use these to grow our businesses throughout the globe together.”

A combination of precipitated silica and sulfur-functional silanes produced for the tire and rubber industry enables tire manufactures to reduce their products’ rolling resistance and improve their wet-grip. This can reduce fuel consumption by up to 8 percent in comparison to conventional tires.

Evonik supplies precipitated silica to the tire industry globally from Wesseling where silica production and research were previously located. Thus it made sense to re-locate application engineering to the Wesseling site.

Innovative products for the rubber industry are being developed and tested in the new 2,500 square meter building. Strict quality control, which is standardized worldwide, is applied to several thousand mixtures annually. The building itself is setting new standards for resource efficiency. It is heated using waste heat from the plant’s silica production. To be closer to its worldwide customers and provide them with first-class products, Evonik has undertaken a robust worldwide capacity expansion. In March 2014, it opened an expanded precipitated silica facility in Thailand; in May 2013, it initiated planning for a new facility in Brazil; and it will begin operations later this year in an expanded facility in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. Evonik’s global silica production capacity will increase by approximately 30 percent over its 2010 capacity by the end of 2014.

Company information

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders
in specialty chemicals. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms.
Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2013 more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around €12.7 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.0 billion.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.