SOLVAY boosts production capacity of FOMBLIN-Y® and GALDEN® to meet surging demand

Solvay announces today it will increase its production capacity for the high value-added specialty polymers perfluoropolyethers (PFPE), marketed as FOMBLIN-Y® and GALDEN® in Spinetta Marengo, Italy. The capacity expansion, which will be completed by the end of 2012, requires an investment of about EUR 15 million. Demand for these two product families, which are used for very demanding applications, is expected to continue to grow.

The FOMBLIN-Y® product family is mainly used for industrial lubrication in high temperature bearings and chains, lubrication of vacuum pumps in the semiconductor industry and automotive end-uses (bearings, valves, actuators, plastic gears and components, electrical contacts).

GALDEN® is largely used as heat transfer fluid in semiconductor processing equipment and as a testing fluid for finished electronic components. GALDEN® is also an enabling material for lead free soldering of electronic boards as it delivers unmatched uniform heating of the solder at the extreme temperature ranges needed without harming the plastic substrate. In addition, GALDEN® is becoming a critical heat transfer fluid for thermal management of high temperature processing in the production of photovoltaic cells. GALDEN® high temperature heat transfer fluids have very low vapor pressures, by which emissions to the environment are very low and operating costs for our customers are lowered.

“This capacity expansion will give us the opportunity to continue keeping track of the growing global demand for our high value-added products. Having excellent sustainability profiles, these product families help our customers meet the evermore demanding requirements and will enable Solvay to continue its sustainable and profitable growth,” says Augusto Di Donfrancesco, Senior Executive Vice President and General Manager of Solvay's Global Business Unit Specialty Polymers.