Dow Corning and WACKER open Zhangjiagang integrated silicone site
- US$1.8 billion investment covering 1 million square meters, described as China’s largest integrated silicone manufacturing site.
- Joint siloxane and pyrogenic silica plants are jointly owned; finished silicone plants are operated separately by each company.
- Combined capacity for siloxane and pyrogenic silica is expected to reach approximately 210,000 metric tons per year.
- Project began in 2006 and the first phase of raw-material production launched in 2008; the site uses a closed-loop exchange of chlorosilane and hydrogen chloride and shared utilities to cut emissions and costs.
Project overview
Dow Corning and WACKER built an integrated silicone manufacturing complex in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, on a 1 million square metre site with a combined investment of US$1.8 billion. The integrated site combines jointly owned raw-material plants (siloxane and pyrogenic silica) with separately owned finished-silicone production units.
Production and timeline
Work on the project began in 2006 and the first phase of raw-material production started in 2008. The two raw-material plants are designed to produce a combined approximately 210,000 metric tons per year of siloxane and pyrogenic silica.
Integration and sustainability
The site uses shared power, utilities and logistics to achieve economies of scale; an integrated, closed-loop process transfers chlorosilane from the siloxane plant to the pyrogenic silica plant and returns hydrogen chloride for siloxane production. The facility was designed with advanced raw-material efficiency, energy-efficient layout and environmental control technologies and adheres to the companies’ global EHS standards.
End markets
Siloxane and pyrogenic silica produced at the site feed a broad set of industries including automotive, construction, electronics, power and solar, textiles, cosmetics and personal care, and various coating and additive applications.
Source: prnewswire.com