ARLANXEO opens rubber testing lab in China

ARLANXEO has opened its state-of-the-art Rubber Technology Centre (RTC) in Changzhou, China. With the most advanced analytical testing capabilities to date, the RTC is located within the premises of ARLANXEO’s state-of-the-art EPDM plant, and is one of ARLANXEO's global rubber testing centers.

 

With the RTC, ARLANXEO now offers the most comprehensive rubber laboratory in China as it is capable of testing and mixing a great variety of rubber products.  According to Jan Paul, Chief Executive Officer of ARLANXEO, the RTC will continue to strengthen ARLANXEO’s product portfolio to meet the region's growth potential. 

 

Together with the butyl rubber and Nd-BR plants in Singapore, the EPDM plant in China make up the three newest and most advanced plants of ARLANXEO – all in APAC. The new RTC also brings together ARLANXEO’s testing, mixing and production capabilities under one roof in China.

 

The new RTC at the EPDM plant is also part of ARLANXEO’s strategy to build closer ties with local partners and customers via cooperation and collaboration.  “While the products manufactured at the plant have been well-received, underlining our customers’ confidence in our locally-manufactured rubber products, the RTC adds additional value to ARLANXEO world-class EPDM plant. Having the RTC at the same location streamlines our production and technical processes, brings us closer to our customers in order to serve them better,” said Ming Cheng Chien, Managing Director of ARLANXEO China.

 

 

The development of the RTC began at the LANXESS Rubber Research Center in Qingdao, where it started off as a chemistry and analysis laboratory in 2008. Since then, the center has developed over the years, including merging with ARLANXEO’s APAC technical center in Shanghai and adding more competencies and cutting edge equipment, before starting full operations as the all-new RTC at the EPDM site in Changzhou.

 

The RTC is made up of five different laboratories, to cater for mixing, rheological, physical testing, wet and analytical testing operations. The laboratories are currently led by two teams: the Rubber Mixing team and Rubber Testing team. These factors come together to make the RTC a holistic service and solutions provider, with the potential to act as a platform for technical exchanges.