Evonik adds capacity to silica plant in Thailand

Evonik opened its expanded production for precipitated silica in Rayong, Thailand in a festive ceremony held on 14 March. With this investment, Evonik increased its capacity for precipitated silica for the automotive industry, food and animal feed industry as well as the paints and coatings industry. Used in the tyre and rubber industry, the combination of silica with silanes enables tyre manufacturers to produce tyres of much lower rolling resistance, thus reducing the overall fuel consumption by up to 8% compared to traditional tyres. The silica production, now a joint venture between Evonik Industries and Oriental Siam Company, was founded in 1990. Evonik came on board as majority shareholder taking charge of operating this Map Ta Phut site in 1999. This expansion, using Evonik’s latest technology, comprised enhancements of the production process to ensure highest levels of safety, productivity, and quality of the overall production. www.evonik.com