Evonik expands production of crosslinking boosters in Wesseling

In the products triallyl cyanurate (TAC) and triallyl isocyanurate (TAICROS), Evonik offers two high-quality crosslinking boosters. Given the planned expansion of production capacities in Wesseling at the end of 2013, it will be possible to produce TAC and TAICROS in significantly larger quantities. "For Evonik the expansion of the plant is a logical response to rising market demand," says Matthias Hau, head of Evonik's Agrochemicals & Polymer Additives Business Line. This venture is expected to create 13 new jobs; the investment involved is in the low double-digit million euro range.

The highly active crosslinking additives TAC and TAICROS are used in plastics and rubber. Important growth drivers here are the growth of the global photovoltaics market and the increasingly stringent quality requirements of producers of photovoltaic modules. Silicon cells are laminated in transparent plastic films. Crosslinking additives improve the quality of the encapsulation films that protect the photovoltaic cells, particularly in regard to aging and color stability, while increasing the transparency of the films. They thus ensure that performance is maintained in the long term and increase the life of the solar modules.

The photovoltaics industry in particular requires high-quality customized products. The crosslinking boosters TAC and TAICROS play an important role here because they also reduce the cure time of the EVA encapsulation film, thus increasing the efficiency of the production process. TAC and TAICROS satisfy the strictest quality requirements such as those placed on raw materials particularly in the photovoltaic industry and in automotive and aircraft construction.