Huber expands output

The Fire Retardant Additives (FRA) business unit of Huber Engineered Materials (HEM), a division of J.M. Huber Corporation, embarked on a significant capital investment to raise production capacity for Martinal® LEO fine precipitated alumina trihydrate at its Martinswerk Plant in Bergheim, Germany. 

 

According to Martin Schulting, Managing Director of Huber’s FRA business unit in EMEA, the phase 2 capacity expansion of the company's Martinswerk operation aims to support the growing demand of customers in Europe, India and Asia for its halogen-free fire retardants. The substantial investment will increase production capacity for the high quality Martinal® LEO grades by an additional 20% and represents the single largest investment made over the last 40 years at Martinswerk. Huber also commits to reducing its environmental footprint and has initiated ongoing sustainability discussions with various governmental entities.  

 

The new capacity will be phased in several steps with the first incremental volumes scheduled to become available in the second half of 2019, before the expansion project is completed in early 2020.

 

The Martinal® LEO fine precipitated alumina trihydrate grades offer superior processing properties and serve as the company’s global product platform for its customers.

 

Huber is a global leader in the production of fine precipitated alumina trihydrate and magnesium hydroxide, both non-halogenated fire retardants.  Its FRA business unit has four manufacturing sites in North America and two in Europe.  

 

Huber has been a trusted supplier of halogen-free fire retardants and smoke suppressants for almost 40 years, manufacturing a large portfolio of value-added Hydral®, Hymod®, Martinal® and Micral® alumina trihydrates; Magnifin®, Vertex® and Zerogen® magnesium hydroxides; and Kemgard® molybdate compounds for a variety of end-use applications, including reinforced polyester molding and pultrusion, engineering thermoplastics, roofing, silicone rubber, wire and cable, coatings and carpet backing.  In addition, Huber produces Martoxid® calcined aluminum oxides, Compalox® specialty oxides and Pergopak® carriers and matting agents.