In response to growing demand, Lanxess is expanding production capacity for light-color sulfur carriers – extreme pressure additives for the lubricants industry – by several thousand metric tons at its Mannheim, Germany, site by 2023, the company announced last week.
The investment at the site will be in the double-digit million euros, the company said, although it did not disclose the precise amount or the specific increase in production capacity.
“The market for sulfur-containing additives in the industrial lubricants sector is changing,” Martin Saewe, head of Lanxess’ Lubricant Additives Business, said in a news release. “We have the right products in our portfolio to support customers along new paths and grow with them. We intend to use the additional capacity to strengthen our leading market position in extreme pressure additives and exploit global growth potential.”
The company sells its light-color sulfur carriers under the brand name Additin EP. The colorless and odorless extreme pressure additives are mainly used in metalworking lubricants to reduce wear on metal surfaces and prevent cold welding even under extreme conditions, like high pressure.
According to Lanxess’ website, typical applications for Additin EP additives are in metalworking processes, gear and bearing lubrication. In terms of industry, the Additin products are used in the metal industry, automotive industry and steel production.
The products are primarily based on locally sourced renewable raw materials, like rapeseed oil and its ester derivatives, Lanxess said. Light-color sulfur carriers are increasingly replacing other chemical substances because of their beneficial eco-toxicological profile, the company said.