DSM doubles Sarlink capacity

DSM Elastomers BV (Heerlen, Belgium) will double its Sarlink thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) capacity at its production site in Genk, Belgium, responding to a market it says is growing in excess of gross domestic product (GDP). DSM says that market growth for TPV was evident in 2007, when its capacity failed to meet demand.

The company has added a new, fully automated plant, joining DSM production facilities and labs in Leominster, MA and Genk, with sales/marketing and technical support in Southfield, MI; Leominster, MA; Sittard, Netherlands; Shanghai, China; and Singapore. DSM Elastomers claims to be a leader in global EPDM rubber sales with 20% market share for its Keltan product, with manufacturing in Geleen, Netherlands and Triunfo, Brazil.

TPV demand has been impacted by the slow down in the automotive market through much of the world, but prior to the current economic crisis, global demand for thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) was forecast to grow 6.4% per year through last year, according to The Freedonia Group. Freedonia says motor vehicles remain the material’s largest market, while the fastest growth comes from the consumer and sporting goods sectors. —[email protected]