Two global chemical companies, the German company Wacker and
the Japanese company Shin Etsu, are experiencing strong demand for silicone
products and in response to that demand are increasing silicone production capacities.
Wacker indicates that customer demand for silicones is
high. Silicone sales increases have been
in the 10% range, higher than for overall company sales. Leading the way are silicones used in the construction,
electronics, and automotive sectors. The
capacities of silicone production plants in the United States, Norway, South Korea,
and Brazil have been increased. Wacker
has recently opened a research and development center in the United States focusing
on silicone products.
Shin Etsu is expanding silicone production capacity at its
Gumma and Niigata plants in Japan. The company
is also expanding the capacity of its silicone monomer and polymer production plants
in Ragong Province, Thailand (monomers: from 70,000 to 105,000 metric tons per year;
polymers: from 54,000 to 74,000 metric tones per year). Shin Etsu is the second largest global producer
of silicones with 20% of the market.
(Dow Corning has the largest share.)
The company is also increasing its silicone-related research and development
efforts. Shin Etsu expects a rising
global demand for high-performance silicone products. The company has been experiencing an average 13%
increase in silicone sales in recent years.
Silicones are used in thousands of products spread across several
sectors such as construction, transportation, energy, health, and food. Increasing demand for silicones products in
these sectors should be a good indicator of global economic growth. Click here
to go to a website maintained by the European trade association CES that provides
a good overview of what silicones are and their uses.
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