Ingevity Corporation announced that it will add caprolactone polyol production capabilities at its facility in DeRidder, LA.
The company said global demand for its Capa suite of caprolactone technologies primarily for industrial equipment, adhesives, coatings, and automotive applications is increasing.
The DeRidder upgrades will increase Ingevity’s global polyol production capacity by 40%, positioning the company to better meet demand and more effectively serve its customers.
Ingevity’s caprolactone technologies are made possible through a unique ring-opening polymerization process, whereby polycaprolactone monomer can be derivatized into proprietary, value-added polyols and thermoplastics.
The investment in Ingevity’s DeRidder plant will include the installation of monomer storage capacity to not only support the manufacturing of polyol derivatives but also to streamline and enable bulk monomer shipments to U.S. customers.
Ingevity expects construction in DeRidder to begin in the summer of 2021 and the new capacity to be operational by the first quarter of 2022.
“Our Engineered Polymers business continues to experience increasing demand for our Capa portfolio in a variety of demanding, high-performance end-use applications,” said Mike Smith, executive VP and president, Performance Chemicals, at Ingevity. “We continue to invest in the Capa platform in terms of innovation, production and customer partnerships.”
Ingevity’s Warrington, U.K.-based Capa innovation center is expected to be operational by the winter of 2021 and will house state-of-the-art equipment and testing capabilities dedicated to accelerating application development for the Capa brand.
“The plant upgrades in DeRidder better position Ingevity to not only meet increased global demand for our Capa technologies but will improve the supply chain, decrease lead times and enhance overall service for customers across the globe,” said Steve Hulme, Ingevity’s VP, Engineered Polymers.
Ingevity’s DeRidder plant has been in operation since 1977, employs 187 people and includes the production of emulsifiers, rosin and tall oil fatty acid used in a variety of applications such as adhesives, asphalt additives, publication inks, metalworking fluids, drilling fluid additives, oilfield production chemicals, paints and coatings.
Ingevity also operates a polycaprolactone production facility in Warrington, U.K.
