COLOGNE, Germany – Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has successfully completed the expansion of its Macrolex dyes production plant at the CHEMPARK Leverkusen in Leverkusen, Germany. With an investment of more than €5 million, the capacity was increased by around 25%. The expanded plant was officially put into operation at the beginning of May.

“By expanding the plant, we are responding to the increased global demand for high-quality dyes in the plastics industry,” saids Philipp Junge, head of the LANXESS Rhein Chemie business unit (RCH).

“With the expanded capacity, we can now continue to grow, especially in sensitive application areas such as high-quality plastics packaging. Here, the solvent dyes under the Macrolex brand meet very high standards,” said Dominik Risse, Vice President Colorant Additives Business at RCH.

The investment is also a clear commitment to the Leverkusen site. “With the expansion of our colorants business at the CHEMPARK Leverkusen, we were able to create six additional jobs,” said Dr. Axel Lache, Head of Production of Colorant Additives at RCH.

The soluble organic dyes marketed under the Macrolex brand are mainly used to color high-quality plastics products such as beverage bottles, electronic equipment, car taillights and children’s toys.

The portfolio of LANXESS’s colorant additives business comprises a total of 150 products and, in addition to Macrolex dyes, other colorants for use in a wide range of demanding applications, from LCD screens to colorants for writing instruments. The business line supplies dyes and pigments to more than 800 customers worldwide.