LEVERKUSEN, Germany/SHANGHAI, China - LANXESS started a new production unit for high-quality black iron oxide pigments at its site in Jinshan, Shanghai, China. The produced color shades are the most advanced bluish-type black pigments in the industry. With the annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons of black iron oxides, in addition to the already existing 28,000 metric tons of high-quality yellow iron oxides, LANXESS can serve customers globally out of the most sophisticated iron oxide plant in Asia with these high-end Bayferrox pigments. Important market segments for these products are the construction industry and the paint and coatings sector, as well as the plastics and paper industries.

The rising demand for inorganic pigments in China is mainly driven by China’s ongoing urbanization. This mega-trend has led to a boom in the construction and paint industry. LANXESS’ new production unit progresses further in new markets for the bluish-type blacks in the Asia region including China, Australia and India.

The new facility sets high standards in terms of environmental protection. The manufacturing unit not only recycles by-products from other processes into high-quality black iron oxide pigments, it is also among the first in the country equipped with an ultra-modern wastewater treatment facility that is directly linked to an industrial water treatment plant. Thanks to this modern wastewater treatment technology and closed circuits throughout the whole plant, significantly less wastewater is generated in comparison to existing production units in the region.

LANXESS Inorganic Pigments started production in Shanghai in 1996. In 2008, LANXESS acquired its manufacturing site for iron oxide pigments in Jinshan. In April 2010, LANXESS completed the first phase of the technical improvement for yellow iron oxide pigments production. The plant can run at a full capacity of 28,000 metric tons. The second phase is scheduled for completion in 2011 and will again reduce the plant’s emissions and further improve its world-class environmental performance.

The Inorganic Pigments business unit belongs to the LANXESS Performance Chemicals segment, which achieved total sales in fiscal 2009 of EUR 1,530 million.