HC Plastics News: Polystyrene insulation foam manufacturers are moving from HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane) flame retardants to more sustainable alternatives, such as LANXESS Emerald Innovation 3000®. LANXESS successfully acquired the U.S. Kozuya company in April 2017. As part of the acquisition, the business of Emerald Innovation 3000® has now become LANXESS's business.

Tolanxess is located in the Emerald Innovation 3000 flame retardant production base in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA. This capacity expansion project will increase production capacity from 10,000 tons to 14,000 tons per year.

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS announced its successful completion of the Emerald Innovation 3000® flame retardant capacity expansion project. This capacity expansion project can increase production from 10,000 tons per year to 14,000 tons, and the sustainability of the product will also be improved. Polystyrene insulation foam manufacturers are moving from HBCD (hexabromocyclododecane) flame retardants to more sustainable alternatives, such as LANXESS Emerald Innovation 3000®. "About 50% of global demand has already adopted new technologies," said Anno Borkowsky, head of LANXESS' Additives Business Unit (ADD). LANXESS successfully acquired the U.S. Cozuya company in April 2017. As part of the acquisition, the business of Emerald Innovation 3000® has now become LANXESS's business. "In view of the global foam manufacturers' commitment to completely stop using HBCD by 2021, the polymer flame retardant supply base must be able to provide sufficient supply and technical support for customer support and certification during the transition period in the next few years." ADD Explained John Davidson, executive vice president of the Bromine Solutions business. "LANXESS will fully assist and support customers in product conversion, and further strengthen the sustainable and reliable technology supply to the construction market." Emerald Innovation 3000® is produced by LANXESS in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA. The company recently announced that its southern plant has opened a new 11,000-square-foot pilot plant that will support the development of new flame-retardant products and product modifications.