The WACKER Group’s Prospects

Based on our assumptions, we expect the global economy to grow in 2021. The strength of this growth will chiefly depend on how effectively the pandemic is contained. While most momentum will come from Asia, we also anticipate growth in the USA and Europe.

Investment Spending and Production

Like last year, our capital expenditures in 2021 will concentrate on production plants for intermediates and downstream products. At around €350 million, capital expenditures will be markedly above the year-earlier level, but below depreciation/amortization. The investment focus is WACKER , which will account for more than 40 percent. The division’s investment projects include a new plant for hybrid in Nünchritz. In the course of the year, WACKER POLYMERS will continue expanding its production facilities in Nanjing.

Facility Start-Ups in 2021/2022

 

Location

 

Projects

 

Start-Up

 

 

 

 

 

Burghausen

 

Plant for making specialty silicones for consumer products

 

2021

Burghausen

 

New polymer capacity

 

2021

Burghausen

 

Capacity expansion of silicone-base facility

 

2021

Burghausen

 

Capacity expansion for vinyl silicones

 

2021

Adrian

 

Multifunctional emulsion plant

 

2022

Amsterdam

 

New fermenter

 

2022

Burghausen

 

Liquid-silicone-rubber production plant

 

2022

Nanjing

 

Dispersion reactor

 

2022

Nünchritz

 

Plant for hybrid polymers

 

2022

Future Products and Services

WACKER SILICONES is leveraging diverse applications in the construction, electronics, automotive and personal care industries. In the construction sector, there are new opportunities for -modified hybrid polymers, e.g. as sealants and adhesives, and in wear-resistant protective coatings for concrete floors. Plenty of potential is offered by our new, silane-based cement additives, which save energy during cement production. They also improve the cement’s storage stability and increase the performance and durability of cement products. Another focus is the development of new fiber composites. Made from carbon or glass fiber and silicone resins, these are mainly used in thermally stable or refractory components for lightweight construction. We are seeing growing demand for specialty silanes for microelectronics as well as for made using renewable raw materials. Such products are increasingly found in cosmetics and personal care, in release coatings, in surface and fabric care, and in construction. In our electronics focus field, we developed not only printable elastic electrode materials made from silicone for use in sensors, but also resin-filled, optically transparent silicone systems for optical bonding applications. In electromobility, thermally conductive silicone are increasingly gaining ground. We are currently working on low-density and surface-modified formulations. Such products contribute significantly to cooling and thus to the thermal management of electrical storage modules and electronic components. Our electroactive silicone laminates support the development of innovative touchscreens with tactile feedback functions for the automotive, entertainment and medical industries.

WACKER continues to intensify its activities in polymeric binders for sophisticated construction, coating and bonding applications. A key trend here is rising customer demand for sustainable, environmentally compatible solutions. WACKER POLYMERS is actively seizing these market opportunities and developing corresponding product lines. For instance, the division is able to supply – on a commercial scale – a line of based on vinyl acetate- copolymers that incorporate renewable raw materials, such as biobased acetic acid. We use mass balance accounting to help reduce CO2 . The portfolio also includes dispersions for preservative-free applications. Our biocide-free powder paints enable paint quantities to be precisely measured, reducing material consumption and surpluses. Moreover, in tile laying, we are helping to cut cement consumption and thus reduce CO2 emissions through the switch from thick-bed to thin-bed techniques.

The pharma and food markets offer growth potential for WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS. The pharma market is steadily shifting toward bioengineered medicines. As a CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) for biopharmaceuticals, we are meeting demand growth through our sites in Jena, Halle and Amsterdam. At the Amsterdam site, where production includes vaccines and live microbial products (LMPs), we are investing in new manufacturing facilities. These measures will enable us, for example, to produce new classes of actives, such as the mRNA-based vaccines being used to combat SARS-CoV-2. In the food market, we are supporting the healthy-eating trend. Studies show that our HTEssence© antioxidant promotes heart health, while our are used in numerous food applications, for instance increasing the bioavailability of curcumin and improving foaming properties in barista toppings.

In the coming years, demand for high-quality will rise further. In particular, demand is growing constantly for monocrystalline cells, which are highly efficient and thus generate more electricity from the same amount of sunlight. WACKER holds a strong position here. With our hyperpure polysilicon, we are ideally placed to supply the fast-growing segment for monocrystalline cells. In addition, we are increasing our share of high-quality polysilicon for the semiconductor industry.

Silicones
General term used to describe compounds of organic molecules and silicon. According to their areas of application, silicones can be classified as fluids, resins or rubber grades. Silicones are characterized by a myriad of outstanding properties. Typical areas of application include construction, the electrical and electronics industries, shipping and transportation, textiles and paper coatings.
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule made up of smaller molecular units (monomers). It contains between 10,000 and 100,000 monomers. Polymers can be long or ball-shaped.
Silanes
Silanes are used as monomers for the synthesis of siloxanes or sold directly as reagents or raw materials. Typical applications include surface treatment, agents (medically active substances) in pharmaceutical synthesis, and coupling agents for coatings.
Silicones
General term used to describe compounds of organic molecules and silicon. According to their areas of application, silicones can be classified as fluids, resins or rubber grades. Silicones are characterized by a myriad of outstanding properties. Typical areas of application include construction, the electrical and electronics industries, shipping and transportation, textiles and paper coatings.
Elastomers
Polymers that exhibit almost perfectly elastic behavior, i.e. they deform when acted upon by an external force and return to their exact original shape when the force is removed. While the duration of the force has no effect on perfectly elastic behavior, the temperature does.
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule made up of smaller molecular units (monomers). It contains between 10,000 and 100,000 monomers. Polymers can be long or ball-shaped.
Dispersions
Binary system in which one solid component is finely dispersed in another. VINNAPAS® dispersions are vinyl-acetate-based copolymers and terpolymers in liquid form. They are mainly used as binders in the construction industry, e.g. for grouts, plasters and primers.
Ethylene
A colorless, slightly sweet-smelling gas that, under normal conditions, is lighter than air. It is needed as a chemical starting product for a great many synthetic materials, including polyethylene and polystyrene. It is used to make products for the household, agricultural, automotive and construction sectors, among others.
Emission
Substance outputs, noise, vibrations, light, heat or radiation emitted into the environment by an industrial plant.
Cyclodextrins
Cyclodextrins belong to the family of cyclic oligosaccharides (i.e. ring-shaped sugar molecules). They are able to encapsulate foreign substances such as fragrances and to release active ingredients at a controlled rate. WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS produces and markets cyclodextrins.
Polysilicon
Hyperpure polycrystalline silicon from WACKER POLYSILICON is used for manufacturing wafers for the electronics and solar industries. To produce it, metallurgical-grade silicon is converted into liquid trichlorosilane, highly distilled and deposited in hyperpure form at 1,000 °C.

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