LANXESS, the German specialty chemical company that engages in the manufacturing, development and marketing of additives, chemical intermediates and plastics, will reportedly launch a polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) applications development and technical services (AD & TS) laboratory in Latina, Italy. The facility is expected to commence its operation in the third quarter of 2018.

The new research facility will be equipped with expertise that will support market demands in adhesive and coatings applications in textile and leather finishing, glass, metal and plastic substrate coatings as well as in glass fiber sizing.

Dr. Markus Eckert, Head of Urethane Systems business unit, LANXESS, has been reported to say that the company has registered a growing demand for material that are free of volatile organic compounds and have lower carbon footprint. Moreover, the regulatory pressure to restrict the use of hazardous chemicals have stimulated research in water-based technologies. He added that the foundation of a technical center focused on green technologies is in line with LANXESSs strategy towards sustainable chemistry. He also said that the new laboratory in Latina will be capable of conducting formulation development, analytic work and synthesis of new products that are expected not only to satisfy market demands but to do so with a high degree of distinction.

For the record, LANXESS Urethane Systems is one the prime manufacturers of hot-cast prepolymers and is also known for its specialty aqueous polyurethane dispersions and polyester polyols that provide various application solutions pertaining to specialized polyurethane systems to meet the demands made by customers.

The specialty chemicals company boasts of sales worth €9.7 billion in 2017 with 74 production sites across the globe and operations in 25 countries. Through ARLANXEO, a joint venture that LANXESS signed on with Saudi Aramco, the company also holds leading position in the synthetic rubber supply chain. LANXESS is listed in FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe).