Evonik's Investment in Nylon 12 to Boost Production Over 50%

Evonik (U.S. office in Parsippany, N.J.) has entered the project implementation phase for building a major new nylon 12 production complex.  Scheduled to become operational in the first six months of 2021, this some $457-million project will increase Evonik’s overall capacity for nylon 12 by more than 50%. Moreover, the company is planning to add facilities for producing both the polymer and its precursors at the Marl Chemical Park in North Rhine-Westphalia which will supplement the existing production plant which manufactures Vestamid and Vestosint nylon 12 granules and powders. Nylon 12 is in demand in attractive growth markets such as the automotive industry, oil and gas pipelines, and 3D printing.

“This construction project is a special challenge… it is located in the direct vicinity of ongoing production, with special safety standards, and we have to keep areas for construction containers, material storage, and pre-assembly open in addition to the actual construction sites. The Marl Chemical Park offers us optimal conditions for this extraordinary feat. Once we start up the new facility, the existing structures that have been in place for over 50 years will be used for product distribution,” explains Dr. Ralf Düssel, head of Evonik’s high- performance polymers business.