Ingevity Corporation is adding caprolactone polyol production capabilities at its facility in DeRidder.
The North Charleston, South Carolina based company said in an announcement late last week that global demand for its suite of caprolactone technologies primarily for industrial equipment, adhesives, coatings, and automotive applications is increasing. The DeRidder upgrades will increase Ingevity’s global polyol production capacity by 40%, positioning the company to better meet demand and more effectively serve its customers.
Ingevity expects construction in DeRidder to begin in the summer of 2021 and the new capacity to be operational by the first quarter of 2022.
Ingevity’s caprolactone technologies are made possible through a unique ring-opening polymerization process, whereby polycaprolactone monomer can be derivatized into proprietary, value-added polyols and thermoplastics. The investment in the DeRidder plant will include installation of monomer storage capacity to not only support the manufacturing of polyol derivatives, but also to streamline and enable bulk monomer shipments to U.S. customers.
“The plant upgrades in DeRidder better position Ingevity to not only meet increased global demand for our Capa technologies, but will improve the supply chain, decrease lead times and enhance overall service for customers across the globe,” said Steve Hulme, Ingevity’s vice president of Engineered Polymers.
Ingevity’s DeRidder plant has been in operation since 1977, employs 187 people and includes production of emulsifiers, rosin and tall oil fatty acid used in a variety of applications such as adhesives, asphalt additives, publication inks, metalworking fluids, drilling fluid additives, oilfield production chemicals, paints and coatings. Ingevity also operates a polycaprolactone production facility in Warrington, U.K.
