The Keltan® EPDM plant in China provides ARLANXEO with the ability to serve customers in China and throughout Asia, with premium products based on the proprietary Keltan ACE™ technology. The plant, which started up in 2015 and has a nameplate capacity of 160,000 metric tonnes / year is producing the full range of products as envisaged at start-up, including high and low Mooney grades. Customers have evaluated, approved and successfully applied the products from the plant.

“The Keltan ACE™ catalyst technology, which was first implemented in 2013 by ARLANXEO at its EPDM line in Geleen, the Netherlands, has several technological advantages and results in high quality EPDM products”, says Gerard van Doremaele, Head of R&D. “The original Advanced Catalyst system, obtained via a license from Nova Chemicals, has been further developed and especially tailored for EPDM production. At ARLANXEO we make use of High Throughput Experimentation technology and equipment to allow for fast screening of catalyst configuration and fundamental understanding of our catalyst technology.”

With this post-metallocene advanced catalyst technology ARLANXEO is able to produce in a sustainable fashion the full EPDM portfolio. Keltan ACE™ catalyst technology leads to:

- Low to ultra-high Mooney grades, including oil extended grades
- Ultra-fast curing grades with ENB levels well beyond 7wt%
- Grades using Keltan®’s Controlled Long Chain Branched technology for well-balanced processing and physical properties
- Very clean grades with ultra-low catalyst residues and chlorine levels
- High quality, intrinsically gel free produced, grades for demanding applications like automotive sponge

Keltan® EPDM elastomers are characterized by superior resistance against water, ozone, UV and weathering; good dynamic properties over a wide temperature range, as well as a high level of heat resistance; a high level of flexibility and durability; and excellent electrical properties.

These make Keltan® EPDM suitable for many applications in industries spanning automotive, building & construction, plastics modification, consumer goods, cable & wire, and tubes. Keltan® EPDM has good processing and handling properties, and complies with global safety, health and environmental regulations.

Keltan is a product of the business unit High Performance Elastomers.

High Performance Elastomers

High Performance Elastomers (HPE), a business unit of the ARLANXEO group, offers its customers a broad portfolio of technical elastomers. As one of the leading suppliers of synthetic elastomers to the rubber-processing industry, HPE markets materials which have a wide range of industrial applications. For example, they are used as modifiers for plastic and adhesive raw materials, in gas and oil exploration and production, and in functional components for the automotive and cable industries.

About ARLANXEO

ARLANXEO is a world-leading synthetic rubber company with sales of around EUR 2.8 billion in 2015, about 3,800 employees and a presence at 20 production sites in nine countries. The company’s core business is the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-performance rubber for use in, for example, the automotive and tire industries, the construction industry, and the oil and gas industries. ARLANXEO was established in April 2016 as a joint venture of LANXESS and Saudi Aramco.