Production capacity of extreme pressure additives for the lubricants industry to be expanded by 2023

LANXESS is expanding its production capacity for light-color sulfur carriers at its Mannheim site by several kilotons. The speciality chemicals company is investing a double-digit million amount to expand the facilities in response to growing demand. The additional volumes are expected to be available beginning in 2023. 

“The market for sulfur-containing additives in the industrial lubricants sector is changing,” says Martin Saewe, Head of LANXESS’s Lubricant Additives Business (LAB). “We have the right products in our portfolio to support our customers along new paths and grow with them. We intend to use the additional capacity to strengthen our leading market position in extreme pressure additives and exploit global growth potential.”

Reducing wear and preventing cold welding

LANXESS sells its light-colour sulfur carriers under the brand name Additin EP. These colourless and odourless extreme pressure additives are mainly used in metalworking lubricants. They reduce wear on metal surfaces and prevent cold welding even under extreme conditions such as high pressure. 

The Additin EP products are primarily based on locally sourced renewable raw materials like rapeseed oil and its ester derivatives. Because of their beneficial eco-toxicological profile, light-colour sulfur carriers are increasingly replacing other chemical substances such as medium-chain chlorinated paraffin, which have been classified in a list as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) due to their environmental persistence and high bioaccumulation potential. 

LANXESS’s Lubricant Additives Business has a long track record of providing technical expertise to customers who are looking to replace substances like chlorinated paraffin in their formulations with high-performing, environmentally friendly sulfur carriers.