Evonik expands U.S. production capacity for ROHACELL foams | CompositesWorld

The expansion includes a new production hall and is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2020.

ROHACELL foam forms the core of lightweight sandwich structures with high shear strength and compressive strength, even at relatively high temperatures. Source | Evonik

Due to increasing demand for lightweight construction materials for specialty applications, Evonik (Hopewell, Va., U.S.) is expanding its production of ROHACELL high-performance rigid, closed-cell foams at its Mobile, Alabama site in the United States. The production expansion is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2020. The expansion of ROHACELL production in Mobile includes construction of an additional production hall, and all shipping logistics will be combined in the new facility.

With this investment, the company says it will significantly increase production capacity for high-temperature resistant polymethacrylimide (PMI) foams in North America.

“The investment in Mobile strengthens our global position as a reliable partner and solutions provider of high-performance, lightweight PMI-based rigid foams and enables us to meet increasing demand in North America over the long term,” says Christina Walkosak, head of the High Performance Polymers business line, Americas, for Evonik.

Evonik’s Mobile, Ala., U.S. PMI foam plant first opened in November 2008.

“For many years now, we have been seeing consistently high global demand for our high-performance foams, particularly from the aerospace industry and the electronics market, and we are responding to the marketplace by expanding our production capacity accordingly,” says Walkosak. Two years ago Evonik stepped up its ROHACELL production in Germany by 20%. “Now we’ll be significantly increasing our output in North America to be able to support our customers’ growth appropriately.”

ROHACELL, a rigid structural foam of polymethacrylimide, is used in the design and production of sandwich structures in aviation, cars, ships, sports goods, electronics and medical technology. The lightweight foam withstands high temperatures and pressures, making it a suitable core material solution for composite structures.

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