Photo by: Bloomberg
Energy and chemicals group Sasol has expanded the production capacity of its alumina spheres plant in Brunsbüttel, Germany, to 4 000 t/y.
“The expansion marks another step in strengthening our position in the alumina market to meet growing market demand for carrier materials for industrial catalytic and noncatalytic applications,” the group said in a statement.
Owing to its physical and chemical properties, the shaped carriers produced by Sasol Performance Chemicals’ inorganics and catalyst division, were sought-after in fast-growing markets, such as the refinery catalyst market.
“Sasol can meet our customers' increasing demands owing to our ability to control the physical and chemical properties of its products. This includes tailoring the porosity of its spheres and producing spheres doped with various elements at the request of the customer,” the company added.
A key strength was that it could tailor-make near-perfect alumina spheres, with a narrow size distribution and low attrition, that served as effective carriers for various industrial applications.
"Demand for our shaped carrier materials has been growing significantly thanks to Sasol Performance Chemicals' ability to deliver innovative and tailored solutions in close collaboration with its customers.
"This move to debottleneck capacity shows we are determined to keep pace with this growing demand worldwide and with our customers' specific product requirements," said Sasol Performance Chemicals inorganics and catalysts VP Dr Klaus Diblitz.