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Lanxess, Pittsburgh, Penn., is planning to invest nearly $230 million over the next three years to expand its global asset base for flame retardant additives. The company boasts a strongly backward integrated production network for bromine and phosphorus based flame retardants with plants in the U.S. (Charleston, El Dorado, Greensboro), Germany (Leverkusen, Krefeld-Uerdingen), France (Épierre) and the United Kingdom (Manchester). In mid-2017, the company became one of the world’s leading suppliers of flame retardant additives following its acquisition of the former Chemtura ´óÏó´«Ã½es with brominated flame retardant additives, bromine and bromine derivatives, which complement Lanxess’ existing phosphorus-based flame retardant additives.

The company is now running two technical development centers for flame retardant additives—Naugatuck, Conn., and Leverkusen, Germany, with a focus on innovations like reactive and polymeric flame retardants, such as its Emerald Innovation 3000 series for which demand is increasing as they offer a much better sustainability profile than standard flame retardants.