£2.5 million expansion for Johnson Matthey catalysts

Citation

(2005), "£2.5 million expansion for Johnson Matthey catalysts", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 52 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2005.12852bab.012

£2.5 million expansion for Johnson Matthey catalysts

£2.5 million expansion for Johnson Matthey catalysts

Johnson Matthey Catalysts has carried out a £2.5 million expansion to cope with spiralling demand for its VERTECe product range.

The company, which is the world's leading manufacturer of organic titanates, has significantly increased capacity at its Polymer Catalyst Business Unit at Billingham in the north-east of England. The expansion is an essential part of ambitious plans to expand the company's product portfolio through new product development and further Johnson Matthey Catalysts' reputation as a technology innovator.

Johnson Matthey's VERTEC range of catalysts is designed to enhance chemical processes in terms of efficiency, product quality and environmental performance.

The Polymers Business provides a broad range of speciality organic titanates to the polymer industry, including polyester, inks and coatings applications.

Besides enhanced productivity, the plant expansion has allowed the business to enlarge its product portfolio and enabled production of next generation catalysts.

Paul Armitage, business manager for the Polymer Business Unit, said: “Demand for organic titanates has been very strong over the last few years and with the advent of new applications such as polyester, we need to respond to meet customer needs. The new capacity will support our core values of innovation, quality and reliability and will be a great asset as we continue to grow our market leadership position in organic titanates”.

The VERTEC name derives from the term versatile technology, which was chosen because Johnson Matthey's products can be used in such a wide range of applications and conditions (Plate 1).

Plate 1 Polymer Catalyst business unit at Billingham