Completed Expansion Increases Fumed Silica Production Capacity by 25
Percent in Barry, Wales
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 25, 2013--
Cabot
Corporation (NYSE: CBT) completed an expansion project at its fumed
silica facility in Barry, Wales. Production capacity at the site has
been increased by 25 percent. The expansion is part of a three-year plan
started in 2011 to increase Cabot's global fumed metal oxide capacity by
35 to 40 percent.
This expansion project is an extension of Cabot's long-term relationship
with Dow
Corning. Furthermore, the increased production capacity supports
Cabot’s growth in the rising global silicones market. This market is
poised to grow at 6 to 9 percent per year over the coming decade.
Through the expansion project, Cabot can now use a wider range of silane
raw materials to make a broader portfolio of products to meet silicones
and other market needs.
Cabot and Dow Corning have worked closely together in Barry since 1991,
when Cabot built its fumed silica facility adjacent to Dow Corning's
silicone monomer plant. During this time, Cabot and Dow Corning have
forged a strong relationship in Barry. As part of a highly
interdependent and collaborative "fence-line" relationship, Dow Corning
provides Cabot with silanes that are converted to fumed silica for Dow
Corning's compounded silicones applications, as well as for other
customers and applications including electronics, adhesives and
composites.
“The expansion of Barry marks another milestone in our long-term
relationship with Dow Corning and demonstrates our commitment to support
their growth,” said Sean Keohane, Cabot senior vice president,
Performance Materials. “This project will deliver strategic value for
Cabot and Dow Corning and represents a natural extension of our long and
successful relationship.”
“After building a strong relationship together for over 30 years, this
expansion will open up a broader scope of opportunities for us,” said
James Whitlock, Dow Corning senior vice president and general manager,
Core Business. “Our shared experience to date makes this capacity
expansion a valuable project for us both and we look forward to working
together to meet the needs of the market.”
Fumed silica is an ultra-fine, high-purity particle used as a
reinforcing, thickening, abrasive, thixotropic, suspending, or
anti-caking agent. The material is highly versatile and used in a
wide-range of end-market applications for the automotive, construction,
microelectronics and consumer products industries. Fumed silica helps
improve the performance of adhesives, sealants, cosmetics, inks, toners,
silicone rubber, coatings, polishing slurries, and pharmaceuticals.
Cabot currently has six fumed silica manufacturing facilities globally,
including two in the United States (Tuscola, Ill., and Midland, Mich.),
two in Europe (Barry, Wales and Rheinfelden, Germany), and two in Asia
(Jiangxi Province, China and Mettur, India).
ABOUT CABOT CORPORATION
Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a global specialty chemicals and
performance materials company, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
The company is a leading provider of rubber
and specialty
carbons, activated
carbon, inkjet
colorants, cesium
formate drilling fluids, fumed
silica, aerogel,
and elastomer
composites. For more information on Cabot, please visit the
company’s website at: http://www.cabotcorp.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: Statements in the press release regarding Cabot’s business that
are not historical facts are forward looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those
contained in the forward looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Source: Cabot Corporation
Cabot Corporation
Vanessa Craigie, 617-342-6015
Corporate
Communications
or
Erica McLaughlin, 617-342-6090
Investor
Relations
