Emulco expands its current R&D-facilities in Ghent Seaport with a complete new factory, comprising a brand new modular pilot plant and industrial production lines, for the development and manufacturing of high end emulsions. With this, Emulco is able to further build on the success of its proper R&D-activities and can offer full service to third parties, going from R&D over upscaling to industrial production.
On Tuesday June 2nd, Emulco has proudly opened its new factory, ideally located at Ghent Seaport, with immediate connection to water, rail and road. The opening happened in presence of the local authorities and all major partners. The new state-of-the-art pilot plant will be used for testing and upscaling of lab developed formulations, whilst Emulco will start as well with the production of high end emulsions on the new industrial lines.
The last few years, Emulco has been doing a lot of research on poly-isobutene, a non-toxic polymer with excellent barrier properties for water, air and/or gas. Due to the high viscosity of the polymer, the processing could be quiet cumbersome, leaving a lot of opportunities in different application fields unused. Back in 2012, Emulco first succeeded in emulsifying the PiB in water, resulting in a major breakthrough which meanwhile has been patented. Emulco received, together with BASF, the first essenscia Innovation Award, a price which is awarded to the most promising innovation in the Belgian Chemical Industry. Installing sufficient production capacity was the logical next step.
The factory has a yearly capacity of 50 000 ton with a flexible set up to allow production of simple blends as well as complex emulsions. Electrical power, steam, compressed air, and cooling capacity are all sufficiently available. Emulco is now able to mix, homogenize, disperse or dissolve both powders and liquids, and even high viscous materials belong to the capabilities. The pilot plant can be used for smaller volumes, ranging from 10 to 600 kilogram batches. Industrial capacity ranges from 5.000 to 13.000 kilogram.
The new factory in Ghent Seaport is a multi-million investment and will create additional jobs in the near future.