Beologic, a Belgian developer and producer of PVC, PE and PP-based wood-plastic-composite (WPC) compounds, says it will probably double its production capacity in March 2007 to 16,000tpa having completed an expansion this year.
The investment in production facilities in 2006 had also doubled capacity to 8,000tpa, said the company’s founder and managing director Thomas Marc Thometschek, at the Plastic Profiles in Construction conference organised by EPN in Brussels last week.
Beologic’s main target market has been and remains decking. But completely new niche applications have also been found for the company’s WPC, including poles in Venice canals with enhanced resistance to sea water exposure and replacement of aluminium poles – used by the Belgian telecommunications company for temporary traffic lights, where almost all of the poles have been stolen by thieves due to their scrap value.
Work continuing on product enhancements includes foamed WPC to address relatively high WPC weight; WPC products using polystyrene and polylactic acid (PLA) polymers; incorporation of biocides; bringing flame retardancy closer to that of conventional PVC compound; and even incorporation of perfume to provide a typical wood fragrance. With the latter, however, Thometschek admits the premium cost still outweighs the acceptance that is expected, primarily among female consumers.
Source
PRW.com Dec. 04, 2006.
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