Nouryon Launches New Expancel Series

Nouryon has launched a new version of Expancel® expandable microspheres targeting specialized thin-coating applications. Expandable microspheres function as a filler and blowing agent to make products lighter and reduce overall costs. The new Expancel Extra Small Microsphere (XSMS) series brings additional benefits to specialized thin-coating applications such as improving printability of thermal paper labels, tickets and receipts, as well as filling and raising real or artificial leather without compromising volume. Sylvia Winkel Pettersson, Vice President of Nouryon Expancel, said: "Expancel XSMS will deliver significant cost savings and performance advantages to our customers in the specialty coatings industry." "It can replace more costly raw materials while providing enhanced properties in finished coatings. Additionally, our in-situ expansion solution offers important sustainability advantages for our customers. By reducing transportation needs, they can lower carbon dioxide emissions and ultimately reduce their overall environmental impact." Expancel is currently used in many traditional coating applications, including cool roof coatings, where the high solar reflectance of the microspheres helps reduce roof temperatures and decreases air conditioning requirements. Johan Landfors, President of Nouryon Technology Solutions, said: "Expancel's history dates back 40 years when we established our first production facility in Sundsvall, Sweden." "We provide complete solutions for our customers worldwide, including product development support and in-situ expansion systems. With Expancel XSMS, the latest innovation in our microsphere portfolio that will provide our customers with additional significant sustainability benefits, we are now expanding our position in the coatings industry." Nouryon completed the expansion of its facility in Sundsvall in 2019 and recently announced it would establish a facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the United States. It also produces Expancel in Brazil and China.