WACKER and STC Silicones Agree on Co-Branding of Silicone Compounds

WACKER has been supplying STC Silicones with high-quality silicone raw materials and additives since 2003. The family-owned business uses them to produce ready-to-process silicone compounds for the automotive, medical, electrical and household-product sectors. “STC Silicones has been operating in the Brazilian market for over a decade and is now one of the country’s most successful compounders,” said Christian Gimber, Vice President of the Engineering Silicones Business Unit. The cooperation will benefit both STC and WACKER, the WACKER manager adds. “STC can now supply its Brazil-based customers with high-quality and tailored silicone compounds even more effectively. We will do all we can to support STC. Consequently, we will be able to further strengthen our competitive position in the region.”

STC’s managing director, Joaquim Carlos Lopes da Silva, called the agreement a major milestone in positioning the company in the market as a supplier of high-quality compounds. “ELASTOSIL^® represents absolute quality in Brazil. It is a great benefit that we can use the brand name for our compounds, too. This will open up a raft of new sales and marketing opportunities. Products made from original WACKER raw materials are identified by the ‘Based on ELASTOSIL^®’ label, continued da Silva. “The ELASTOSIL^® brand is a global quality seal for silicones. This fosters trust and makes it easier for us to convince customers of our silicone compounds’ high quality.”

About ELASTOSIL^®

The name ELASTOSIL^® is synonymous with a wide range of silicone products. Beside silicone rubber and silicone rubber dispersions, the brand also includes their related processing additives. Silicone rubber essentially consists of silicone polymers and fillers. The compound rubber undergoes high-temperature or room-temperature vulcanization, during which the uncured compound becomes an elastomeric rubber. Silicone rubbers are heat resistant, flexible at low temperatures, resistant to aging, and easy to process, and have good mechanical properties that remain unchanged over a wide temperature range. ELASTOSIL^® silicones are used in areas such as automotive and mechanical engineering, electronics and electrics, textiles, medical articles, toys, household appliances and sports articles, as well as in the construction industry.

About STC Silicones

STC Silicones (www.stcsilicones.com.br) was founded in 2003 and has specialized in the production of ready-to-use silicone rubber compounds. Its customers are active in industries such as the medical, construction, automotive, transport, household-appliance, electrical and electronics sectors. Located in Ribeirão Pires in the State of São Paulo, the family-run business currently has a workforce of 25 employees. STC is a member of the Brazilian Rubber Technology Association ABTB (Associação Brasileira de Tecnologia da Borracha) and CIGRÉ Brazil. STC’s parent company is Kinner Silicone Rubber Ind. e Com. Ltda. which is also located in Ribeirão Pires. The molded part manufacturer has a workforce of 125 and achieved sales of about € 13 million in 2015.

WACKER in South America

WACKER has been supplying the Americas with basic chemicals since the 1960s. In order to meet the rising challenges for increasing sales in South America, WACKER founded Wacker Química do Brasil Ltda 40 years ago in 1977. The subsidiary located in Jandira, 35 km from the city of São Paulo, supports customers in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Currently, in addition to sales and marketing, the approximately 21,000 square meter site houses its own production plant for silicone fluids, emulsions, and silicone-based antifoam agents, resins and silicone rubber compounds. In 2003, a Technical Center for silicone applications was opened in Jandira. Laboratories for dispersible polymer polymers followed in 2005. In 2013, WACKER’s training facility known as WACKER ACADEMY was expanded by adding a new training room and laboratory for practice and knowledge transfer to customers and local business partners.

WACKER is currently expanding its production facilities for antifoam compounds and functional silicone fluids at the Jandira site. The expansion is the company’s response to growing regional demand for specialty silicones needed in the textile, paper, household, personal care and cosmetics industry. The new production facility will help the company to solidify its position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-quality silicones. Currently, Wacker Química do Brazil has 130 employees.