KuibyshevAzot inaugurates its first European PA6 compounding line in Rudolstadt, Germany on September 16, 2020

KuibyshevAzot is one of the leading integrated chemical company in the area of caprolactam and its derivatives (Polyamide-6, industrial and textile yarn, tire cord and engineering plastics), ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers and industrial gases (nitrogen, oxygen, argon).

Headquartered in Togliatti, Russia, we are operating globally with production facilities and sales offices in Russia, Germany, China and Serbia.

Today KuibyshevAzot is the leading caprolactam producer in CIS and Eastern Europe. We offer a full range of caprolactam derivatives with a caprolactam production capacity of 240.000 tons and a Polyamide 6 capacity of 210.000 tons. In 2019 KuibyshevAzot generated a sales revenue of around 600 million €.

Engineering plastics production is one of the key downstream area for caprolactam processing. In line with our strategy to increase high value-added product output, KuibyshevAzot expanded its portfolio of high-performance materials by setting up EP facilities in Shanghai, China in 2007. In 2011 we strengthened our presence in the growing domestic market for compounds and commissioned capacities at our joint venture in Togliatti, Russia.

To also expand our presence in Western Europe, we continued to invest in the value chain of Polyamide 6 in this region. After the acquisition of STFG Filamente GmbH in Rudolstadt, Germany in 2011, the production site was fully integrated into KuibyshevAzot’s polyamide supply chain, drawing on existing know-how on both sides.

On September 16, 2020 KuibyshevAzot started up our first European compounding line and the seventh globally at our STFG fibre spinning site in Rudolstadt, Germany. The site is ideally located as a production hub to serve West and East European markets and allows significant synergies between the PA6 compounding and fibre spinning business. The new extruder, supplied by Krauss Maffei Extrusion GmbH has a capacity of 12 KT. It represents world class technology and will allow state-of- the-art manufacturing of high-quality compounds.

By using the strengthof our vertically integrated value chain, we develop high-end engineering plastics based on Polyamide 6 for our global customers, providing them with the best innovative solutions and expert application development & technical support.

Due to its outstanding properties, such as high mechanical strength, thermal stability, good electrical insulation properties, resistance to chemicals and simple processing Polyamide 6 based engineering plastics became indispensable in almost all sectors of engineering.

KuibyshevAzot has a broad EP portfolio including unfilled, glass fibre reinforced, mineral filled, impact modified and flame-retardant grades of high-end compounds for nearly all engineering plastics applications from automotive, electrical & electronics to industrial products and consumer goods. Our compounds are marketed under our global brand name Volgamid® in line with our Volgamid PA6 base polymers.

ECO Line:

One of the core elements of our development strategy is the preservation and protection of the environment, minimization of man-made burden and reduction of resource consumption. Plastic circularity is key to reducing the impact of plastics on the environment. Our Volgamid ECO-line product range delivers performance comparable to prime materials, while relying on 100% sustainable post-industrial Polyamide 6.

As KuibyshevAzot we are 100% committed to the principles of the circular economy. As an integrated PA6 producer we generate not only PA6 polymerisation off grade but also fibre waste from our downstream PA6 fibre production units in Germany and Russia. Using off grade and fibre waste, respectively, we have developed a sophisticated and high-quality ECO product line of environmentally friendly products which contain various amounts of recycled materials. To support the principles of circular economy we do not use third party recyclates but only internal sources. Depending on our customer’s requirements we offer ECO-Line grades which can contain fibre waste or only polymerisation off spec or a combination of the two. We have dedicated discussions with our customers to design the best option for their specific application. We are also striving to receiving ISO 14021 environmental labelling.

Our Volgamid ECO-line, based on post-industrial Polyamide 6, offers eco-friendly solutions for high-end applications in Automotive, E&E, industrial and consumer goods.