WeylChem plans aromatic ring chlorination facility

WeylChem has announced a “larger scale” investment in a new production facility for aromatic ring chlorination at its Frankfurt-Höchst site in Germany. The company said that this will offer both increased capacity and high flexibility under European production standards. Production is due to start in Q2 2022.

The new plant will be able to refine 4-chlorobenzotrichloride, a by-product of the process, to 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorobenzoyl chloride, thus reducing the site’s waste footprint. At present, it goes to disposal. All the other by-products are already being refined or sold.

The WeylChem Group will also back-integrate and install its own proprietary supply chain to use these products in the Halex plant of its sister company, Allessa, at Frankfurt-Fechenheim. Finally, the firm said, the facility will enable it to “exploit new markets in custom manufacturing and to bring its performance to the next level”.