Wacker Opens New Technical Center in Istanbul for Construction, Textile and Consumer Care Applications

Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its service range in Turkey and has opened a new technical center in Istanbul for construction, textile and consumer care applications. The technical facility will serve as an application and testing laboratory for polymer binders and silicones used in the construction, textile, consumer care and cosmetics industries in the region. In this way, Wacker can extend its local expertise in application technology and service to better support its customers and business partners on-site. With the new technical center, Wacker Chemie AG is responding to Turkey's ongoing economic growth. During the opening ceremony, Wacker Management Board Member Auguste Willems said: "As our customers' sales increase, so do their quality and service demands. With our new test facility, we can now meet these requirements on-site more effectively." There is currently a boom in the construction industry in the region, and this is accompanied by an increase in demand for consulting. Wacker's new technical center is equipped for this trend. In this new facility, for example, specific properties of tile adhesives and external composite thermal insulation systems (ETICS), two important applications of Wacker's polymer binders, can be tested. The center is equipped with modern laboratory equipment necessary to conduct detailed analyses such as viscosity and air pore content of fresh mortars or curing time. Additionally, properties of cured mortars can be tested in accordance with various standards such as EN 12004 or EN 13499. Among these tests are, for example, tests for determining adhesion, flexural and compressive strength as well as water vapor permeability and impact resistance. Furthermore, equipment is available to test products under various climate conditions, such as application of ETICS adhesives at low temperatures. Wacker Kimya Ticaret Managing Director Hande Bucuklar states: "With our new laboratory for construction polymers, we are making an important contribution to the widespread adoption of modern building materials in Turkey and neighboring countries." The new facility also has a laboratory for silicones used in the textile industry. In this laboratory, detailed examinations can be performed to determine thermal and shear stability of the products presented and customer formulations, foaming tendency, gloss and color stability as well as water repellency or hydrophilicity properties. In this new laboratory, various formulations can also be tested under realistic conditions such as milling and drawing processes. Additionally, the laboratory's equipment enables the performance of special tests tailored to local requirements in cosmetics and consumer care applications. The laboratory also has appropriate equipment for developing local formulations. In this way, shampoos, creams or softeners containing Wacker silicones can be formulated to support customers' development projects. The new technical center will also conduct theoretical and practical training. Additionally, a showroom has been created featuring various building chemicals prepared by the company and thus demonstrating the long-term performance of Wacker products. For example, to exemplify easy-to-clean surfaces, paint used on walls has been modified with SILRES® BS 333. To demonstrate Wacker's solutions for long-lasting building protection, a replica of a Moai statue from Easter Island has been treated with SILRES® BS 290. Water runs off the surfaces in droplets thanks to the water-repellent effect of the silicones. Test application carried out at Wacker's new technical center in Istanbul: Application engineers testing regional products and formulations. One of the areas on which the new laboratory focuses particularly is polymer binders used in construction applications such as tile adhesives or external composite thermal insulation systems (Photo: Wacker Chemie AG). The proximity of the new laboratory to customers helps to strengthen Wacker's market position and to better respond to the specific needs of local customers. Hande Bucuklar says: "With our new service facility, we can identify trends and developments in the region early and respond accordingly." "We want to provide our customers with on-site solutions tailored to their needs and benefit more from the local economy." The new technical center will also serve customers in neighboring countries. The center is part of Wacker Kimya Ticaret's new headquarters in the developing Ataşehir district.

WACKER in Turkey

Wacker has been supplying a wide range of products to Turkey and neighboring countries for many years. Sales in the region are coordinated by Wacker Kimya Ticaret, a distribution company founded in 1993. The co-location of the sales office and technical center under one roof enables the sales and technical teams to work more closely together and provides optimal conditions for customer support. The Istanbul center today serves countries such as Israel, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In the coming days, silicones for textile, cosmetics and consumer care applications will also be tested at Wacker's new technical center in Istanbul. (Photo: Wacker Chemie AG).