Ashland has begun to significantly increase production capacity for Benecel cellulose ethers at its facility in Doel, Belgium. When completed in 2023, capacity will be increased by more than 50 percent and supports the growing demand for products sold to pharmaceuticals, nutrition and performance specialty applications.

“This investment underscores our commitment to our customers, and it is a critical element of our growth strategy,” said Ashok Kalyana, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Life Sciences, Ashland. “We have recently launched new controlled release grades of Benecel for the pharmaceutical market, and we are seeing rapid growth of Benecel as a binder for plant-based proteins.”

High-purity Benecel cellulose ethers such as methylcellulose (MC) and methyhydroxyethylcellulose (HPMC), are used in a variety of pharmaceutical, nutrition, and personal care applications. In addition, this expansion will add capacity for some other specialty grades used in high-end industrial markets.