LANXESS is expanding its production capacity for the active ingredient Preventol CMK (chlorocresol) at the Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany, site by around 50 percent in response to the continuing strong demand for disinfectants and industrial preservation. The specialty chemicals company has invested a single-digit million euro amount for the expansion, which will be completed still in the first quarter of 2022.

LANXESS markets Preventol CMK as a registered active ingredient for disinfection and preservation and also uses it in its own formulations marketed under the known Preventol and Virkon brands. A rapidly growing area of application is disinfectants in the animal and human sectors. Demand for these products has risen significantly in recent years due to the African swine fever, the avian influenza and the Corona pandemic, among other things.

"With the additional capacities, we remain a reliable partner for our customers and can continue to meet the increased demand for Preventol CMK in the disinfection industry,” said Matthias Arnold, Head of the Actives & Disinfection business line at LANXESS’ Material Protection Products business unit. "For disinfectants, we expect sustained high demand even after the Corona pandemic due to an increased hygiene awareness.”

In agricultural businesses, disinfectants based on Preventol CMK help contain the spread of diseases and contribute to the reduction of antibiotics in animal husbandry. The topic of biosecurity is also gaining in importance worldwide due to increasing population and meat consumption, leading to a sustained increase in demand for disinfectants. In the field of human health, disinfectants based on Preventol CMK can be used in hospitals, for example, but also in the household application segment.

LANXESS is the world’s largest producer of chlorocresol and provides regulatory support for the active ingredient in all major biocide markets, such as in Europe under the Biocidal Products Regulation BPR or in the USA with the Environmental Protection Agency EPA.