Evonik Japan Marks Opening of New Oil Additives Technology Center at Tsukuba

Today marks the opening of Evonik Japan’s new
Oil Additives Technology Center at Tsukuba. With the move from its
previous location in Osaka, the technology center has quadrupled in
size, signifying Evonik’s growing commitment to its oil additives
customer base in Japan and the surrounding region.

“Evonik is strengthening its technical resources and capabilities in
Asia to continue to meet the growing needs of the region,” explains
Evonik Vice President and Asia Regional Manager Wei Kiat Tan. “In
addition to the expansion of the physical structure and capabilities,
we are also growing our technical team with the addition of another
employee at the Tsukuba facility,” he adds.

• The technology center has moved from Osaka to Tsukuba and has quadrupled its size.
• The test capabilities of the technology center have been enhanced to intensify support to product development.

"We are very happy to welcome the Oil Additives lab to Tsukuba, a
location, which has emerged to become a major innovation hub for
Evonik," explained Ulrich Sieler, president of Evonik Japan. "Four different
application labs, plus a catalyst production facility make Tsukuba a
significant breeding ground for innovative solutions," he added.

Evonik is a recognized leader in oil additives technology and supports
high quality lubricant marketers worldwide with its global network of
regional technology centers and production facilities. Evonik
produces its oil additives under the brand name VISCOPLEX^® and its
synthetic base fluids under the VISCOBASE^® brand.

Rapidly-expanding mobility within the Asia market, coupled with an
increasing demand for high-performance lubricants with higher 
additive content has led Evonik to increase both its production
capacity and technical capabilities in the region. In addition to the
investment at Tsukuba, a major expansion at the company’s
Shanghai technology center is underway and capacity at Evonik’s
Singapore oil additives plant will soon be doubled through a major
multi-year debottlenecking and expansion project.

Tsukuba’s advanced test capabilities and an expansion of its close
collaboration with Evonik’s oil additives technology centers in
Shanghai and North America and the company’s research center at its
headquarters in Germany will bring a new level of support to Japanbased
customers and OEMs. Evonik prides itself on its ability customtailor
its products to the specific needs of its customers’ product
development efforts.

In addition, Evonik has taken a leadership role in developing lubricant
additive technology designed to improve fuel efficiency and productivity.
Energy-saving results have been demonstrated with VISCOPLEX^®
Viscosity Index Improvers (VIIs) in engine oils, driveline fluids and gear
oils. Industrial and off-highway equipment field tests have also recorded
up to double-digit improvements in fuel savings with DYNAVIS^®
technology for hydraulic fluids, reducing operating costs as well as CO2
emissions.

Four years ago, Evonik opened its first technology center in Japan to
meet the need for timely and effective support to the Japanese
automotive industry and the country’s high-performance lubricant
marketers. The expansion that comes with the move to Tsukuba
confirms the continued development of these relationships and the
wisdom of the company’s original decision to grow its business in Japan.

In addition to its VISCOPLEX^® Viscosity Index Improvers (VIIs) in engine
oils, driveline fluids, gear oils, and hydraulic fluids, Evonik’s VISCOBASE^®
synthetic base fluids provide excellent solvency in automotive gear oil
formulations such as heavy duty axle oils and manual transmission
fluids.

The Oil Additives business line of Evonik Industries also specializes in
high-performance additives and technologies for fuels and refinery
products. Evonik’s VISCOPLEX^® Cold Flow Improvers (CFIs) provide
outstanding flow properties for biofuels in any region or season.
VISCOPLEX^® dewaxing aids (DWAs) are designed for refinery solvent
dewaxing processes that involve differing lube oil viscosity grades,
especially bright stocks.

Advanced regional technology centers, modern global manufacturing
centers, and a secure and reliable supply chain worldwide enable
Evonik’s continuous development of customized solutions for customers
anywhere on earth.

Evonik, the creative international industrial group, is one of the world
leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends
resource efficiency, health, nutrition and globalization. Evonik benefits
specifically from its innovative strength and integrated technology
platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In
fiscal 2013 more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around
€12.9 billion.