New factories, new markets

Th. Goldschmidt AG set up a new plant for silicone emulsions (SiEm plant) on the eastern site of its Essen works. The manufacturing plant for organomodified siloxanes was also expanded. Production is now part of Evonik's Chemicals Business Area.

At the new Degussa metal works in Wolfgang, on the site now occupied by the Wolfgang Industrial Park, initial partial production commenced. Step-by-step all the domestic plants for the extraction of precious metals were consolidated there. The metal works, at that time the largest of its kind in Europe, was sold to the Norddeutsche Affinerie, Hamburg, in August 2000.

Röhm GmbH, Darmstadt, supplied 80,000 m2 of PLEXIGLAS^®-panels for the roofing of the Olympic Stadium and for other sports venues in the Munich Summer Olympics. The characteristic tent-type roof is still a distinctive landmark in the Bavarian capital. In the same year Röhm GmbH purchased a large industrial site in Worms, which adjoined the existing company site. The production of PLEXIGLAS^® molding materials was set up on the site. Previously this activity had been carried out at the company's main location in Darmstadt.

The Petrochemie Münchsmünster, a chemical site located between Ingolstadt and Regensburg, and owned by Hoechst AG, Gelsenberg AG (the later VEBA Oel AG) and SKW, started business. Here, SKW ran its plant for the production of acrylonitrile. As part of the founding, Hoechst AG increased its stake in SKW to 50 percent. Thus, both companies, VIAG and Hoechst, held a 50% stake on SKW.

Degussa started construction of a large new chemical works in the Gulf of Mexico, in Mobile, Alabama. Along with it, it founded the U.S. subsidiary Degussa Alabama Inc.

At the Essen works of Th. Goldschmidt AG, the of what are now four polyether plants came on line. In conjunction with a further stage of expansion of the OS plant (for organo-modified siloxanes), the next of which followed in 1977, Goldschmidt further expanded the silicone chemicals plants. They now form part of Chemicals Business Area of Evonik.

With the founding of Degussa China Ltd., Hong Kong, for the Hong Kong, China and Macau markets, Degussa further expanded its operations in the Far East.

Süddeutsche Kalkstickstoff-Werke AG acquired 50 percent of the capital shares in Polychemie GmbH, Augsburg, which manufactured construction chemical products. In 1980 SKW Trostberg purchased the remaining 50 percent and in 1984 renamed the company PCI Polychemie GmbH, Augsburg.

Chemische Werke Hüls AG in Marl started production of MTBE (Methyl-tert.-butyl-ether), a base product used in manufacturing lead-free gasoline. Today the product is manufactured and marketed under the name DRIVERON^® by OXENO Olefinchemie GmbH, today part of Evonik’s Chemicals Business Area.

Following the loss of the former subsidiary of Röhm GmbH in the USA after the World War, the company regained a foothold in the U.S. by means of a joint venture with the American Cynamide Company. This company, CYRO Industries, now produces monomers, polymers, molding materials and semi finished products.

Süddeutsche Kalkstickstoff-Werke AG changed its name into SKW Trostberg AG and its organizational structure. The company’s operations were grouped into four business areas: Construction Chemicals, Chemicals, Agriculture and Metallurgy.

As a result of the growing demand for stabilizers for PU foams in South America, Th. Goldschmidt AG started its own production in Guarulhos, Brazil. In the 1970s Guarulhos also started manufacturing chemical and metal products for the former Degussa.

VEBA AG in Dusseldorf increased its stake in Chemische Werke Hüls AG to 87.4 percent. Hüls AG was subsequently integrated into VEBA as the chemicals sector. In 1985 VEBA also acquired the remaining shares in Hüls, which had been held by outside shareholders.

In Frankfurt’s town center, at the original headquarters of the former Degussa, the old separating works, still locally known as “The Mint,” was demolished. In the years that followed a new administrative building was erected on the same site. The demolition of the old separating works marked the end of the industrial production era of the former Degussa at its old headquarters in Frankfurt.