Worms

Development during the war

When Röhm & Haas significantly expanded production at the end of the 1930s, the spatial resources at the main plant in Darmstadt were quickly exhausted. The company management therefore decided to set up a new production site and in 1942 found a suitable site in Worms, located directly on the Rhine and in the immediate vicinity of the former Reichsstraße 9. A plant for the production of methyl methacrylate and hydrogen cyanide was to be built there on an area of around 87,000 square meters. The construction work initially progressed rapidly, but was then severely affected by Allied bombing raids in 1943 and 1944 and finally came to a complete standstill. After the end of the war in 1945, the site was occupied by French troops.

Worms, 1942-1944

A fresh start with obstacles

It was not until ten years later, in 1955, that the production of acetone cyanohydrin and methyl methacrylate could be established and gradually started. This secured the basis for the supply of raw materials for the manufacture of PLEXIGLAS® and other products from Röhm & Haas. The rapid expansion of capacities has been driven forward continuously. Recycling plants were also built to purify the sulfuric acid required in the production process at the site and return it to the process cycle.

The Worms site is now part of Röhm GmbH, which was founded on August 1, 2019 and bundles Evonik's former methacrylates business.