US company Owens Corning Fiberglass Corp. based in Toledo, Ohio, has reported the closure of its fully-owned Canadian subsidiary, Phoenix Fibreglass Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, a recycler of composite …
US company Owens Corning Fiberglass Corp. based in Toledo, Ohio, has reported the closure of its fully-owned Canadian subsidiary, Phoenix Fibreglass Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, a recycler of composite parts made from sheet moulding compound (SMC). The US company says that the plant was closed due to lack of demand for the reclaimed materials. Phoenix processed SMC scrap into three products: a powdered filler material, a chopped strand, and a milled fibre. The filler was returned to the molders for use as a replacement/extender for calcium carbonate. Markets were still being developed for the chopped strand and milled fibre. “Phoenix is a technical success by demonstrating that SMC is recyclable and that the recyclate can be used in new SMC parts,” said Jim MacKenzie, chairman of Phoenix. “Unfortunately, large, unused inventories of finished products and limited ongoing sales are causing the operation to no longer be financially viable, and necessitate the closing.”