Pigment Pioneer celebrates its 100th Anniversary

The specialty chemicals group Lanxess looks back on a century of iron oxide pigment production at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site. Since 1926, more than 15 million tons of iron oxide pigments have been produced here. This quantity could be used to produce more than 200 billion liters of paint – enough to cover an area the size of Germany five times over. With an annual production capacity of around 300,000 tons, Lanxess is today the global market leader; the Bayferrox brand name is regarded in the industry as synonymous with synthetic iron oxide pigments.

Due to their long durability, these iron oxide pigments are primarily used to color paving stones, roof tiles, paints, and plastics. This can be seen, for example, in the red asphalt in front of Buckingham Palace in London or on the facade of the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

“People encounter our pigments every day – on streets, roofs, and facades,” said Michael Ertl, head of Lanxess’s Inorganic Pigments business unit, at the anniversary event. “Thanks to the pioneering spirit of our employees in Krefeld, our pigments have become indispensable in many other applications as well.”

“What has been created at Lanxess in Krefeld-Uerdingen for 100 years is a piece of industrial history of inestimable value – and at the same time, a living part of the present. The pigments manufactured at Chempark are in demand worldwide,” says Frank Meyer, Mayor of the City of Krefeld, adding: “The chemical industry faces a major challenge – but those who view the transformation as an opportunity and focus on reinvention are paving the way to the future. Lanxess has repeatedly demonstrated its innovative strength over the past decades. This benefits everyone, because when local industrial companies thrive, the city and its people benefit as well.”

Innovative Process as the Cornerstone of a Global Brand

The success story of Uerdingen iron oxide began in 1926 with chemist Julius Laux. He developed a novel process in what was then aniline production. In the process, the resulting iron oxide was further developed into a high-quality synthetic pigment.

After World War II and with the subsequent reconstruction of Europe, production volumes rose rapidly, laying the foundation for Lanxess’s current market leadership in the iron oxide pigment business. The product range has since been expanded to over 100 shades. New sites around the globe expanded the global production network. To this day, Krefeld-Uerdingen remains the heart of the worldwide iron oxide pigment business under the Bayferrox and Colortherm brands.

A pioneer in climate protection and the circular economy

Lanxess iron oxide pigments are characterized by a CO₂ footprint that is particularly low by industry standards. A key reason for this is the Laux process used in production, an early example of the circular economy that Lanxess uses exclusively (see also report in BFT 06/2026). In the Laux process, a byproduct of aniline production is transformed into a standalone, high-quality product: iron oxide pigments.

In addition, Lanxess is working to further reduce emissions along the entire value chain – from production and energy use to logistics.