Chemicals that drive innovations

Liquid Crystals are a key product group within Performance Materials. They are used around the world, for example in LC displays of televisions, notebooks, digital cameras, mobile telephones and many other high-quality displays. Close cooperation in development and production of liquid crystals with the world’s leading display manufacturers has made Merck the number one company worldwide in this future. Thanks to continuous investments in research and production, we are also the technology leader. New lighting and display technologies such as OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) are another area of focus.

In addition to its core business with materials for displays, in view of climate change and persistently high energy prices, the division is also active in growth markets. These include the use of solar energy and the development of innovative technologies for energy-saving LEDs.

Performance Materials in Germany

Germany is home to large chemical operations – primarily based at our Global Headquarters in Darmstadt.

Over the last ten years, Merck has invested more than one billion euros in the Darmstadt site. We made the largest investment in the company’s history to date in a new research and development center that consolidates the major R&D activities under one roof; and in plants that are mainly used to manufacture liquid crystals for displays. These plants are setting new standards in production technology, environmental protection, occupational health and safety and workplace organization. We also established a new reliability laboratory to test the long-term stability of displays for various applications.

On our second largest production site, Gernsheim, we manufacture liquid crystal precursors, effect pigments, sorbents and vapor deposition chemicals.

An important product in Cosmetics is the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone, used in self-tanning lotions to change the color of the top layer of skin, is another key product.