Arkema - Polymer Capacity Expansions

Arkema (Colombes / France; www.arkema.com) intends to build new production capacity in China in an effort to increase the share of its Asian sales from 13% to 20% by 2012. The company is doubling its PVC heat stabiliser production in Beijing to 12,000 t/y and building a “Kynar” fluorinated polymer (PVDF) plant at Changshu. The heat stabiliser expansion is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008 and will meet rising demand from the construction and packaging markets. The PVDF facility is scheduled for start-up in 2011, giving the French company three plants worldwide – in Pierre-Bénite / France and in Calvert City, Kentucky / USA, where a 25% capacity increase is planned to be completed in Q1 2008. /Plastics Information Europe/