Fortron sees 6-8%/year growth in PPS sales volumes

16 September 2004 12:18  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--Fortron Industries expects sales volumes for polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) to rise by 6-8% annually over the next few years, a spokesman at German parent company Ticona told CNI on Thursday.

 

According to industry sources, the total global capacity for PPS is currently about 36 000 tonne/year.

 

Fred Daniell. president of technical polymers company Ticona, said the biggest market for PPS is Asia-Pacific with a 54% share, followed by the US at 25% and Europe at 20%.

 

He said new processing methods and further developments have now made it possible to use PPS in more applications.

 

The high performance polymer is increasingly replacing metals and is being used in very high temperature applications, said Ticona.

 

PPS is now firmly established in the automotive, electrical/electronic and aircraft industries in applications such as pumps, fuel distribution lines, hydraulic hoses and aircraft wings, said Ticona.

 

Ticona also confirmed Fortron’s plans to build a new PPS plant that would come onstream in the next five years.

 

Although the location of this plant was not immediately known, analysts said it makes sense to have it in Europe.

 

Fortron already has PPS capacity in Wilmington, North Carolina and in Nishiki, Japan. The Wilmington plant has a capacity of 7500 tonne/year and Nishiki is rated at 6000 tonne/year. Fortron is expanding the Wilmington plant by 10% by year-end and a further 20% during the first half of 2005 under a “multi-million dollar” programme.

 

Fortron is the 50:50 joint venture of Ticona and Japan’s Kureha Chemicals. Ticona is a unit of German chemicals group Celanese.

By: Russell Ong
+44 208 652 3214

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