Japan's Mitsubishi Rayon stabilising ops at Thai BMA plant

01 February 2005 02:18  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (CNI)--Japan's Mitsubishi Rayon is still stabilising operations at its 10 000 tonne/year butyl methacrylate (BMA) joint-venture plant at Mab Ta Phut, Thailand, after it was brought onstream in mid-January, a company official told CNI on Tuesday.

The Yen700m ($6.77m/Euro5.17m) plant, which is owned by a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Cementhai, has been built beside Mitsubishi’s 85 000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant.

"There are some slight technical problems with the plant, but nothing major," said the official. "We expect it to be fully stabilised by the end of the month, when it should reach full capacity."

He would not disclose the plant's current operating rate, saying that information was "confidential."

The MMA will be used in BMA production by the Thai plant and a new plant in China, which is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2005.

 

MMA is a key feedstock for producing acrylic resin which is used chiefly in manufacturing autoparts, while BMA is used to make paints for auto and ship bodies because of its light resistant properties.

By: Siva Govindasamy
+65 6780 4359

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