Degussa in PMMA jv with Taiwan's Forhouse

14 December 2005 14:02  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Degussa has entered into a 51:49 joint venture agreement with Taiwanese optical electronics manufacturer Forhouse Corporation for the production of optical grade polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) moulding compounds.

The German specialty chemicals company said on Wednesday that the joint venture, which plans to build a 40,000 tonne /year plant in Taichung, Taiwan, will be launched in January next year. The companies did not reveal the investment cost of the new plant, but said it would be the joint venture’s first construction step.  

“When the plant goes into operation at the and of 2006, Degussa and Forhouse will contribute a significant share of the high-quality lighting modules known as backlight units to the rapidly expanding global market for TFT-LCD (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) flat panel displays,” Degussa said.

“In the future, we can integrate our customers’ requirements more directly into product development,” said Gregor Hetzke, head of Degussa’s methacrylates business unit. “That means innovations will be brought to mass production stage faster and more cost-effectively.”

Forhouse already manufactures more than 10% of the backlight units employed worldwide, according to Degussa.

By: Hilde Ovrebekk
+44 20 8652 3214

< previous article(VIDEO - ICIS news Europe Lunchtime Bulletin 30 October 2009)

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly