China’s Sinorgchem to shut rubber chemicals plants in January

20 December 2011 03:26  [Source: ICIS news]

MELBOURNE (ICIS)--China’s Jiangsu Sinorgchem plans to shut its two rubber chemicals additive plants in Shandong from mid-January 2012 for three weeks of maintenance, a company source said on Tuesday.

The two paraphenylenediamine (PPD) plants have a combined capacity of 80,000 tonnes/year, said the source.

PPD, which is derived from methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), is a key rubber chemical additive used in the manufacturing of tyres.

The two PPD plants in Shandong, named Shandong Sinorgchem International and Sinorgchem Co, Tai’An, currently consume about 2,000 tonnes of MIBK a month, the company source added.

“The plant maintenance may negatively impact on MIBK prices in January because Sinorgchem is one of the largest MIBK end-users in China,” said a trader.

MIBK, which is derived from acetone, is used mainly as a solvent for industrial paints and thinners and in the production of rubber chemicals.

Sinorgchem operates a third rubber chemicals plant in Anhui province, called Anhui Sinorgchem Technology Co, that does not use any MIBK.

Please visit the complete ICIS plants and projects database

By: Trisha Huang

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