Solvay to boost 'Udel' resins 15%, sulphone monomer by 10%

15 April 2002 17:08  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--Solvay Advanced Polymers will expand its US capacity for production of Udel polysulphone resins by 15% and sulphone monomer by 10% in projects to get under way this year, the company said Monday without revealing specific capacity figures or the cost of its project investment.

Solvay also announced the formal completion and successful start-up of a previously announced expansion for the sulphone polymer plant in Marietta, Ohio and sulphone monomer plant in Augusta, Georgia. Begun before Solvay acquired the plants from BP, those project increased capacity for the Radel R and A polyphenylsulphone resins by 40% and the production of 4,4' dichlorodiphenylsulphone monomer by 15%.

Solvay's Udel expansion will occur at the Marietta plant and the monomer expansion will come at Augusta, Solvay told CNI. The company has not released a date for the anticipated start-up.

Solvay said sales of the high-margin specialty polymers have risen 50% following November's acquisition of BP's polymers business, including the sulphone polymers and Amodel polyphthalamide businesses. But the company declined to provide specific sales figures.

Doug Brademeyer, product manager for sulphone polymers, said Solvay will continue to work at improving the quality of existing products while expanding its product offerings in this area.

Solvay describes sulphone polymers as "high-performance, amorphous engineering thermoplastics" used in a variety of applications that require high end-use temperatures, excellent chemical resistance, transparency and toughness. Industrial applications include aerospace, medical, business machines, plumbing, automotive, fibre optics, electronics and food and beverage.

Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Solvay Advanced Polymers is a subsidiary of Solvay America - the North American unit of Belgium's Solvay SA. Solvay created the subsidiary when it combined some of its product lines with a portfolio of materials that had comprised BP's engineering resins business.

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Author: Gary Taylor
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