PP compounding operation for China's DetroitPP compounding operation for China's Detroit

Sumitomo Chemical Co., (Tokyo) and China's Jilin Xindongtai Engineering Plastics Co. (Changchun) have set up a joint venture on the outskirts of Changchun to manufacture  polypropylene (PP) compounds for automotive applications. Production capacity at the compounding facility will be 20,000 tonne/year and operations are scheduled to start in January 2012.

In 2010, China manufactured 18.27 million vehicles. Changchun is the largest automobile manufacturing base in the country and known as China's Detroit. FAW (First Automotive Works) Group is based there and also operates local joint ventures with Audi, Volkswagen, and Toyota. Sumitomo Chemical's partner in Changchun, Xindongtai, supplies PP and other plastic compound products chiefly to state-owned FAW.

In 2005 Sumitomo Chemical established Zhuhai Sumika Polymer Compounds Co. in Guangdong Province to meet demand for PP compounds mainly from South China. In addition, Sumitomo Chemical recently started up a 10,000 tonnes/yr PP compounding operation in Dalian, Liaoning Province in order to enhance supply capabilities for North China.-[email protected]