Kuraray announced plans to double its acrylic resins capacity to 40,000 tonnes/yr at its Nakajo plant in Niigata, Japan. The new capacity is set to come on-line this October.
The company cites opto-electronics growth, particularly in liquid crystal displays used in computer monitors and TVs, as the prime driver behind the project. Acrylic resins are used in light-guide panels employed in LCDs.
Meanwhile, Sumitomo Chemical and trading house Itochu Corp. report their acrylic cast sheet joint venture, Sumipex (Thailand) Co., is operating near its full capacity of 8500 tonnes/yr. The companies took over for local company Acron Plastic Industry last August.
