Arkema upgrades Texas acrylics facility

Arkema is investing $90 million on its Clear Lake, Texas, site to replace existing acrylic acid production units with modern facilities using the latest available technologies. This upgrade promises to position the Clear Lake site as among the most competitive in North America while meeting growing demand in the region.

Headquartered in Colombes, France, Arkema will replace two 45 kt/year acrylic acid reactors at the end of their life with a single 90 kt/year reactor. This investment will introduce new competitive, state-of-the-art manufacturing assets using the latest production technologies available, said Arkema.

The new unit is expected to come on stream by mid-2019. At completion of this program, Clear Lake’s total acrylic acid production capacity will be 270 kt/year. In the meantime, Arkema will continue to meet customer demand from its U.S. plants, which benefitted from a previous modernization program undertaken between 2012 and 2014, as well as its European and Asian plants.

With this investment, Arkema confirms its position as the number two producer of acrylic acid in North America, and its ability to meet growing demand in markets such as superabsorbent, coatings and adhesives, polymers for water treatment, and enhanced oil and gas recovery.