Polyplastics increases LCP capacity as demand comes roaring back

Plastics supplier Polyplastics Co. Ltd. has raised its production capacity for its Vectra-brand of liquid crystal polymer (LCP) by 5000 tons/year, with the expansion coming at the supplier’s Fuji facility. Polyplastics (Tokyo, Japan) stated that LCP demand declined significantly during the recession which began in autumn 2008, but says demand for the material, which sees use in a wide array of electrical and electronics (E/E) applications, has recovered in Asia, especially in China, so that Polyplastics now expects double-digit demand growth in the future.
 
Polyplastics claims to be market share leader in LCP supply in Asia. Key competitors include DuPont, Sumitomo and Solvay Advanced Polymers. Vectra-brand LCP was developed by Ticona in 1985, and Polyplastics started importing the material to Japanthat year, but now has its own production.

With the announced expansion, Polyplastics will have capacity of 15,000 tons/year of LCP (neat) and 22,000 tons/year on a compounded resin basis. The expansion has begun and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2011. It is planned to come on stream early 2012. Polyplastics last increased its LCP capacity by 3000 tonnes/yr in 2008.
 
Due to its high heat resistance, LCP sees use in a wide variety of applications, but mainly in electronic components employed in information and communication equipment, such as personal computers and mobile telephones. —[email protected]