Solvay (Brussels, Belgium) has started to ship specialty polymers compounded at a new plant located in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China, to local end users. The plant is mainly serving China's customers in the electronics, automotive, consumer and industrial applications markets with compounds of Amodel polyphthalamide (PPA), Ixef polyarylamide (PARA) and Kalix (modified PARA). 

The plant entailed an investment of 21 million euros ($25.5 million) and is fully adaptable for future expansion of overall capacity as well as production of compounds made out of other high-performance polymers. It is adjacent to another specialty polymers plant which is currently under construction for the production of Solef polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), Tecnoflon fluoroelastomers (FKM), and their key monomer, VF2.

"The start-up of our compounding plant in Changshu is an important step in the development plan of Solvay's growing industrial base in China where the Group is committed to increase its customer base. Sales of specialty polymers in Asia have already increased to over 30% of total sales and we see this trend continuing," comments Augusto di Donfrancesco, general manager of the Global Business Unit Specialty Polymers. —[email protected]