(Solvay) -- Solvay announced today it has launched a project to build a specialty polymers production plant for SOLEF Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), TECNOFLON Fluoroelastomers (FKM) and their essential monomer VF2 in China to satisfy the growing demand for these high value-added specialty polymers in Asia.
The plant will be built at Solvay's industrial site in Changshu in the province of Jiangsu and is scheduled to become operational at the beginning of 2014. It requires the investment of EUR 120 million and will significantly boost Solvay's global production capacity for these specialty polymers.
The TECNOFLON FKM product family is used for demanding sealing applications in aggressive chemical and high heat environments where high purity and long service life are essential such as those found in the automotive, aerospace, oil & gas and energy markets.
SOLEF PVDF can withstand heat and pressure, aggressive chemicals, mechanical stress and abrasive particles in varied applications and is widely used in Lithium-ion batteries, the chemical industry, membranes for water purification and oil & gas extraction.
The new plant in Changshu will be built next to the compounding plant under construction for Amodel polyphthalamide (PPA), Ixef polyarylamide (PARA) and Kalix (modified PARA) which is scheduled to become operational in the last quarter of 2012.
MRC