MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sabic announced on Monday that it has acquired a majority stake in Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics (FRT; Lelystad, Netherlands), said the producer on its site.
The business specializes in the production of engineered thermoplastic, fiber-reinforced unidirectional (UD) tapes. The tapes can be used across a wide variety of industries, ranging from building and construction, to transportation and energy.
Sabic specialties EVP Ernesto Occhiello said: "This acquisition will enable Sabic to develop new thermoplastic products, processes and design solutions to help our customers take full advantage of the unique light weighting opportunities offered by composites."
The company has stated that it produces Udmax tapes using a proprietary HPFIT technology, which helps to spread and combine thousands of glass or carbon fibres with a polymer matrix.
Udmax tapes can be used to make composite materials, which can be used to produce components and alternative materials including laminates and molded parts.
Sabic FRT business head Andrey Turchin said: "At Sabic, we engage with our customers to develop advanced products that support their specific needs and help them realise their ambitions.
"Our innovative Udmax composite tapes complement Sabic's existing range of thermoplastic solutions for customers striving to build smaller, lighter and stronger components that meet stringent industry standards."
The FRT business division also maintains the engineering, manufacturing and slitting capabilities required to design and develop practical solutions for its customer's composite applications.
As MRC informed earlier, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) announced a restructuring to make itself more agile and cost-efficient, following a comprehensive review of the challenges facing the Middle East’s biggest petrochemicals company.
SABIC bought General Electric's (GE) plastics unit in 2007 for USD11.6 billion. The company has access to the abundant sources of natural gas feedstock produced during oil extraction by state-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co.
MRC