MOSCOW (MRC) -- US petrochemical producer ExxonMobil plans to lift output of its "Santoprene" thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) at its facility in Newport/UK, reported Plastemart.
The company did not provide any details on investment cost or capacities, saying merely that once the additional output is brought on stream, it will increase its total global TPV capacity by 25%. The expansion is due to be completed by the end of next year.
Santoprene elastomers are used in a variety of applications, ranging from healthcare devices to automotive components. The material performs like vulcanised rubber and can be either extruded, moulded or thermoformed. It is characterised by resilience, flexibility and resistance to heat, fluids and chemicals, the company said.
As MRC wrote before, ExxonMobil plans to increase production of ultra-low sulfur fuels at its Beaumont refinery by approximately 40 Mbpd, further strengthening its integrated downstream portfolio while meeting environmental standards. Construction is scheduled for the second half of 2016 to install a selective cat naphtha hydrofining unit, which uses a proprietary catalyst system to remove sulfur while minimizing octane loss. Startup of the flexible technology is expected in 2018. Gasoline produced using this technology will meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 3 gasoline sulfur specifications.
ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC