MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japanese Mitsubishi Chemical has restarted a phenol-acetone plant, according to Apic-online.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant restarted early this week. It was shut for maintenance turnaround.
Located in Kashima, Japan, the plant has a phenol capacity of 250,000 mt/year and acetone capacity of 150,000 mt/year.
As MRC reported earlier, in October 2014, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. told "PetroChemical News" (PCN) that it had decided to discontinue its purified terephthalic acid (PTA) business. Mitsubishi currently operates a 260,000-t/y PTA plant at Mizushima, Japan, through its Mizushima Aroma joint venture with Toyobo Co.
A spokesperson at Mitsubishi, when asked for the reason behind its decision to quit the PTA business, said "we cannot anticipate improvement of the profit without global oversupply." The company is "now examining" when to exit the business, he added.
Mitsubishi Chemical with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, is a diversified chemical company involved in petrochemicals, polymers, agrochemicals, speciality chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The company's main focus is on three business pillars: petrochemicals, performance and functional products, and health care.
MRC