Oct 22 2010
ExxonMobil Chemical’s affiliate ExxonMobil Yugen Kaisha (EMYK) announced that Japan Butyl Co. Ltd. has completed a major expansion to increase butyl rubber production capacity at its plant in Kawasaki, Japan.
The expansion adds 18,000 tons per year of production capacity bringing the plant’s total capacity to 98,000 tons per year.
The expansion is part of the company’s commitment to help meet growing demand for butyl rubber and showcases ExxonMobil’s recent advances in process technology. For example, these new proprietary technology advancements allow for the butyl polymerization reaction, which normally occurs at -95°C, to operate at -75°C. This creates significant energy and capital investment savings.
“These advancements are part of ExxonMobil Chemical’s longstanding commitment to serve the growing butyl market," said John Lyon, vice president, Global Butyl Polymers Business Unit, ExxonMobil Chemical Company.
“Our goal is to continue being a reliable supplier of quality butyl polymers. This is particularly important for the Asia Pacific market, which is growing at a rapid rate.”
ExxonMobil Chemical is an industry leader in the development and application of premium butyl polymers that add value through enhanced product performance in areas such as energy efficiency, longer product life and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Continuing to address the growth needs of the butyl rubber industry, the Japan Butyl Co. Ltd. expansion is the latest of several recent company expansions to serve the growing butyl market. In 2008, ExxonMobil expanded halobutyl capacity at its Baytown, Texas plant by 60 percent. This was preceded by the 2006 expansion of Japan Butyl Co., Ltd.’s halobutyl capacity at its Kashima plant by 17,000 tons per year.