Apr 5 2005
Rhodia announces an investment to further strengthen its leadership position in the Diphenols business by building a new production plant for catechol and hydroquinone in China. The manufacturing facility which will be located near Shanghai will have an estimated annual production capacity of about 12,000 tons and is scheduled to be on-stream in early 2007.
This project will extend Rhodia’s world-wide Diphenols manufacturing base from Europe and North America to Asia. As a leader in the diphenol products line, which includes catechol and, hydroquinone for various industry applications, as well as down-stream derivatives such as vanillin, ethyl vanillin, veratrol and mono-methyl ether of hydroquinone, Rhodia utilizes the most advanced hydroxylation technology. This provides Rhodia with flexibility and allows it to be particularly well adapted to meet the current trends in the marketplace.
The Rhodia Perfumery, Performance & Agro (PPA) Enterprise, specializing in organic chemistry, is refocusing its business portfolio on three product trees, in which it holds strong market and technology leadership positions:
- Diphenols and derivatives
- Salicylic acid product line
- Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and fluorination.
This strategic refocus, completed by operational improvement programs at all its manufacturing sites, will ensure Rhodia PPA’s long-term competitiveness.
http://www.rhodia.com