Apr 29 2006
Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation, confirmed today at Chinaplas 2006 in Shanghai, China, that it will strategically invest in a new Celstran® long fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) compounding facility, and a new GUR® ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) facility in the Asia-Pacific region.
The new world-class plants will increase the company’s global GUR UHMW-PE capacity to 90,000 t/yr and significantly boost global Celstran LFT capacity. The new 20,000 t/yr GUR UHMW-PE facility is planned to be operational in the first quarter of 2008, while the first 2,000 metric ton Celstran LFT line is scheduled to be running by the third quarter of 2007.
The site selection process has been narrowed to China, one of the fastest growing markets for engineering thermoplastics worldwide. Detailed engineering work is proceeding, as the construction plans enter the advanced stages.
“As the world’s leading producer of UHMW-PE, the investment in China will further extend our global manufacturing capability for an expanded product range,” says David Postolowski, Global GUR Business Director.
“The investment in Asia will meet accelerated demand for Celstran LFT product, and extend our production capacity into this region,” stated Bob Engle, Global Celstran LFT Business Director. Both business directors agree the plants are another key step in Ticona’s long-term vision for investing in this high growth region.