Page 24 - Plastics News August 2018

COMPANY NEWS

Invista to build major nylon 6/6 Americhem adds soft polymer
feedstock plant in China extrusion line at China plant

o combat a global shortage of nylon 6/6 resin, materials asterbatch supplier Americhem Inc. is expanding
TÀUP ,QYLVWD ZLOO EXLOG D ELOOLRQ SODQW LQ 6KDQJKDL Moperations at its Suzhou, China, plant with a
making adiponitrile, a key nylon 6/6 feedstock that’s been new, state-of-the-art extrusion line for soft polymer
in short supply.Construction on the plant would begin in compounding. This is the second expansion in three years
2020, with production starting in 2023. The company has for the facility located in Suzhou Industrial Park, which
started the project “to satisfy the strong, local demand for began operation in 2006. Americhem (Cuyahoga Falls,
the nylon 6/6 intermediate chemical.”Engineering work OH) announced today that it is expanding operations
for the plant is underway. The plant will have a $1 billion at its Suzhou, China, plant with a state-of-the-art
price tag and annual production capacity of at least 660 extrusion line for soft polymer compounding. This is the
million pounds of ADN. facility’s second expansion in three years. Americhem
Invista Intermediates has supplied specialty masterbatches globally for more
Vice President Kyle than 77 years and has been producing engineered
Redinger has accepted specialty compounds (engineering plastics) for more
a newly created role than a decade. The addition of the new manufacturing
line at the Suzhou plant, which began operation in
dedicated to meeting 2006, will allow more convenient compounding of soft
China’s long-term polymers, making Americhem a one-stop solution for its
needs for ADN through global customers, said the company. The new extruder
capital investments, line features a fully automated underwater pelletizer
asset development that allows the processing of soft materials, such as
and commercial arrangements.“Given China’s strong TPE and TPU, to meet growing demand for soft-touch
demand for ADN and its commitment to advanced, energy-
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the best choice for capital investment in the region,”
he said. Invista “supplies more of the merchant market
than any other ADN producer, so we want to ensure those
customers have the best technology available,” he added.
The last world-scale ADN plant was built more than 35
years ago, according to Redinger, so “this is a special
time for the industry, and I’m extremely proud to lead
Invista’s efforts to deliver this new facility.”ADN is used
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such as hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) for coatings. materials worldwide, especially in Asia. The new line
,QYLVWD ,QWHUPHGLDWHV SUHVLGHQW %LOO *UHHQÀHOG DGGHG WKDW also includes imported high-end twin-screw extruders
RIÀFLDOV ´DUH SOHDVHG E\ WKH IHHGEDFN ZH KDYH UHFHLYHG with side feeders, a liquid feeding system and a large
LQ WKH PDUNHW DQG DUH FRQÀGHQW ZH ZLOO UHDFK DJUHHPHQWV drying hopper. The plant is equipped to handle all
with selected partners over the next few months.” kinds of strand handling systems, including a water
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invested more than $600 million in China to support the 7KH 6X]KRX SODQW LV FHUWLÀHG WR ,62 DQG
nylon market, including a 475 million pound capacity ISO 13485 for compounding and coloring engineering
HMD plant and a 330 million pound capacity resin plant, compounds for medical applications, “which we
look forward to expanding upon for our TPE/TPU
at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park. Invista ranks as customers,” said Americhem CEO Matthew Hellstern.
RQH RI WKH ZRUOG·V ODUJHVW SURGXFHUV RI ÀEHUV DQG UHODWHG The company operates 10 manufacturing facilities and
specialty chemicals and resins.
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Plastics News August 2018 24