Formosa, Kraton venture eyes styrene copolymer plant in Taiwan
Kraton Performance Polymers is forming a 50-50 joint venture with Formosa Petrochemical to build and operate a 30,000 tpy hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer (HSBC) plant in Mailiao, Taiwan, Kraton said on Monday.
"We are committed to our customers in China and the Asia Pacific region," said Kevin M. Fogarty, CEO of Kraton Performance Polymers. "Kraton will continue to expand its technology and service offerings as we work with our customers to meet their needs and help them grow.”
The plant will employ state-of-the-art technology and support global demand for Kraton's differentiated HSBCs, according to the company.
It will also provide additional supply capability and will set a new global standard for efficiency and product quality for HSBCs, the company said.
Plant operation is expected in the first half of 2014.
In 2011, Kraton expanded its Cariflex isoprene rubber (IR) latex capacity to support the continued growth in demand for Cariflex products.
The company has also executed a contract with its manufacturing provider in Japan, which will result in a doubling of Cariflex latex manufacturing capacity in Japan by mid-2013.
To further support the expansion, Kraton noted that it recently opened a new innovation center in Shanghai, China.
The facility is three times larger than the previous facility and better accommodates its technical staff, which has doubled over the past 18 months, the company said.
The state-of-the-art laboratory builds upon Kraton's capabilities including wet chemistry, flame testing and rubber processing, according to the company.
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