Dow to expand Argentina polyethylene operations

Dow Chemical plans to expand capacity and enhance production technologies and equipment at its four polyethylene (PE) production units in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, the company announced Thursday.

The four polyethylene units include LDPE, slurry, gas phase and solution.

These investments will enable Dow to produce more high-performance resins for flexible and rigid packaging applications to meet growing demand in Latin America, according to company officials.

The LDPE plant will be refurbished to enable production of resins for extrusion coating used in multiple packaging applications, while the slurry plant expansion will help drive growth of bimodal blow molding resins, which is currently in short supply in the region.

The gas phase plant, which produces resins for geomembranes and pipes, will also be refurbished for improved operational performance.

Finally, the solution plant expansion will bring more of Dow's popular DOWLEX and ELITE resins to market and enable Dow to increase its participation in high-value markets like food packaging and hygiene.