July 26, 2001
Asahi Kasei Corporation
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| Elastomers
and Styrenic Resins – Capacity Expansion and New Olefinics |
In accordance with the growing market
demand, customer needs, and strategic, competitive-superiority
position of its elastomer and styrenic resin operations, Asahi
Kasei has initiated a program for substantial expansion of production
capacity at its Kawasaki Plant, and for commercial production
and market introduction of olefinic elastomers which it has
developed to meet the need for higher-performance polyolefin
plastics.
Expansion of elastomers and styrenic resins production capacity
The program will bring a general expansion in production capacity at Kawasaki for the elastomers and transparent styrenic resins of Asahi Kasei, including its current Asaflex® and Tuftec® series and its new olefinic elastomer series. Construction is underway, and scheduled for completion in the spring of 2002. It will meet the growing market demand and customer needs, and advance the global position for Asahi Kasei in elastomers and performance plastics.
Asaflex® transparent styrenic resins
As part of a concerted program of market expansion, the annual production capacity will be raised from 30,000 tons to 50,000 tons for the Asaflex® series of transparent styrenic resins, led by the new gelling-resistant Asaflex® i-series for sheet and film production which was introduced in April of this year and has met a strong, fast-growing market reception.
New olefinic elastomers
A production line of 15,000 tons annual capacity will be established for the newly developed olefinic elastomers, which are tentatively termed “Super Olefinic Elastomers”(SOEs) and are described below. The line will be dedicated to SOE production, but based on an existing facility, for high efficiency, low capital investment requirements, and a highly competitive operation. As demand for the SOEs rises, debottlenecking is expected to provide an early expansion of the line capacity by some 10,000 tons.
Market development will begin in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2001, with SOEs produced at one of the existing elastomer production lines until the dedicated production line comes on-stream in the spring of 2002.
The new “Super Olefinic Elastomers”
The SOEs are of two basic types, one with an ethylene-butylene structure and the other with an ethylene-butylene-styrene structure. Both have been developed at Asahi Kasei to bring a major advance in elastomer performance and to enable higher performance in plastics for industry, business, and consumer.
In recent years, the need for higher-performance polyolefin plastics has brought a corresponding need for performance-enhancing olefinic elastomers. In the automotive industry, a major requirement is for high-performance polypropylene plastics that provide both high impact strength and superior flexural modulus (rigidity). To achieve this combination, olefinic elastomers are added to the polyolefin resin. The rising target performance for polyolefin plastics, however, has brought a corresponding need for higher-performance olefinic elastomers.
Wrapping and packaging represents another field of growing demand for olefinic elastomers, which can provide higher seal strength, adhesive strength, and other superior performance characteristics than the ordinary polypropylene and polyethylene sheets and films used for packaging and wrapping.
The ethylene-butylene SOE has been developed primarily as a performance enhancing additive for polyolefins. Extensive testing at Asahi Kasei has shown that it can raise the combination of impact strength and flexural modulus to previously unattainable levels. The SOE pellets are also highly resistant to blocking, and therefore will increase operational efficiency and productivity in many applications.
The ethylene-butylene-styrene SOE, with its radically new polymer structure, is expected to replace vinyl chloride in many applications, as a non-halogenated non-rigid plastic.
Strategic position of Asahi Kasei in the field of elastomers
Asahi Kasei has long been established as Japan’s top producer of styrenic elastomers, and is recognized worldwide for its leadership in elastomers and related process and product technology. Its new expansions in production capacity and marketing, and its introduction of the new olefinic elastomers, will strengthen and broaden its strategic position as a global leader in this field.
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