Idemitsu Kosan launches SPS high temperature polymer

Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan is to begin selling its Xarec syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) engineering polymer in both the US and Europe this year, following Dow’s withdrawal of its Questra analogue from the market (PRW.com 8 December 2004).

Idemitsu was the first company to synthesise SPS, a high temperature polymer, in 1985 and subsequently licensed the technology to Dow which sold its product in North America and Europe under the Questra brand; it built a world scale plant to make the material at Schkopau, Germany.

Now, Idemitsu Kosan has started manufacture of Xarec compounds at DH Compounding’s site in Tennessee and plans to develop ties with new customers such as automotive and electronic components makers in North America and Europe. The company’s aim, it says, is to transform SPS into a product with a global market.