New plant takes the group’s global LFRT capacity to 35,000tpa

Ticona has firmed up its plans for new plant to make its Celstran long fibre reinforced thermoplastics in China. The company announced yesterday that it will build a new LFRT facility at Nanjing, with a start-up schedule of early 2008, adding this unit to its growing slate of investments in Asia.

The project supports its growth programme in the area, which has already seen the engineering polymers major announce a new plant to make its GUR ultra high molecular weight polyethylene at the Nanjing site, as well plans for a new polyacetal and LCP polymer plant in the Asian region. The new Celstran and GUR facilities will be co-located at the integrated chemicals site operated by Ticona parent Celanese at the Chinese site. “This investment reinforces our presence in the region and will provide our global customers with consistent high quality products for years to come” said Frank Reuter, global product manager for Celstran LFRT.

“When the new facility goes on-line in Nanjing, we will have an annual global LFRT production capacity of more than 35,000 tonnes,” Reuter added. At present, the company makes its LFRT product at Kelsterbach, in Germany, and at Winona, in Minnesota