Ercros SA implements AkzoNobel technology as part of site expansion project

Spanish Suspension-PolyVinyl Chloride (S-PVC) producer Ercros SA has announced it will implement AkzoNobel’s Continuous Initiator Dosing (CID) technology at its Vila-seca site.

The decision comes as part of the company’s strategic plan to concentrate its entire production of S-PVC in its industrial location at Vila-seca (Tarragona).

With this change, the Plastics Division of Ercros will have a plant with balanced capacity in the production of Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) and S-PVC. The production capacity of the Vila-seca unit is currently 135 kilotons/year and it is expected to reach close to 200 kilotons/year upon completion of the expansion project in late 2009. The capacity increase will be achieved by means of an important investment in the replacement and modernization of equipment, together with the advantages brought by AkzoNobel’s CID technology, resulting in an S-PVC plant with one of the highest-known rates of efficiency.

S-PVC has applications in the construction, automotive and textile sectors, as well as in packaging for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. S-PVC produced via CID technology has been recognized for its improved color quality and thermal stability over S-PVC produced through traditional methods. Moreover, since CID technology requires no more organic peroxide than needed to keep the reaction running, the potential for a runaway reaction is eliminated and process safety is therefore enhanced. This is in contrast to conventional S-PVC technology, which requires that the total organic peroxide requirement is loaded at the beginning of the process.

The license contract with Ercros SA for CID technology is AkzoNobel’s fourth license for this technology. CID is anticipated to continue to gain market share in the years to come.