DSM quadruples production capacity for Stanyl® ForTii™

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that it will quadruple production capacity for Stanyl® ForTii™ in order to meet market demand for this new polymer, which is used in electronics and other applications.

Stanyl® ForTii™, formerly known as PA4T and developed by DSM Engineering Plastics, is the first new polymer introduced in the new millennium. It meets market trends that call for miniaturization and the convergence of electronic devices.

Nico Gerardu , member of the DSM Managing Board and responsible for DSM’s Performance Materials cluster said: "Just over a year ago the market development plant opened and this capacity expansion is another significant step forward in the development of this unique material. It also shows that DSM continues to invest in innovation."

Gart Kostermans, Business Manager Stanyl® and Project Director Stanyl® ForTii™ of DSM Engineering Plastics added: "Positive results of the ongoing market development of Stanyl® ForTii™ as well as recent advances in research and development have enabled a faster ramp-up of production capacity than previously envisaged. Despite the current difficult economic conditions, market acceptance of Stanyl® ForTii™ has not slowed.”

It is expected that the output of the existing Stanyl® ForTii™ plant in Sittard-Geleen (NL) will quadruple by the end of 2009 to enable DSM to meet further growth in customer demand for the product, which can be found in mobile phones and other electronic applications such as circuit boards used in personal computers.

Stanyl® ForTii™ is a halogen-free, flame-retardant, high-temperature polyamide. It extends the application range of current Stanyl® products and helps customers to achieve a higher performance in their applications. It supports lead-free soldering and is suitable for even the most demanding surface mount technology applications in electronics.