The Japanese company is boosting capacity for thermoset and thermoplastic elastomers

The Japanese company is boosting capacity for thermoset and thermoplastic elastomers

Japan’s Kuraray Company has announced expansions in both thermoset and thermoplastic elastomers at its Kashima plant. The company, best known for its EVOH barrier resins, is to boost capacity for liquid isoprene rubber by nearly one-third, taking the figure from 3,600tpa to 4,600tpa by summer 2004 in a programme costing Y400m (E3.2m).

The high molecular weight material is widely used as a reactive plasticiser in both natural and synthetic rubbers as a replacement for process oils, and is also employed as a non solvent-based adhesive. Capacity for Kuraray’s Septon and Hybrar hydrogenated styrene elastomers will be increased by 4,000tpa to 23,000tpa by January 2005 at a cost of Y1.5bn (Ј12m).

The group says TPEs represent a core business and that its current 35,000tpa overall capacity, including its US plant, will rise to 50,000tpa to meet strongly rising demand, particularly from Asia.