The plant in Singapore will produce 100,000tpa of Tafmer for the export market

The plant in Singapore will produce 100,000tpa of Tafmer for the export market

Mitsui Elastomers Singapore opened its new Tafmer plant in Singapore this week. The plant, which cost $100m (E5.6m), has an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes, making it one of the largest production facilities for elastomers in the world. Output from the plant is designated for export worldwide.

Tafmer is a resin modifier used to improve the impact strength and flexibility of polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and as a lightweight and environment-friendly soft moulding material. It is produced via the Zieglar Natta method, which uses a metallocene catalyst.

Mitsui Elastomers Singapore is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals. Mitsui Chemicals claims to have the lion’s share of high-performance elastomers in Asia, including Japan. The company forecasts that demand for Tafmer in Asia will increase as Asian economies and industries undergo further development and sophistication.

Singapore is an extremely important and significant base to Mitsui, second only to Japan, said Dr Hiroyuki Nakanishi, chairman and president of Mitsui Chemicals. The aggregate sales of its five subsidiaries in Singapore is expected to exceed $700m (E599m) this year.