Arkema to up capacity for fluoropolymer in China

Chemical firm Arkema says it will invest to further increase its fluoropolymer production capacities by 35% in 2022, at its Changshu, China, plant set up ten years ago.

The increase in capacity is scheduled to come on stream before the end of 2022. This new investment is fuelled by further strong demand in the lithium ion battery business as well as significant opportunities in the water filtration, construction coatings, and semiconductor industries.

Built in the context of the strong growth potential in Asia, and particularly in China, for the established coatings market and the rapidly emerging lithium ion battery and water-filtration markets, the Changshu plant was the Group’s third global integrated PVDF production plant with the first batch of Kynar PVDF produced on February 17, 2011.

This plant, known as Arkema’s “Tiger Plant”, as it was constructed in 2010, the year of the Tiger, represented a major strategic step for Arkema in its commitment to supply global customers from each region. Arkema’s well-established Changshu platform was already an epicentre of fluorine chemistry and the location also placed its activities at the heart of its customer base.

The plant was expanded several times over the decade and most recently in December 2020.

“Building and starting this plant in 2011 was a significant milestone for Arkema and continuing to grow this plant regularly is a source of great pride for the teams. We could not have taken such a step without the encouragement and support of our customers in the region. It is the same customer support that we count on for each successive investment including this latest step forward. We grow together. The first ten years has given us strong confidence in the future of this great facility and now we continue to invest in its exciting future,” said Erwoan Pezron, Senior Vice-President, High Performance Polymers.

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