Chinese firm Shanxi Coking has signed a license agreement for Unipol Polypropylene Process Technology with Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical. Shanxi Coking is the 14th Unipol PP Technology licensee to sign in China since 2006. The 400,000 tonnes/year plant is expected to start up in 2015 and will produce homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers. The plant will be located in Hongdong City in the Shanxi Province. Based in Hongdong County, Shanxi Province, China, Shanxi Coking is a subsidiary of Shanxi Coking Coal Group (SCCG), one of the largest coal coking enterprises in the Shanxi province.

“With the Unipol PP Process, Shanxi Coking’s customer will benefit from the ability to produce PP products that are lighter and cleaner,” said Tracy Cleckler, president of Union Carbide. “Shanxi Coking, along with all Unipol PP Technology licensees, benefit from Dow’s donor and catalyst expertise, long-term support and continuous technology investments.”

Resins produced by Unipol Polypropylene Technology from Dow account for 17% of global PP output. There are currently 48 operating lines worldwide and 15 licensees under design and construction using the Unipol all gas-phase process. The firm says it requires no equipment for handling, separating or recycling solvents. The system’s fluidised-bed reactors and high performance Consista and Shac Catalyst Systems give manufacturers the flexibility to produce homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers, according to Dow.