Solvay FKM plant in China to open second half of 2015

Brussels – Solvay will soon start up a new production unit for FKM fluoroelastomers at its Changshu, China site, company officials have announced.

A Solvay spokeswoman declined to disclose the capacity of the FKM plant, but said the start-up was “expected to be completed in phases throughout 2015.”

The production unit for Solvay's Tecnoflon FKM "will help us meet local needs for our customers in the region," she told ERJ.

The Changshu plant will start FKM production in the second half of 2015, confirmed Luke Du, senior vice president of Solvay Specialty Polymers and general manager of its Greater China and Southeast Asia region - speaking about the project to ERJ sister publication Plastics News,

Assessing the overall market in Asia Pacific, Du said the region was now the largest market for Solvay Specialty Polymers, representing 36 percent of its global sales, surpassing Europe (35 percent) and North America (26 percent).

“Looking at [our China] investment, we didn’t take the easy [route]: it’s a very genuine effort by the business to create global capability to do that,” he commented.