Trinseo to build TPE pilot plant in Taiwan

Trinseo SA is building a thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) pilot facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan, as part of the company’s growth strategy for TPEs globally.
 
To serve customers in the automotive, consumer electronics, footwear and medical markets, the pilot unit will be built at Trinseo’s existing manufacturing site in Hsinchu, the Berwyin, Pennsylvania-based chemicals company announced 7 Oct.
 
The pilot plant is scheduled to start operation in 2020.
 
Part of the company’s “TPE growth roadmap”, the investment in the state-of-the art pilot unit builds on Trinseo’s acquisition of Italy-based API in July 2017.
 
The new plant, said Trinseo, will allow the company to locally produce its custom engineered TPE and thermoplastic urethanes (TPU), including its bioplastics portfolio. The production capacity of the unit has not been disclosed.
 
“The pilot facility demonstrates our commitment to offer a differentiated, globally available TPE portfolio to our customers in the automotive, consumer electronics, footwear and medical markets,” said Tim Stedman, senior vice president, strategy and corporate development at Trinseo. 
 
The investment in the Asia Pacific region, he went on to say, will strengthen the company’s ability to create growth synergies with customers between its rigid and soft-touch polymers.
 
With the takeover of API in 2017, Trinseo acquired technologies for soft-touch polymers, including TPEs, thermoplastic polyurethanes, EVA-based compounds, and two-component PUs. API's main markets are automotive, footwear, appliances, furniture, sports goods, consumer goods, packaging, construction, and medical.
 
Based in Bassano del Grappa, near Venice, API offers “a complete range of TPU, TPE, PU and the latest biodegradable elastomers” to its clients in various industries.