Ticona Breaks Ground for GUR® UHMW-PE and Celstran® LFRT Plants in Nanjing, China

Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation, broke ground for two production facilities in the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park in Nanjing, China: one for GUR® ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), and the other for Celstran® long fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFRT).

The UHMW-PE plant is scheduled to be operational in the second half of 2008, and the LFRT plant is projected to be online in early 2008. These facilities will help Ticona satisfy double-digit growth in demand for these products in automotive, appliance, electronic and other consumer and industrial markets in China and Asia.

“The GUR and Celstran plants confirm our commitment to China,” said Lyndon Cole, president of Ticona. “They are the first of many new manufacturing and technical facilities we will create here.”

“When completed,” Cole continued, “they will strengthen our lines of supply for UHMW-PE and LFRT and increase our ability to help our customers participate in the tremendous growth opportunities in the region. Furthermore, they will enhance our overall position as a leading global supplier of engineering thermoplastics.”

Ticona considered many options before locating these plants in the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park. A major reason for the decision was to take advantage of the infrastructure Celanese developed for its integrated acetyls complex here. This infrastructure will make the construction and operation of the two new Ticona units more efficient and cost effective.

When completed, the new GUR UHMW-PE plant will bring Ticona’s annual global capacity for this material to 90,000 metric tons. GUR UHMW-PE is currently made in Bishop, Texas, USA, and Oberhausen, Germany.

The new Celstran LFRT plant will raise the company’s annual global LFRT capacity to more than 35,000 metric tons. Celstran LFRT is currently produced in Winona, Minn., USA, and Kelsterbach, Germany.