KRATON Polymers has awarded a detailed engineering contract
to Aker Kvaerner to begin work on the capacity expansion for KRATON®
G polymers at its Belpre, Ohio, plant. The effort to increase production
capability is in response to rising demand from customers for high-performance
raw materials in the adhesives, construction, compounding and packaging
sectors.
"We are on schedule to complete the capacity expansion
at Belpre by mid-2004, as originally anticipated," said Steve Nestlerode,
venture manager for the Belpre expansion. "Once completed, this
expansion will essentially double the capacity of the G-1 unit at the
Belpre plant," he added.
Aker Kvaerner is expected to complete detailed engineering
work by March 2004.
The debottleneck at Belpre is based on new proprietary
process technologies developed by KRATON Polymers' global research
and manufacturing teams. This investment ensures that KRATON Polymers
will continue to bring innovative, high-performance products to market
quickly to maintain supply and meet customer needs.
KRATON G polymers are a range of versatile, high-performance
materials. They offer a variety of processing and application advantages,
such as increased processing stability, oxidation and weather resistance,
high temperature performance and "soft-touch" over-molding.
KRATON Polymers, the market leader in styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene
(SEBS) products and styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS) products,
commercialized the first grades of these products in 1972. Automotive
parts, packaging, roofing materials, sealants, construction and footwear
are among the diverse applications that can benefit from KRATON G polymers.
The KRATON Polymers Group of Companies pioneered the
production of styrenic block copolymers in the 1960s and today retains
its position as the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of
the technology. Manufacturers and formulators around the world use KRATON®
polymers in their compounds and applications to add value to their products
through improved finish and advanced manufacturing processes.
Source: KRATON
Polymers
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