Sumitomo Chemical To Build New Production Facility In Chiba

Japan-based Sumitomo Chemical has planned to build a new manufacturing facility at Chiba Works in Ichihara City for producing polyethersulfone (PES), a high-performance engineering plastic.

The new facility will have the capacity to produce approximately 3,000t of PES per annum. With commercial-scale production scheduled to start from 2018, the company's combined total PES capacity is expected to increase twofold.

PES is a thermoplastic resin with excellent heat, hot water, and flame resistance properties, as well as dimensional stability. The company has been supplying its SUMIKAEXCEL PES to the market as an additive, providing toughness to carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) used in aircraft.

Sumitomo Chemical's new facility will meet growing demand for PES, which is used for producing dialysis membranes.

The Japanese chemical firm is building its new facility to meet the growing demand for PES, which is used for producing dialysis membranes and automotive applications.

The company is also expanding into business areas where high market growth is forecasted.

Through proactively offering proposals of products and services, the company plans to strengthen its business involving PES and other high performance engineering plastics.