PolyOne goes lead-free

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2002
• Weight: 31 KB
• Volume: 2002
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1468-5736
• DOI: 10.1016/s1468-5736(02)01217-4

✦ Synopsis

tonnes/y. Demand fell to 100,000 tonnes/y in 1998 during the currency crisis but recovered to 240,000 tonnes/y in 2001. Demand is expected to reach the 1997 level in 2002 due to a robust private sector. A high growth rate of 10% in 2002 has developed at the same time as rising prices for raw materials, particularly ethylene dichloride and VCM.

Standard Toyo Polymer (Statomer) plans to upgrade its PVC facility in Merak, Java, Indonesia, which has a capacity of 87,000 tonne/y. Japanese banks are being approached for a $1 M loan for the project. Production of food grade PVC would enable the company to increase sales in the food packaging sector where margins are high and competition lower. The company's major market at present is wire and cable, which has tight margins and strong competition.