Sumitomo Chemical has decided to construct a new production facility for polyethersulfone (PES) at its Chiba Works in Ichihara City, Japan. The new facility, which will have a production capacity of 3,000 tonnes per year, is schedule to start commercial scale production in 2018. When the facility becomes fully operational, Sumitomo Chemical's total production capacity of PES, combined with the existing facility in its Ehime Works in Niihama, Ehime, will grow twofold.
Polyethersulfone, one of high performance engineering plastics, is a thermoplastic resin with excellent properties in heat resistance, dimensional stability, flame resistance, and hot water resistance. Sumitomo Chemical’s Sumikaexcel PES has a long-standing track record of supply to the market as an additive that confers toughness to carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) used in aircraft. It is also used in dialysis membranes and automotive applications.
In addition to a solid growth of demand projected for aircraft CFRP and dialysis membranes, polyethersulfone is likely to find expansion of demand in automotive applications in the future. To meet such an increase in demand and also considering possible benefits from production facilities operated in dispersed locations in enhancing the company's stable supply capabilities, Sumitomo Chemical has decided to construct a new production facility at its Chiba Works.