PT Indonesia Chemical's chemical alumina plant begins operation

PT Indonesia Chemical Alumina (ICA), a joint corporation owned by Showa Denko KK (SDK) and PT ANTAM (Persero) Tbk, of Indonesia, has started commercial operation at its new chemical alumina plant established in the Tayan District, West Kalimantan (Indonesia), and having a capacity of 3,00,000 tonne per annum (tpa).
 
Chemical alumina refers collectively to alumina and aluminium hydroxide for applications other than aluminium smelting, produced through the Bayer process. Chemical alumina is used for various industrial applications including chemicals for water treatment, functional materials (such as ceramic refractories, abrasives, and radiators), and electronic materials (such as IC packaging and LCD glass).
 
Showa Denko has been continuously transferring its industrial technology to produce chemical alumina built up over many years operation of its Yokohama plant to the new plant in Indonesia. SDK will soon start to sell chemical alumina products manufactured at the new plant to its customers in and outside Japan, and will establish a supply system focusing on the growing Asian market, aiming to expand sales of chemical alumina for use in water treatment and as ingredients of functional materials.