A new plant for the production of amorphous polyester film ("Hostapet") situated in the Weert factory in Holland (Hoechst Holland NV, PO Box 44, NL-6000 AA Weert) has been commissioned for the rigid film product group of Hoechst AG (HQ: D-65926 Frankfurt). DM 9m was invested in the plant, which will have a capacity of 4,000 tpa, to allow Hoechst to participate in the growing market for A-PET films. Major markets will be in food packaging and medical devices due to A-PET's combination of processing and mechanical properties including ease of heat moulding, good barrier properties to gas and steam, high impact resistance, ease of printing, high tranparency and excellent reflective characteristics as well as ease of sterilisation by x-rays and ETO. The plant can produce film in widths up to 130 cm and thickness between 0.1 and 0.8 mm thickness. Two extruders are available for the production of multilayer films, e.g. with a recyclate inner layer.

According to Joachim Eckstein, Product Group Leader of films in Hoechst, the market for PVC film in Europe is almost 400,000 tpa with that for A-PET at 90,000 tpa. The German market for PVC film is 200,000 tpa, with 45,000 tpa for A-PET films. Hoechst estimates a decline of about 3% in the market for PVC in Germany, compared to an annual increase of 15% in the demand to A-PET films. Although Eckstein believes there to be no rationale against PVC as a packaging material, Hoechst decided to enter the market for A-PET film rather late, as a result of user's requests. Hoechst's product line for rigid film will continue to be dominated by PVC rigid film, in spite of further expansion of A-PET film production in Weert. OPP film will become available from Hoechst Portugesa's first plant in Portugal. Eckstein said: "Demand has increased for A-PET and OPP films due to "eco-market" pressures from consumers for PVC substitutes." Regarding profitability, Eckstein stated that although raw material processing continued in the red, PP and PVC film production had been profitable in 1993.

READER SERVICE: Press information about the A-PET plant, including brief technical descriptions and pictures: PIE-No. 35469 – Eckstein speech "Plastics and films from Hoechst" (German): PIE-No. 35470 – Hoechst brochures (German) "Hostapet" A-PET films for Food and Non-food packaging: PIE-No. 35471 – for Medical Devices: PIE-No. 35472 – Full text data bank printout ("k-isy") of all KI publications about "Hoechst / PET" from 1987-93: PIE-No. 31223 (DM 26.00).