At its plant in Neemrana, Rajasthan / India, Mitsubishi Chemical (MCC, Tokyo / Japan; www.m-chemical.co.jp/en) is to expand its capacity for polypropylene compounds ("PPCP" and "Funcster" brands) for use in car production from 12,000 t/y to 18,000 t/y. According to a spokesperson, the additional volume at the plant operated by subsidiary Mytex Polymers (Jeffersonville, Indiana / USA; www.mytexpolymers.com) should become available before the end of 2019. MCC did not disclose the financial details to Plasteurope.com. Mitsubishi expects the Indian automotive market and demand for the relevant materials to grow by 7-8% per year.

In addition to the Indian facility, US compounder Mytex Polymers operates plants for engineered polyolefin materials and has sales branches in China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and the US. In parallel, MCC has also acquired the PVC compounds division of masterbatch specialist Welset Plast Extrusion (Mumbai, Maharashtra / India; www.welset.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 17.07.2018 – for which expansion measures are planned. This part of the company, now called MCPP India and assigned to the Mitsubishi Chemicals Performance Polymers (MCPP) division, produces PVC compounds for medical applications. The portfolio is now to be extended with an additional plant producing thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) for car interior components. Until now, the production of these has been outsourced to partners in India under contract.