Nordmann (Hamburg / Germany; www.nordmann.global) has announced an expansion of its partnership with Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo / Japan; www.mitsuichem.com) to include delivery of the Japanese firm’s “EPT” brand EPDM to the EU and Serbia. The agreement came into effect retroactively as of 1 April 2020, Nordmann said.

Mitsui Chemicals manufactures EPDM at three plants. The two Japanese facilities have a capacity of 75,000 t/y (production with metallocene catalysts) and 20,000 t/y (EPDM production with Ziegler-Natta catalysts), while the Chinese production plant has a capacity of 75,000 t/y (metallocene catalysts). The polymers now marketed by Nordmann are produced at the larger Japanese plant.

The Japanese company’s EPT is said to be UV and ozone-resistant, have insulating properties and show resistance to water and certain chemical influences. Alongside the standard grades, special types available offer good low-temperature flexibility and heat resistance, and some are suitable for various foamed products. Examples of possible applications include window seals, hoses, insulation and cable sheathings.