Keeping to its schedule, French speciality chemicals manufacturer Arkema (Colombes; www.arkema.com) in mid-April announced the successful commissioning of its new “Kynar” PVDF fluorinated polymer plant in Changshu / China. Although Arkema did not provide an exact nameplate capacity, market insiders believe the Changshu plant’s output will be more or less on par with the group’s plant in Pierre-Bénite / France, which can churn out 6,000 t/y. Arkema also operates a PVDF plant in Calvert City / USA.

In response to growing demand for PVDF, the French group had announced in January that it will raise output from Changshu by another 50% until mid-2012 – see Plasteurope.com of 12.01.2011. Fluorinated polymers, like Arkema’s “Kynar” grades, are used in the manufacture of high performance industrial coatings, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic panels.