Eliokem to build antioxidant plant in China

VILLEJUST, France (April 14)—Eliokem Inc. said it will build a plant in China for its Wingstay L antioxidant at an undisclosed cost. The company said the facility at the Ningbo Economic & Technical Development Zone near Shanghai should be fully operational by the third quarter of 2004. The facility is expected to meet the growing demand in Asia for the antioxidant, which is used to protect latices, natural rubber-based items and plastic polymer against heat and oxidative degradation in products such as latex gloves, carpeting and appliances. Eliokem—created last year as a spinoff from Goodyear's Specialty Chemical Division—has been in China for 10 years, with a sales, marketing, purchasing and technical organization. It operates a technical service center in Shanghai.