The planned closing of DSM Elastomer's EPDM plant in Addis, La., has caused some uncertainty in the marketplace as customers seek alternative sources of supply, according to a competitor.
``We are making good inroads in really picking up volume because of the DSM situation,'' said Mary Gum, executive vice president of Crompton Corp.'s urethanes and elastomer businesses. She said there were some incorrect perceptions of the market because of the requalification of materials to replace the EPDM sourced from Addis.
Customers have to prove that material properties and characteristics are the same, she said, and requalify their materials.
Gum said some of the newer ethylene elastomer plants can make a wide variety of materials, but in many cases those facilities currently aren't producing EPDM, which affects the overall supply-demand balance. Some factories also are incapable of making all grades.