VILLEJUST, France (Jan. 20, 2010)—Eliokem S.A.S. is building a plant in China to boost its capability to make vinyl pyridine latex, used primarily in the production of tire cord fabric, because of growing demand in Asia.
The company said a 323.000-sq.-ft. facility will be commissioned in the second half of the year at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park of Caojing, China. Once the plant is on line, Eliokem said its annual vinyl pyridine production capacity—including a facility in Le Havre, France—will reach about 20,000 metric tons.
Eliokem said the expansion will make it the world's largest producer of the latex. The site has 473,600 square feet of additional land, and that and its proximity to petrochemical raw materials suppliers gives the company the opportunity for future expansion.
The company said about one in three radial passenger tires worldwide use its Pilocord latex to provide adhesion to the tire's rubber.