Mitsui to increase elastomer capacity with new Singapore plant

TOKYO—Mitsui Chemicals Inc. is building a new production facility for high-performance elastomers in Singapore to increase total manufacturing capacity in the country by nearly 50 percent.

Singapore-based subsidiary Mitsui Elastomers Singapore, which already operates an existing manufacturing facility in Jurong Island, will build a new facility to add 120,000 metric tons per annum (120 ktpa) of capacity for Tafmer-branded alpha-olefin copolymers.

Scheduled for completion in fiscal 2024, the unit, which will also be located in Jurong Island, will bring total production capacity to 345 ktpa, Mitsui said 30 Aug.

Tafmer, according to Mitsui's website, is an α-olefin elastomer with lower density, lower modulus and lower melting point, compared to polyethylene or polypropylene.

It is used both as a soft molding material and as a resin modifier to improve resin properties, and has wide applications in automotive, solar cells, industrial and packaging materials.