FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY — Styrolution GmbH has added production capacity at plants in the U.S. and Germany and is promoting the merits of its transparent styrenic resins.
Frankfurt, Germany-based Styrolution recently began making NAS-brand styrene methyl-methacrylate (SMMA) resins at its plant in Decatur, Ala. The firm had made that material in Indian Orchard, Mass., until closing its plant there earlier this year.
In Ludwigshafen, Germany, Styrolution this month launched production of NAS and of Zylar-brand styrenic copolymers at a unit that previously had made ABS and ASA resins. The Ludwigshafen site has annual capacity of about 25 million pounds. No SMMA capacity number for Decatur was available.
Previously, Indian Orchard had been Styrolution's only global NAS production site.
“Customers want supply flexibility, so it's important to have a backup plan by having two facilities,” Mark Beitz said Oct. 14 at Fakuma in Friedsrichshafen. Beitz serves as Styrolution's vice president of business management for styrenic specialties in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
On the new product side, Styrolution has launched new grades of Zylar and of its Clearblend-brand styrene acrylic copolymer. Both grades are transparent, but remain strong with good impact strength, officials said.
“We have the best clarity you can get,” Beitz said, “along with good chemical resistance, high flow and short cycle times.”