Arkema to Expand Fluoropolymer Capacity in US

Arkema said that it will increase fluoropolymer (Kynar PVDF) capacity at its Calvert City plant in US by some 20 percent. The expansion is fueled by strong demand in the new energies and water management markets as well as in more traditional applications (chemical process industry and high-performance cables).

Through this investment, Arkema, which operates fluoropolymer production facilities on the three major continents- Europe, North America and Asia - further consolidates its world-leading position in PVDF marketed under the Kynar brand.

In line with the strategy presented at its recent Capital Markets Day, this investment, scheduled to start mid-2018, further supports Arkema’s ambition to accelerate the development of its advanced materials, one of the key pillars of its future growth.

Having successfully completed a similar expansion at its Changshu, China plant earlier this year, Arkema now invests in US. This new capacity will enable the group to support its customers’ growth in America, particularly in emerging applications such as water filtration and in traditional markets such as the chemical process industry and high-performance cables (automobile, fibre optics, oil industry).

“Over the last five decades, the Calvert City plant has proven itself to be outstanding for efficiency, quality and innovation. This latest investment, which will also make the Kynar PVDF global supply chain even more flexible, will enable us to support the fast growth of our customers, in particular in US, with ever more innovative products suited to their evolving needs,” said Erwoan Pezron, global group president for Arkema’s technical polymers.

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