Teijin Will Expand Japanese DMT Plant

Teijin will double the capability of its Matsuyama, Japan, plant to supply third parties with dimethyl terephthalate (DMT). Teijin will install a line that forms DMT into briquettes, which are used for commercial sales. The company expects to complete the expansion to 100,000 metric tons per year next April at a cost of about $12 million. The polyester industry has largely shifted from DMT to purified terephthalic acid as a raw material. However, Teijin says DMT is suited for specialty chemical and other polymer applications because it reacts at low temperatures, dissolves readily in solvents, and doesn’t interfere with additives. Teijin seeks to triple its current DMT sales of about $60 million by 2016.