Arkema unit expands zeolites in Poland

Building on the strength ofthe Eastern European double-glazing industry, Arkema's specialty chemicals business unit CECA will expand its capacity to granulate aluminosilicate synthetic zeolites at its Inowroclaw plant in Poland. The new production line, which will boost CECA's worldwide zeolite capacity by 30%, will come onstream in early 2007 and will represent a significant boost to the company's commercial presence in Eastern Europe, says Christophe de Saint-Louvent, group president of CECA. CECA claims to be one of the leading global producers of molecular sieves, with plants in Honfleur, France, and Inowroclaw. The aluminosilicates have applications in a variety of sectors, from double glazing in the construction sector to the drying of natural gas and the separation of air for the production of medical-grade oxygen.