Albemarle Expands In China

Specialty chemical maker Albemarle Corp. has announced plans to build a phosphorus-based flame-retardant manufacturing facility at its technology and business center in Nanjing, China.

The new plant, which is expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2007, will help meet growing global demand for fire-resistant polymer systems and resins for construction and electronics materials, according to Richmond, Va.-based Albemarle.

"We are expanding our operations for an expanding market," says Luc van Muylem, vice president of Albemarle's flame-retardants division. "We are already helping the Asian plastics market meet its growth potential through advanced local customer technical service from our Nanjing site, primarily for construction and furniture markets, and will soon do the same for electronics plastics makers.???

Albemarle says the new facility will supply phosphorus flame retardants for rigid and flexible polyurethane foams used in insulation and for resin blends such as polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC/ABS) and polyphenylene ether/high-impact polystyrene (PPE/HIPS), used in electronic enclosures.

The flame-retardant products are expected to help meet strong demand, particularly in Asia, where construction and electronics markets are thriving.

Albemarle began building the Nanjing Technology & Business Development Center in December 2005. Some business and technical service work is already conducted from the site, and the center is expected to be fully operational in the third quarter of 2006.

Albemarle says the center will provide technical support for its polymer additives and polymer catalysts customers in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as research to expand additive applications.