Arkema invests in Asia

French chemical maker Arkema will invest in three projects in Asia as part of a plan to drive up its share of sales from specialty chemicals to more than 80% by 2023. The largest project will be a $350 million biobased nylon 11 plant to be built at an undisclosed Asian location for applications including automotive, three-dimensional printing, and consumer goods. The project will increase the firm’s global capacity for nylon 11 by 50%. Arkema also plans to double its capacity for methyl mercaptan, an intermediate used in animal feed, petrochemical, and refining applications, at its site in Kerteh, Malaysia. The new capacity is due to come onstream in 2020. In a third project, Arkema will increase capacity at its Sartomer photocure resins facility in Nansha, China, by 30%. Due to open in early 2019, the additional capacity will help meet Asian customer demand in electronics, 3-D printing, and ink-jet printing markets, Arkema says.