Songjiang, Shanghai – Lubrizol held a pilot run for a new TPU line in Songjiang in February. Production is scheduled to start in March.
Lubrizol ups TPU capacity in Songjiang
Estane TPU for graphics. Credit: Lubrizol
The company said it had been planning the new line since 2018 as part of its global expansion strategy. 'Worldwide total expansion investment will be nearly $80 million,’ the company told UTECH-polyurethane.com.
The new line, the fifth TPU line at the Songjiang site, will increase the company's capacity in China by roughly a third, it said. It also launched a new TPU compounding line last year.
‘We have seen strong opportunities and broad growth in Asia and greater China in recent years. Our investment will enable further customisation of materials to the specific needs of customers,’ said Jane Cai, Lubrizol Engineered Polymers’ regional business director.
According to a 2017 environmental filing by the company, it was planning to add two new lines. Lines 5 and 6 are planned to have 10kT/year capacity at Songjiang. The plans also include raising capacity of lines 1, 2 and 3 from 14kT/year from 18.4kT/year. The company declined to comment on the projects’ progress.
