Sinopec-Mitsui JVs commission plants for phenol, acetone and EPT in Shanghai

Mitsui Chemicals Inc and Sinopec have commissioned a ethylene-propylene-dieneterpolymer (EPT) plant and phenol & acetone plants at Shanghai, China.
 
Tokyo-based Mitsui Chemicals and Sinopec announced the start-up of one of the world’s largest EPT plant for a single train under their joint venture, Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Elastomers Co Ltd (SSME).
 
EPT, which has superior resistance to heat and cold, UV rays, and chemicals, in addition to good electric insulation and other exceptional properties, is widely used in automotive parts (glass run channel, weather strip sponge, etc), electric cables, and other industrial materials. With the rapid growth of the Chinese automotive industry and expansion of its social infrastructure (railways, etc), the demand for EPT has increased significantly.
 
Commencement of full scale commercial operation of the plant, having a capacity of 75,000 metric tonnes per annum (tpa), will provide the Chinese market with superior quality, performance-driven functional materials backed by extensive technical services. The joint venture’s EPT plant will stably supply superior quality EPT to meet the growing needs in the Chinese market.
 
At a separate event, Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Chemicals Co Ltd (SSMC), another JV of Mitsui and Sinopec, has commissioned a 2,50,000-tpa phenol plant and a 1,50,000-tpa acetone plant in Shanghai. The startup, together with a bisphenol-A plant, which commenced operations in January 2009, is one of the world’s most performance-driven, competitive phenol chains covering all production stages from raw materials to derivatives.