Sumitomo Seika and Arkema inaugurate superabsorbent plant in France

Sumitomo Seika inaugurated on October 22, 2013, its new superabsorbent plant on the Carling site (Moselle, France). This major investment, made in partnership with Arkema, will enable Sumitomo Seika to meet increasing demand for superabsorbents in Europe. Announced jointly by Sumitomo Seika and Arkema in 2011, the investment will raise the overall superabsorbent production capacity of the Carling facility to 47,000 tonne/year.
 
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The construction of this new plant boasts the latest technological advances of Sumitomo Seika in the field of superabsorbents. Production effectively came on stream in the summer, and the plant, inaugurated today, is now fully operational. Superabsorbents, are manufactured from acrylic acid and are mostly used in high-growth market segments such as babies diapers, adult incontinence articles, and female sanitary products.
 
The operational launch of this new production plant on the Carling platform further consolidates Arkema’s position on the site, which now ranks among the world’s leading production facilities for acrylic monomers.