Feb 1 2008
SCG-Dow Group, a joint venture of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and Siam Cement Public Company Limited (SCG), announced today that it is in the final stage to plan and build a specialty elastomers train at the joint venture's Map Ta Phut site in Thailand.
George Biltz, business group president for Specialty Plastics and Elastomers, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company said, "Dow and Siam Cement have a very successful relationship and a long history of working together. This new facility, when constructed, will supply customers in the fast-growing Asia Pacific region with some of the most technologically advanced plastomers and elastomers in the world, including AFFINITY™ Polyolefin Plastomers and ENGAGE™ Polyolefin Elastomers. This investment is consistent with Dow’s strategy to invest in our downstream performance businesses and drive growth in Asia Pacific.”
Cholanat Yanaranop, president of SCG Chemicals Company Limited said, "The new plastomers and elastomers plant is expected to receive feedstock from our second joint-venture olefin plant in Map Ta Phut (commercial start-up in mid 2010) and will bring specialty products into our product portfolio, in line with our medium-term strategy."
The specialty elastomers train, which is expected to commence operations in 2011, builds on the long-standing successful business relationship between the two companies and is the latest in a series of joint venture projects. Dow and SCG signed their first joint venture agreement in 1987, and have now formed a total of four joint venture companies, producing synthetic latex, polystyrene, styrene monomer and polyethylene at the Map Ta Phut site. Last year the two companies announced their intention to construct a second joint-venture liquids cracker at Map Ta Phut, scheduled for completion in 2010.
AFFINITY™ Polyolefin Plastomers are versatile polymers that offer excellent adhesion at high and low temperatures, outstanding processability, and superior levels of performance in packaging and other applications.ENGAGE™ Polyolefin Elastomers offer a unique combination of flexibility and toughness, making them a material of choice for a wide variety of applications, including automotive thermoplastic applications.