Eastman Chemical, a producer and supplier of chemicals, fibers and plastics has declared expansion of manufacturing capability of its non-phthalate plasticizer named Eastman 168 at its Kingsport, Tennessee facility.
The expansion will increase the production of the plasticizer by about 6,000 tons per year and will meet the increasing customer demand.
The facility will be able to operate at expanded capacity by the end of the year, 2011. The capacity expansion work began after successful completion of a debottlenecking process in Kingsport facility in February 2011 and within one month after Eastman Chemical acquired a manufacturing facility in Texas for Eastman 168 production.
Director of Oxo and Plasticizers business, Heidi Barnes stated that Eastman 168 is recognized as an excellent, general-purpose non-phthalate plasticizer existing in the current market and the demand for the product is continually growing. The company has been making significant investments to ensure reliable supply of the products to its customers presently and in the future.
Manufacturers of medical devices, childcare articles, toys and other PVC plastic products have been adopting non-phthalate plasticizers due to market and regulatory pressures across the globe. Eastman 168 high-performance product has been completely tested for toxicological profile and wide regulatory acceptance.
Source: http://www.eastman.com/