KINGSPORT, TN – Eastman Chemical Co. is planning a significant debottlenecking in the manufacture of its isobutyric acid at its Longview, TX, facility. The production debottleneck, scheduled for a December 2011 completion, will add an additional 20 million pounds of capacity to help support growing internal and external needs for the acid.

Eastman™ isobutyric acid is used in various applications including fragrance intermediates, the manufacture of numerous esters and varnish for coatings applications. Esters of isobutyric acid are used as solvents for various applications where desirable odors and flavor characteristics are important. It is also used to prepare certain types of photoinitiators for UV-curable inks and coatings. UV-curable systems generally have low VOC levels, thus continue to gain popularity as a more environmentally responsible choice for coating substrates such as wood flooring, furniture, paper, plastics and metal.