MUNICH/NANJING, China - Wacker Chemie AG officially ramped up its new production plant for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions at its Nanjing site (Jiangsu province, China). With the additional 60,000 metric tons from the second reactor line, the local VAE dispersion capacity is doubling to a total of 120,000 metric tons per year, making the complex one of the largest of its kind in China. At the same time, the group is building a new plant in Nanjing to produce polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) solid resins. With an annual capacity of 20,000 metric tons, it is scheduled to come on-stream in late 2013. Capital expenditures for both projects will amount to some EUR 40 million.
WACKER’s Nanjing site manufactures VINNAPAS® dispersions and dispersible polymer powders as binders for sectors such as construction, coatings and adhesives. The dispersion-plant expansion is WACKER’s response to the rising demand for high-quality VAE dispersions, especially in China and Southeast Asia’s emerging markets.