PARIS - Arkema has officially started its new 60,000 MTY emulsion polymers facility on its Changshu, China, platform. The plant, part of Arkema’s Coating Resins business unit, will serve customers in the Asia-Pacific region with a full line of waterborne emulsion polymers for coatings and adhesives applications.

This new plant, which represented a $30 million investment, is located in Arkema’s Changshu manufacturing complex, the company’s largest manufacturing complex worldwide.

The plant produces a range of emulsion polymers used as binders for architectural coatings, building and construction products, adhesives, and specialty coatings. The products include Encor^® acrylic and styrene acrylic latexes, SNAP^® nano-acrylic polymers, Celocor^® opaque polymers, and Encor Flex elastomeric latexes.

The new facility features state-of-the-art automation capabilities and is adjacent to the company’s new research and development center, which opened in the fall of 2013.

The site was designed and built with sustainability and environmental responsibility as key performance criteria. The plant has zero VOC emissions and zero wastewater release. All process water is treated and recycled within the plant for re-use in the manufacturing process.

In addition to this new facility, the company has recently completed several key growth initiatives in the region, including production facilities for coating resins in Malaysia, a rheology additives unit operated by Coatex in China, and a research and development center in China.