MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, has announced plans to expand manufacturing production capacity for its GUR ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) product at the company's Bishop, Texas facility, said the producer in its press release.
Expansion of the GUR UHMWPE manufacturing facility will increase capacity to 38 kT/a, with final completion expected in May 2016.
"Increasing production capacity at our Bishop facility will enable Celanese to expand our reach, support a growing and diverse customer base, and respond to increasing consumer needs for materials in high-value lithium-ion battery, medical and pharmaceutical, and filtration applications," said Scott Sutton, president, Materials Solutions for Celanese. "With this expansion, Celanese strengthens its position as the world's leading producer of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, with the broadest portfolio of grades among any of our competitors."
This capacity expansion provides Celanese with additional production flexibility to introduce two new medical GUR grades for the pharmaceutical industry.
GUR UHMWPE is a linear polyethylene with a much higher molecular weight than standard PE, which offers outstanding abrasion resistance, superior impact strength, non-sticking and self-lubricating properties, and excellent mechanical characteristics, even in cryogenic conditions. The material is eight times lighter than steel and lasts 10 times longer than high density PE in abrasive environments.
Celanese offers GUR UHMWPE grades for applications including orthopedic implants, water and air filtration, battery separators, fibers, additives and membranes. Celanese GUR UHMWPE premium grades for orthopedic implants and pharmaceuticals meet the requirements of health organizations, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union regulations. FDA Drug and Device Master Files are available for premium grades.
As MRC informed before, in October 2015, Fairway Methanol LLC, a 50-50 joint venture between Mitsui and US-based chemicals company Celanese, commenced production of methanol at its planned annual production capacity of 1.3 million tons. Mitsui and Celanese will each take a portion of the methanol produced, with Mitsui planning to sell the methanol mainly in the US. Demand for methanol is expected to remain steady.
Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,500 employees worldwide and had 2014 net sales of USD6.8 billion.
MRC