March 4, 2002
Asahi Kasei Corporation
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| Expansion of MMA Production Capacity |
Asahi Kasei today announced its decision to expand capacity at its Kawasaki plant for methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer from 70,000 tons/year to 100,000 tons/year.
Demand for MMA in Asia is approximately 800,000 tons/year, with annual growth of 3–4% forecast largely due to emerging demand in China and increasing demand for acrylic light-conducting plates for LCD panels. In January 1999, Asahi Kasei began commercial operation of an MMA plant using its proprietary direct oxidative esterification (DOE)* process which enables extremely cost-competitive production of MMA. Since then, numerous inquiries have been received from firms throughout the world regarding DOE process technology. After evaluating a variety of prospects, including technology licenses and the establishment joint-venture operations, it was determined that the optimal course for Asahi Kasei was to expand capacity at its own MMA plant in response to the growth in demand.
Upon completion, the 100,000 ton/year capacity will be the world’s largest in a single MMA production line. In addition to the economies of scale obtained, modifications to the DOE process will be concurrently applied to achieve a unit production cost among the world’s most competitive.
To meet rapidly growing demand for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in optical applications such as light-conducting plates for LCD panels, polymer production capacity at Asahi Kasei’s Chiba plant will also be expanded from 15,000 tons/year to 20,000 tons/year in May 2002, and a new line is scheduled to be added to its acrylic sheet production facility during the year.
Asahi Kasei is an integrated producer of MMA monomer and polymer, and is the world’s leading supplier of PMMA used in light-conducting plates for LCD panels. In February 2002, the company established its Optical Materials Marketing Department to enable enhanced response to customer needs in the field of PMMA pellets and sheets for optical applications. The expansion of MMA capacity marks a major milestone in the advancement of the company’s methacrylates operations, and will result in heightened competitiveness not only in MMA monomer but throughout the segment, including PMMA for optical applications.
Overview of the MMA plant expansion
| Scale of capacity expansion: |
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30,000 tons/year (from 70,000 tons/year to 100,000 tons/year). |
| Period of construction: |
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February–November 2002. |
| Site: |
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Asahi Kasei plant complex at Kawasaki. |
| Investment: |
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Approximately ¥2 billion (including polymer capacity expansion). |
* DOE is an MMA production process developed by Asahi Kasei, where methacrolein is derived from isobutylene and then simultaneously oxidized and esterified in a single reaction to form MMA.
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