Polyplastics (Tokyo / Japan; www.polyplastics.com) has increased its share in Topas Advanced Polymers (Frankfurt / Germany; www.topas.com), a joint venture with its parent company Daicel (Osaka / Japan; www.daicel.com), from 45% to 51%, thus taking a majority stake. Going forward, the leading producer of cycloolefin-copolymers (COC) will be incorporated as a direct subsidiary.

The plans also call for the company’s 30,000 t/y COC production to be operated as a fifth core segment alongside the existing segments of POM, PVT, LCP and PPS. The enhanced status could pave the way for expansion of the business.

With the realignment, Polyplastics said its aim is to generate synergies with businesses other than production and sale of COCs. Another goal is to better integrate the European and the North American activities with its Asian base.

According to Plasteurope.com’s Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), Polyplastics has the capacity to produce more than 300,000 t/y of POM, along with 60,000 t/y of PBT and 15,000 t/y of LCP. For PPS, the company does not produce the base polymer, but buys in material for compounding.

As to the ownership of Polyplastics itself, Daicel and its 45% joint venture partner Celanese (Dallas, Texas / USA; www.celanese.com) have been at odds for some time about marketing the products. The original jv agreement foresaw Daicel catering to the Asian market, with Celanese supplying the rest of the world. Increasingly, however, both companies have been seen as keen to market all their products globally.