An announcement from Eastman Chemical Company (Europe: NL-3013 CK Rotterdam; www.eastman.com) confirms that the Supervisory Board has given its approval to the management´s already-published plans to divide up the company into two independent limited-liability companies. As was recently acknowledged to journalists in Brussels, the two new companies will take in the products of “Speciality Chemicals & Plastics” and “PET Plastics & Acetate Fibres” respectively. The transaction will take legal effect as of the end of 2001. The move is expected to permit greater market proximity, improved cost efficiency and increased shareholder value.

As far as Eastman´s European strategy is concerned, the management is endeavouring to heighten awareness of its raw materials range among the specialist public in the run-up to the K 2001 plastics trade fair in Düsseldorf. This because Eastman has so far been familiar as the world market leader in PET for packaging, focusing primarily on bottle applications and fibres. Over the past few years, however, Eastman has developed into a leading manufacturer of a wide range of raw materials in the copolyester field. These include not only products for packaging applications but also, increasingly, for extrusion (sheets, profiles) and injection moulding. The range additionally takes in the “Titan” liquid crystal polymer (LCP). A new LCP family is being introduced onto the market as of April 2001. At Eastman´s headquarters in Kingsport / Tennessee, a plant with an annual capacity of 3000 t has been constructed for this purpose. The aim is to have just one single grade of “Titan” (with varying glass fibre contents) to cover all the different LCP applications.

A new arrival in Europe is the injection moulding copolyester “DuraStar”, which was introduced in the USA a year ago. The new compound is not based on the familiar “Eastar” but is a new material with a different chemical composition. As was emphasised at the press conference in Brussels, “DuraStar” is the only polyester which does not need a dehumidifying dryer to prepare the material for processing. It is thus a “universally-applicable material” with no special equipment or know-how requirements, making it ideal for smaller injection moulders. “DuraStar” is highly transparent, with a transmission coefficient of 91%. Eastman is aiming at the polycarbonate market with this product. In price terms, “DuraStar” is positioned below PC.

Reader Service: Press conference presentations on Eastman Chemical´s strategies and products: PIE-No. 45127 – Brochures: injection moulding raw materials: PIE-No. 45121 – “Eastar” for thin-film applications: PIE-No. 45122