Feasibility study for world-scale plant

Ticona (HQ: Lyoner Str. 38, D-60528 Frankfurt) and DSM Engineering Plastics (NL-6130 AA Sittard) have decided to join forces in supplying the European market for polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a feasibility study on a 40-60,000 t/y continuous polymerisation plant, which could go onstream by 2003. The study scheduled to be completed by the end of this year will consider construction costs, size, location and technology.

Ticona does not currently have polymerisation facilities for PBT in Europe. DSM operates a 30,000 t/y plant at Emmen, in the Netherlands. Ticona is also looking at plans for a world-scale PBT plant in an Asian partnership. The new Ticona-DSM facility would be operated as a 50:50 joint venture similar to the PBT arrangement pioneered by BASF and GE Plastics at Schwarzheide in eastern Germany. The plant most likely would be built at one of the partners´ existing locations. For DSM, this would provide a low-cost source of PBT, said Jos Goessens, DSM business group director for engineering plastics.