SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--INVISTA has begun work to bring its latest adiponitrile (ADN) technology to China to satisfy the strong, local demand for the nylon 6,6 intermediate chemical. Engineering for a minimum 300,000-ton plant is underway at an estimated investment in excess of $1 billion. Construction is targeted for 2020 and production would begin in 2023.
Kyle Redinger—vice president of INVISTA Intermediates, Asia Pacific, and 2017 Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award winner—has accepted a newly created role dedicated to meeting China’s long-term needs for ADN through capital investments, asset development and commercial arrangements.
“Given China’s strong demand for ADN and its commitment to advanced, energy-efficient technologies, INVISTA’s butadiene-based ADN is the best choice for capital investment in the region,” said Redinger. “INVISTA supplies more of the merchant market than any other ADN producer, so we want to ensure those customers have the best technology available. The last world-scale plant was constructed more than 35 years ago, so this is a special time for the industry, and I am extremely proud to lead INVISTA’s efforts to deliver this new facility.”
INVISTA has been meeting with customers and industry participants to develop a collaborative strategy focused on meeting China’s local needs for ADN, which is used to make nylon polymer, fibers and other specialty materials such as hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) for coatings.
Bill Greenfield, president, INVISTA Intermediates, said, “We are pleased by the feedback we have received in the market and are confident we will reach agreements with selected partners over the next few months; so our shareholders have agreed to proceed with the project. Combined with the significant investments being made in our existing ADN plants, this decision further demonstrates INVISTA’s commitment to the global industry.”
Over the past five years, INVISTA has invested more than $600 million in China to support the nylon market, including a 215,000-ton hexamethylenediamine (HMD) plant and a 150,000-ton polymer plant, at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP). INVISTA has also created multiple-generation improvements to the technology over the decades, recently setting production records with the deployment of its latest technology in the U.S.
“INVISTA has consistently added capacity to meet market needs and will continue to do so in the future,” Greenfield said. “We understand the industry’s preference toward our technologies, and so we have worked hard to continuously improve them. We have been pleased with the government support for our projects in the past and look forward to working with the appropriate officials again to advance our further developments.”
About INVISTA
With leading brands including LYCRA®, COOLMAX®, CORDURA®, STAINMASTER® and ANTRON®, INVISTA is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers. The company’s advantaged technologies for nylon, spandex and polyester are used to produce clothing, carpet, air bags and countless other everyday products. A wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries and headquartered in the United States, INVISTA has more than 50 locations around the world. For more information, visit INVISTA.com, Facebook.com/INVISTAglobal and Twitter.com/INVISTA.