Expansion Planned For Kraton Polymers in Ohio

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Kraton Polymers (Houston, Texas) is planning a $20 million expansion at its plant located in Belpre, Ohio. The project will include debottlenecking existing equipment and installing new process equipment to double the Kraton G-1 unit production capacity from an estimated 57,500 metric tons per year to 100,000 metric tons per year. The Kraton G-1 unit produces hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (HSBC).

Once the expansion is complete, Kraton will produce nearly twice the amount of HSBC than any other producer of its kind. Preliminary design has commenced and construction will begin in the third quarter of 2003, with completion scheduled for mid 2004. Kraton Polymers alliance contractor, Washington Group International (Belpre, Ohio), will provide the engineering and construction services for this project.

Kraton's HSBC were created over 40 years ago and Kraton is the only HSBC producer to have locations in North America and Europe. HSBC's are used in compounded applications for sporting and leisure equipment, footwear, cars, packaging materials, and other molded and extruded goods. Bitumen asphalt is also a product that is enhanced by using Kraton polymers providing performance and longevity advantages from paving roads and runways to waterproof materials for roofs and bridges.