SABIC – a provider of polymer-based products to the auto industry, among others – says it is continuing its global expansion with the inauguration of a new polypropylene (PP) pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands.
An opening ceremony for the pilot plant and a customer event was presided over by Yousef Al-Benyan, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, and the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp.
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“In times of change, organizations have two options: drive or be driven,” said Mr Al-Benyan during the opening ceremony. “At SABIC, we have a long-term vision to drive sustainable success for our customers and we work constantly to create and deliver innovative solutions that answer their challenges. It’s about innovative thinking, extending and improving our portfolio, and – as we are showing here today – investing in technology and innovation.”
In line with SABIC’s strategic commitment to customer-driven innovation, the new PP pilot plant, located at the SABIC’s Global Technology Center for Europe in Geleen, will design next-generation PP materials. It is already on-stream using gas-phase polymerization technology. The plant will enable accelerated development and commercialization of highly innovative material solutions that meet the growing needs of various industries, including automotive.
“These facilities are great establishments for our company and for the benefit of the world at large, thanks to the dedication, skills, and hard work of our employees,” he said. “They will support our company’s strategy to develop new sustainable material solutions that help our customers achieve their goals, as we work with them in ever-closer collaboration.”
The new facility will serve to develop grades with improved balance in stiffness and impact resistance, flow properties and other properties specific to target applications. SABIC plans to concentrate on development of impact grades of polypropylene, as well as random copolymers and homopolymers. It will also carry out experiments on advanced catalysts.
See also: Trends in automotive glazing and the use of polycarbonate
