• Two new production lines are put into operation
• Timely response to the growing demand in the Asian market
• The final milestone of a multi-year investment plan
In order to meet the growing demand for polycarbonate in the Asian market, Covestro has doubled the capacity of its integrated production base in Shanghai, China, from 200,000 tons per year to 400,000 tons. On October 12, two polycarbonate resin production lines with world-class production technologies and energy-saving processes were officially put into operation in Shanghai, making Covestro the world's largest producer of polycarbonate resins.
At the launch ceremony, Ms. Binbin Zhou, President of Covestro's Polycarbonate Division, said: "In Asia, especially China, there is a growing demand for polycarbonate and related solutions in key industries such as electronics, medical and automotive. By expanding our capacity in the Asian market, we can respond to and meet the changing needs of our customers in a timely manner, optimize our services, ensure sustainable supply, and continue to innovate."
Meeting customer needs
From medical devices to automotive parts, from smartphones to LED lighting - polycarbonate is widely used due to its lightweight, high transparency, strength and ease of shaping. Polycarbonate resins can also be mixed with other substances to form blends with excellent properties. With the completion of two new production lines, Covestro's Shanghai integrated production site has almost doubled its blending capacity, further enhancing Covestro's ability to meet the diverse and individual needs of its customers.
These two new production lines are the final milestones of Covestro's investment plan of more than 3 billion euros in China. The plan also includes the HDI plant that officially opened at Covestro's Shanghai integrated base in July this year. This new world-class factory can produce approximately 50,000 tons of raw materials for coatings and adhesives per year.
Committed to development in China
"The addition of two new production lines makes Covestro's Shanghai integrated production site the largest polycarbonate resin production center in the world. The successful completion of this project strengthens our global production network and demonstrates Covestro's continued commitment to the Chinese market," said Dr. Klaus Schäfer, a member of Covestro's board of directors and global chief industrial operations officer.
At the same time, Covestro has demonstrated its leadership in efficient and environmentally friendly technologies by recycling industrial water. Industrial water is used to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide, two chemicals that are important raw materials for the production of polycarbonates. Covestro places a high priority on the development of innovative and sustainable technologies, products and application solutions, which well exemplifies Covestro's vision: "Create a wonderful world".
Polycarbonate (PC) is a polymer containing carbonate groups in the molecular chain. According to the structure of the ester groups, it can be divided into aliphatic, aromatic, aliphatic-aromatic and other types. Among them, due to the low mechanical properties of aliphatic and aliphatic-aromatic polycarbonates, its application in engineering plastics is limited. At present, only aromatic polycarbonates have been industrialized. Due to the particularity of polycarbonate structure, it has become the fastest growing general engineering plastics among the five major engineering plastics.
1859
Polycarbonate was invented in a Russian laboratory in 1859 and industrialized by GE and Bayer in 1958 for 100 years. In 1859, the Russian chemist Butlerov first synthesized polycarbonate, and later, Einhorn tried to produce this polymer again.
1881
In 1881, Birnbaun and Luria published the first research paper on polycarbonate-like condensates. Almost 100 years after the discovery of polycarbonate in Butlerov, the German company Bayer A.G. and the American company General Electric Company began to develop polycarbonate. The two companies developed and built factories almost simultaneously.
1953
In 1953, the German company Bayer successfully developed a prototype in the laboratory of its factory. Daniel, a scientist at GE Plastic Company in the United States, applied for the first polycarbonate patent, and then GE also applied for a patent.
In 1956, H. Schnell published a report on the successful trial production of a new type of thermoplastic polycarbonate.
1958
Bayer achieved industrial production of polycarbonate in 1958 under the trade name Makrolon, and GE introduced polycarbonate under the trade name Lexan in 1959.
Source: Covestro Press Release
