To meet growing customer demand, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a unit of US specialty chemicals producer Ashland, plans to significantly expand production capacity of its hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) tablet binder and coating ingredient product line in Hopewell, Virginia.

The expansion is expected to go on stream in the second half of 2016.The product sold under the Klucel trademark is used in pharmaceutical applications and dietary supplements worldwide.

"Ashland is committed to the overall pharmaceutical market and has made a number of sizeable investments over the past two years to strengthen our position," said David Neuberger, vice president, Pharmaceutical Specialties, Ashland Specialty Ingredients.

Projects include a pharmaceutical center of excellence opened in Hyderabad, India, earlier this year, the pending expansion of Ashland's technical capabilities in Wilmington, Delaware and the Polyplasdone crospovidone expansion in Texas City, Texas.