Bitterfeld, Germany-based Hi-Bis, a joint venture of Japanese companies Honshu Chemical Industry (55%), Mitsui (35%) and Bayer MaterialScience (BMS, 10%), has doubled capacity for specialty bisphenols, a key component of the Apec polycarbonate copolymers, to 10,000 t/y.

The investment of around €50 million enhances the company's ability to meet strong global demand for Apec, a particularly temperature-resistant, high-performance plastic.

Hi-Bis started up its first production facility at Bitterfeld in 2004, the first Japanese investment in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The current capacity expansion, the company said, was made necessary by "steadily rising market demand."

Rainer Rettig of BMS, head of sales for Europe and other regions, said Apec demand continues to grow well above the 5% average growth rate for the plastics market. BMS produces the plastic at Antwerp, Belgium.