US nylon producer Invista is deepening its footprint in China with the start-up of a new 215,000 t/y plant for hexamethylene diamine (HMD) plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP), along with a PTA production line at its joint venture with China Prosperity (Jiangyin) Petrochemical Company, also known as Hanbang Petrochemical.

Invista said the new HMD plant will leverage its most advanced technology to produce the key intermediate for production of PA 6.6 polymer and fiber as well as polyurethanes and high performance nylons.

The unit is part of the company’s new production complex being brought on stream at the Shanghai site, for which groundbreaking ceremonies were held a year ago. Other facilities at the site were planned to include a 150,000 t/y plant for PA 6.6 and a 300,000 t/y plant for adiponitrile (ADN) plant. The total investment of more than $ 1 billion, is said to be the company’s largest ever. China Prosperity’s PTA plant, for which no capacity was disclosed, is the Chinese producer’s second; the first also uses an Invista process.

The new unit will use Invista’s  E2R, Solvent Interchange and R2R technologies, which the nylon specialist said will further enhance its competitiveness in terms of capital productivity, variable cost and environmental performance.

Invista said its Solvent Interchange technology, for which it claims  “inherently low” capital cost, has been successfully deployed with additional advantages achieved through the use of locally manufactured rotary pressure filters. China Prosperity is currently building a polyester resin plant that will use Invista technology.