As part of the ongoing strategic expansion of its site at Changshu in China’s Jiangsu Province Solvay Specialty Polymers has started up a new fluoroelastomers (FKM) plant. The Belgian chemical producer said the new capacity will meet demand for the specialty polymers from Asia’s fast-growing automotive industry and multiple other high-end markets.

Solvay said its global business unit’s third production plant worldwide for the fluorelastomer unit sold under the Tecnoflon brand name will benefit from the site’s existing Specialty Polymers operations and infrastructure, as well as from secure raw material supplies through its  joint venture with nearby Shanghai 3F New Materials Co., Ltd.

“This state-of-art fluoroelastomers facility considerably strengthens our global industrial footprint, extending our reach from Europe and the United States to Asia,” said Augusto Di Donfrancesco, president of Solvay’s Specialty Polymers.

At the same site, the polymers subsidiary is building  plant to produce polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF),  due to go on-stream early 2017. In addition to fluoroelastomers, Solvay’s operations at Changshu include compounding, based on its specialty polymers resins.