Dow to expand Chinese latex plant

By Patrick Raleigh ERJ On-line news editor

Hong Kong-Dow Latex, part of Dow Chemical Co., is to add a second styrene-butadiene latex train at its production site in Zhangjiagang, China, by the second half of 2005. The expansion is to meet growing demand from the Chinese paper coating industry, said a Dow statement, which did not include capacity details for the facility.

Inaugurated in November 2002, the Zhangjiagang latex plant is the newest of Dow’s 19 latex facilities worldwide. The plan to expand it “demonstrates our commitment…