Cariflex opens "world's largest" polyisoprene latex plant in Singapore
16 May 2025
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The €315m facility to support medical and protective markets; future expansion enabled
Singapore – Cariflex Pte. Ltd. has inaugurated what it says is the world’s largest polyisoprene latex production facility, following an investment of $355 million (€315 million).
Located on Jurong Island, Singapore, the plant will significantly expand the company’s global manufacturing capacity for synthetic latex used in medical and protective applications.
In a 14 May statement, Cariflex, a subsidiary of South Korea’s DL Chemical Co. Ltd., said the new facility began operations in November 2024 and is designed for modular expansion.
Once fully ramped up, it will double the group’s 2023 capacity for polyisoprene latex.
The company said the plant would support demand from end-uses such as surgical gloves, condoms, non-surgical medical gloves, adhesives, and laminates.
Southeast Asia, it added, is a key manufacturing region for many of these products.
Built over a 6.1-hectare site, the facility adds to Cariflex’s manufacturing network in Brazil and Japan, where it expanded the Paulinia plant in 2021 with a $50 million investment.
Cariflex CEO Ryu Sang Woo said the Singapore site offers proximity to customers and benefits from strong infrastructure, skilled labour and intellectual property protection.
“This new facility will allow us to expand production, while providing our customers with a diverse and reliable supply of high-quality materials,” he said.
The plant created 80 new permanent jobs, the majority filled by Singaporeans.
Cariflex said it had invested in local workforce development through training in Brazil and South Korea, with a focus on safety, quality, and digital systems.
Cariflex relocated its global headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
The company claims to be the only manufacturer globally of anionic catalyst-based synthetic rubber and latex, materials valued for their purity and softness.
With the new facility, Cariflex said it is now positioned to support further growth in existing markets and explore new applications.
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