Cenway launches consultation on 70ktpa butyl rubber expansion

Guangzhou, China – Zhejiang Cenway New Materials Co. Ltd (Cenway) has launched a public consultation on a previously announced 70 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) expansion of its butyl rubber production facilities in Zhejiang province. (ERJ report )

According to a 13 Oct update, the expansion will be carried out within Cenway’s existing plant in the China Chemical New Material (Jiaxing) Park, located in the Jiaxing Port Area.

The Yuan170.5 million (€20 million) programme involves process optimisation and upgrades to the butyl and halogenation units.

This will include the addition of new equipment, reorganisation of the drying and post-treatment line, and improvements to environmental facilities across the site.

Once completed, the expansion will raise the site's total production capacity for butyl rubber products to 120ktpa, according to Cenway.

Output, it said, will include 5ktpa of regular butyl rubber, 74.6ktpa of brominated butyl rubber, and 40.4ktpa of chlorinated butyl rubber.

Isobutylene capacity at the site will remain unchanged at 163.5ktpa, part of which will be used as feedstock for butyl rubber production and the remainder sold externally.

Cenway noted that implementation of the new project will replace construction works previously planned under an approved 20ktpa halogenated butyl rubber expansion, which will now be discontinued.

The Chinese producer also operates a 100ktpa butyl rubber facility in Panjin, Liaoning province: supplying materials for use in tires, medical closures, sealing products, vibration dampers, and chewing gum.