Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, Tenn.; www.eastman.com) has announced a planned increase in its Eastman Texanol ester alcohol manufacturing capacity in Longview, Tex. The plant expansion is expected to be complete in the second half of 2016 and will increase capacity by more than 20%. In addition to its largest Texanol site in Longview, Eastman also manufactures the product at its Jurong Island, Singapore site and Zibo, China joint venture.
“This expansion at our largest and fully integrated site positions Eastman to meet the needs of coalescent customers around the world,” said Lucian Boldea, vice president and general manager of Eastman’s Additives & Functional Products segment. “This investment further solidifies Eastman’s leading position in the architectural coatings market.”
Texanol ester alcohol is a coalescent used in latex paints found in the building and construction market. Eastman coalescents enable maximum film formation by softening latex particles and allowing them to fuse into a tough, continuous film, improving overall paint performance. Common coalescents include ester alcohols, esters, and glycol ethers.