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Mitsui and Sinopec JVs announce three plant startups

| By Mary Page Bailey

Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI; Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) have announced the startup of what is said to be one of the world’s largest EPT (ethylene-propylene-dieneterpolymer) plants for a single train under their joint venture (JV), Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Elastomers, Co.
 
EPT, which has superior resistance to heat and cold, UV rays, and chemicals, in addition to good electric insulation and other properties, is widely used in automotive parts, electric cables, and other industrial materials. The new plant has a production capacity of 75,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) EPT.
 
In addition to the jointly operated  EPT plant, Mitsui and Sinopec also announced the startup of new phenol and acetone plants under a separate JV, Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Chemicals, Co. The new plants have production capacity for 250,000 m.t./yr of phenol and 150,000 m.t./yr acetone. These plants follow a bisphenol-A (BPA) plant, inaugurated by the JV in January 2009, which produces 120,000 m.t./yr BPA.