Celanese To Build Multi-Phase LCP Plant in China

In its bid to support its Vectra and Zenite Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) product lines, Celanese Corporation, a global and specialty company has announced to construct a world-scale LCP polymerization plant in China. This will enable the company to become the only LCP producer with assets in both Asia and the Western Hemisphere. According to company’s official website, the company is still in search of the site and is overviewing its existing and greenfield locations to construct its multi-phase LCP facility.

The move will help the company to work closely with several regions. Currently, the company holds LCP polymerization facility in Shelby, North Carolina and compounding facilities in Europe, North America, and China.

The emergence of 5G technology and vehicle electrification which require complex characteristics such as device miniaturization, improved signal integrity and circuit densification are some of the driving trends for the LCP materials. As per the company’s vice-president, Stefan Kutta, “LCP is uniquely qualified to solve these challenging requirements, and this investment will support a reliable supply of LCP to a growing customer base and enable Celanese to capture additional growth in these exciting end-uses”. The first phase of the project is expected to start operations in 2024 and the new plant will be capable of producing around 20 KT of LCP per year. Liquid Crystal Polymers are partially crystalline aromatic polyesters based on p-hydroxybenzoic acid and related monomers.

As per the company’s description, Vectra and Zenite are halogen-free, high-performance polymers that provide high-temperature performance in eco-friendly, thin-walled applications with exceptional stability. China holds more than 50 percent of the current global demand for LCP and with its rapidly growing manufacturing base for global electronics and automotive customers, the company is eyeing on massive improvement in its market share.