Eastman Chemical Company announced the successful development of IntegRex, a PET resin processing technology. The company will establish an integrated PET manufacturing plant with an annual capacity of 350,000 tons in Columbia, South Carolina, to apply this new technology to serve the packaging industry.
The company hopes to patent over 100 processing technologies and product innovations related to this technology, including the entire processing technology from PX (paraxylylene) to PET. Eastman will transform the existing fine terephthalic acid plant to prepare for the expansion of the plant and plans to invest $100 million in the construction of a new plant and related supporting infrastructure. It is expected that the new plant will achieve full online production capacity in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Eastman chairman and CEO Brian Ferguson called IntegRex a major innovation in paraxylene to PET production technology. Allan Rothwell, executive vice president of Eastman, believes IntegRex technology completely redefines manufacturing from PX to PET, enabling the company to meet the needs of future markets.