DIC to increase its PPS polymer production capacity to maintain its leading share of the global market for PPS compounds

Tokyo, Japan - DIC Corporation announced that it will invest approximately ¥ 4.4 billion (€ 32 million) to build a new polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) polymer production line at DIC's Kashima Plant, located in Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture. The new line will be installed in the existing PPS polymer production facility, and will employ processes that deliver substantially increased productivity, boosting the DIC Group’s overall annual PPS polymer production capacity to a world-class 23,000 tons. The new PPS polymer production line is scheduled for completion in December 2016.

Since the last increase of its production capacity for PPS polymer in 2013, the DIC Group has stepped up efforts to expand its PPS compounds business worldwide. In 2015, the Group will complete construction of a new dedicated PPS compound production facility in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which will join existing facilities in Japan, Malaysia and Austria. Global demand for PPS compounds is forecast to increase dramatically in the next ten years. DIC will expand its current capacity for PPS compounds to 39,500 tons in order to support the continued growth of our customers.