Teknor Apex Expands Capacity for Rigid PVC Compounds and for Flexible Vinyls that Make Possible High-Throughput Processing

Investment Commitments Made in the Depths of the Recession Increase Vinyl Division Capabilities for Producing Advanced and Specialty Compounds

PAWTUCKET, RI, U.S.A., July 21, 2010: Two expansions in compounding capacity being completed by Teknor Apex Company will increase its supply capabilities for both rigid and flexible PVC compounds, it was announced today by Louis R. Cappucci, vice president in charge of the Vinyl Division.

● New flexible compounding line. Slated to come on stream this August with a nominal annual capacity of 30 million lbs. (13,600 metric tons), this  line incorporates high-efficiency mixing technology that yields flexible vinyl compounds with improved melt elasticity. This characteristic allows manufacturers of profiles, film, sheet, and some types of wire insulation to increase throughput while maintaining a good product surface appearance and dimensional stability. The project is an addition to the Teknor Apex manufacturing complex at Fountain Inn, SC.

● Conversion to dual rigid / flexible production. At the Teknor Apex facility in Brownsville, TN, the Vinyl Division is converting a compounding line that had been dedicated to flexible vinyl into one that can yield either rigid or flexible PVC. Besides being a “high-output” addition to the company’s capacity for rigids, the swing line will enable Teknor Apex to accommodate a growing number of customers who use both rigid and flexible vinyl and prefer to be serviced from one facility, according to Cappucci.

“Teknor Apex made the decision to invest in these projects more than a year ago, in the depths of the recession, because they will increase our capabilities in two areas where there is strong demand,” said Cappucci. “Flexible compounds with improved melt elasticity are particularly valuable for extrusion processors looking for ways to increase productivity, and rigid compounds represent a promising new product line for Teknor Apex in the U.S.”

Until recently, Teknor Apex has manufactured only flexible vinyl compounds in the United States, but the company’s Singapore Polymer Corporation subsidiary has long produced rigids. Examples of new rigid products developed in the U.S. are gamma-stable medical molding compounds and flame retardant formulations that can be extruded at very low wall thickness and still meet UL V-0 flame ratings.