Solutia Boosts Ascend PA66 Polymer Production

St. Louis, MO, April 13, 2007--Solutia Inc. said Thursday that it has added 40,000 metric tons of production capacity for its Vydyne and Ascend polyamide 66 resins and compounds (PA66) in response to global demand, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

The news source said the company said it reconfigured existing manufacturing resources to generate additional output of the PA66 products at Solutia's facility in Pensacola, Florida, which it says is the world's largest integrated PA66 manufacturing plant.

Vydyne PA66 resins are used primarily in injection molding and extrusion applications in the automotive, consumer, electronic and industrial markets, the company said. Ascend PA66 polymers are used primarily in the textile, carpet and industrial fiber markets.

"Solutia recognizes the significant increase in demand for Vydyne and Ascend products throughout the world, especially in China and other Asian regions," Mike Berezo, general manager of market molecules for Solutia's Integrated Nylon business, said in a statement.

"China's automotive industry is growing dramatically, which has prompted much of the demand we've been experiencing from that region for Vydyne PA66," Nadim Qureshi, general manager for Solutia's nylon plastics and polymers, said in a statement.

This expansion is the second phase in a series of capacity increases in Solutia's nylon plastics and polymers division that began in 2006 and is expected to continue through 2008, the company said. The two phases combined total a 72,000-metric-ton boost in capacity.