Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (MCI; Tokyo; www.mitsuichem.com) announced that joint venture Prime Polymer Co., owned 65% by Mitsui Chemicals and 35% by Idemitsu Kosan Co., intends to establish new production facilities for its Mostron-L glass-fiber reinforced polypropylene (GFPP). The new facility will be located at Prime Polyer’s Anesaki Works site in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. The plant will produce 3,500 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of Mostron materials once operations commence in September 2019 (tentative).
Mostron-L is a Prime Polymer-developed composite material made by melting and mixing polypropylene (PP) resin with long glass fibers. Beyond a low specific gravity that allows the material to be used for lightweighting, it also offers an attractive appearance with long glass fibers providing a good balance between hardness and impact resistance. The product is already being adopted in areas such as the unpainted insides of rear car doors.