Idemitsu Advanced Materials (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (Tokyo), has newly constructed a second SPS (syndiotactic polystyrene) production plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia, and launched commercial operation in November 2023.
The production capacity of this plant is 9,000 tons per year, and with the second SPS production plant in operation, the production scale of SPS resin, a proprietary material, will be doubled. The new two-location system with the first SPS production plant at the Chiba Complex has realized a more stable production and supply system.
SPS resin is an engineering plastic that the company succeeded in synthesizing for the first time in the world in 1985 and achieved global-first commercialization in 1997. It has the characteristics of outstanding heat resistance (melting point 270°C), hot water resistance, electrical insulation, and radio wave permeability. SPS resin is widely used in automotive parts including those for electric vehicles, home appliances, and daily-use products such as tableware and microwave oven cooking containers, and the demand is expanding.
Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, where the second SPS production plant has been constructed, is one of Idemitsu Kosan’s key manufacturing sites for petrochemical products. The construction of the plant has been promoted because it is located in Southeast Asia, where demand is expected to grow, and it is possible to procure SM (styrene monomer), the raw material for SPS, from Idemitsu SM (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (President: Yuki Arao), a subsidiary of Idemitsu, which is located next to the SPS plant. The copmany will optimize supply by establishing a two-location system with the first SPS production plant, and strengthen efforts to expand sales.