HPMO Business of AkzoNobel Will Build Two New Production Plants for TMG and TMI

The high purity metal-organic (HPMO) business of AkzoNobel, part of its Functional Chemicals Business Unit, will build two new production plants for trimethyl gallium (TMG) and trimethyl indium (TMI) at its existing production facility in LaPorte, Texas. AkzoNobel claims that it is currently the largest producer of TMG. With this expansion, the company's total capacity for gallium-based metal-organic (MO) materials will exceed 100 tons per year from two independent production lines. MO chemicals or precursors are used in the epitaxial growth of LED semiconductor materials to provide metals such as gallium (Ga), indium (In) and aluminum (Al) to the growing layers. A number of major suppliers have announced plans to increase their production capacity for MO materials. AkzoNobel's TMG project is already well advanced; construction of the plant began in 2011 with planned completion in 2012. The TMI expansion, which will enable a 400% increase of capacity, is also underway and will be completed by December 2011. "These continued investments in the HPMO business show AkzoNobel's commitment to support the LED industry in the coming years. Our capacity additions will enable our customers to maintain their growth pace, which will be increasingly driven by general lighting applications," says Jan Svärd, Managing Director of Functional Chemicals. "This business also supports our efforts in sustainability, by focusing on applications that drive energy efficiency and lower energy usage, like LEDs and solar cells." The LaPorte manufacturing site serves the global plastics, pharmaceutical and electronic industries with large scale, fully-integrated bulk MO production plants. The company will also enhance its global distribution network by establishing regional transfilling capabilities in Asia. Source: LEDs Magazine