Dow Chemical has completed the construction of its new ELITE enhanced polyethylene production facility in Freeport, Texas, US.
Part of the firm’s $6bn expansion on the US Gulf Coast, the 400,000 metric ton polyethylene facility is the first of four new derivative investments currently in progress at Dow’s manufacturing sites in Texas and Louisiana.
The production unit is said to enter its commissioning and start-up phase in line with the mid-year start-up of the firm’s 1.5 million metric ton ethylene facility.
Expected to become fully operational in the fourth quarter, the facility will manufacture ELITE enhanced polyethylene resins.
The polyethylene resins can be used in various types of flexible packaging applications, including food, personal hygiene products and industrial packaging.
The products produced at the facility include specialty low density polyethylene for industrial and supply chain packaging applications and next generation Nordel metallocene EPDM for use in the transportation, infrastructure and consumer durables end-market applications.
Bi-modal gas phase de-bottleneck solutions can be used in high-performance pipe and fitting applications, in addition to the cap and closure market.
High melt index specialty and conventional polyolefin elastomers can be used in flexible packaging, transportation and consumer markets.
Dow’s packaging and specialty plastics business president Diego Donosos said: “The mechanical completion of our first new polyethylene unit is yet another milestone that brings us closer to having more volume to meet growing customer demand globally.”
Dow’s president and COO Jim Fitterling said: “This milestone further reflects the steady progress our teams are making to bring these multi-phased investments online to enhance our cost-advantaged integration and industry-leading innovation.
