Texas Petrochemicals doubles polyisobutylene capacity at Houston plant

05-Nov-08

Texas Petrochemicals Inc., a Houston based petrochemical company has recently announced completion of commissioning its new polyisobutylene (PIB) production unit at its Houston plant site. The plant started on October 6, 2008 is designed to produce both highly reactive PIB (HR-PIB), and enhanced PIB (E-PIB) using its proprietary technology which substitutes for conventional PIB in many applications. The expansion will double the company's existing production capacity, with a significant portion of this capacity committed to long-term contracted customers, but unreserved capacity is available for new customers seeking to expand their PIB supply. Texas Petrochemicals is the only merchant producer of HR-PIB in North America, where its application is in lubes and fuel additives, and E-PIB, which is used in a variety of product applications, including caulks, sealants, adhesives and cling film. The company services PIB markets worldwide, which include both the industrial and the fuel and lubricant additive markets. Texas Petrochemicals first entered the PIB market in May 2000 with the startup of its patented process to produce a wide range of PIB products. Since that time, the company has more than doubled its capacity through multiple expansion projects. The company's Houston plant manufactures a full range of high-quality PIB products ranging in molecular weights from 350 to 3500 and an extensive line of HR-PIB products ranging in molecular weights from 350 to 2300.