Japanese chemical giant expands production in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Japan’s chemical giant Toray Industries Inc. announced on August 18 that it has improved its manufacturing capacity for a material known as ABS resin as a new plant of its Malaysian unit begins full production.

The new factory has boosted Toray Plastics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.'s output capacity for the group's "Toyolac" acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin by about 20 percent to 425,000 tonnes annually, Kyodo News quoted the group’s news release.

Combined with the output at a plant in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, the Toray Group is now capable of making some 497,000 tons of ABS resin annually.

The new plant has been built on land acquired next to the existing production facilities of the Malaysian subsidiary in the state of Penang.

ABS resin, a type of processable and thermoplastic polymer, is used for a wide range of industrial and household products, according to the company.

The new plant will chiefly produce "transparent grade" ABS resin used for products including home electric appliances, office automation equipment and miscellaneous goods.

Toray Industries is considering raising ABS resin production capacity further as it plans to expand sales in such areas as Europe and India, in addition to its key markets in China and Southeast Asian countries./.