Asahi Kasei buying out DuPont’s share of Chinese polyacetal JV

Chemical manufacturers Asahi Kasei Chemicals and DuPont China Holdings Co., Ltd. (DuPont) are ending their collaboration to make polyacetal copolymer resin in China, with the companies announcing that Asahi Kasei will buy DuPont’s 50 per cent share of the venture.

The joint venture, called Asahi-DuPont POM (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd. (ADZ), has been producing and selling polyacetal copolymer in China since 2004, meeting growing demand for polyacetal in the Chinese market.

The terms of the buyout have not been disclosed, and the companies did not say when the ownership change would take effect.

“When the transfer of ownership is complete, the operation of ADZ will be fully integrated with the performance plastics business of Asahi Kasei Chemicals, with a strategic focus on superior applications development through differentiated products,” Tokyo-based Asahi Kasei Chemicals said in a statement.

Polyacetal (POM) is a crystalline engineering resin featuring wear resistance, toughness, and chemical resistance. It is used for parts and components in automotive, electronic, electrical, and industrial applications. There are two types of polyacetal: homopolymer, with high rigidity, strength, and fatigue resistance, and copolymer, with high tensile modulus and thermal stability.