A. Schulman inks PPS deal with Initz

Plastic compound supplier A. Schulman Inc. has signed an agreement and a strategic partnership with South Korean polymer producer Initz for the compounding and marketing of Initz’s Ecotran polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) compounds.

The deal covers North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Initz is a joint venture of Korea’s SK Chemicals Co. Ltd. and Japan’s Teijin Ltd.

“[The deal] will support our customers in markets such as automotive, electronics, industrial, filtration and coatings to meet and exceed their halogen-free industry standards,” Bernard Rzepka, COO and executive vice president of Ohio-based Schulman, said in a statement. “Unlike other conventional PPS, Ecotran will enable them to differentiate their product offering and further strengthen their market position.”

PPS is a semi-crystalline high-performance polymer and, according to Schulman, is well known for its thermal and chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and dimensional stability.