Mitsui's Competitive Resin Requires Bigger Investment

Abstract

With a history of about 60 years, the polyolefin industry is mature. But recent developments in metallocene catalyst technology have breathed new excitement into the production of these most commonplace plastics (C&EN, July 6, 1998, page 11). Worldwide, the technology leaders in the manufacture of polyethylene using metallocene catalysts are Dow Chemical and a joint venture between Union Carbide and Exxon named Univation Technologies. In Asia, Mitsui Chemicals has developed other metallocene catalysts and production processes for linear lowdensity polyethylene (LLDPE) and has built a world-scale plant making use of them. Although Mitsui Chemicals, along with Exxon, has led efforts worldwide to develop metallocene catalyst technology, the Japanese company is off to a slower start in terms of market acceptance of its process. This is despite having filed more metallocene-catalyst-related patents, from 1981 to the present, than any other chemical company. The polyethylene produced through Mitsui's technology...