(Yicai) Aug. 12 -- Invista has completed the expansion of its Nylon 66 polymer factory in the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park, more than doubling its production capacity, as the US chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers manufacturer stays bullish on China.

Costing CNY1.7 billion (USD243.7 million), the extension, which was completed on Aug. 8, has hiked output at the plant to 400,000 tons a year from the previous 190,000 tons, The Paper reported on Aug. 9, citing the Kansas-based firm.

It will allow Invista to better cater to demand for high-quality Nylon 66 through stable local supply and rapid market response, the report said. It will also help Invista put the integration effect of the Nylon 66 value chain into full play and use the products more widely.

The extension uses Invista’s Nylon 66 polymerization technology to simplify production processes, improve energy efficiency as well as make production safer and the products more environmentally-friendly, the report said.

“China is expected to become the global center of demand for Nylon 66,” said Nancy Kowalski, executive vice president of Invista’s global upstream nylon business. Nylon 66 is a lightweight, heat-resistant and durable material used in the auto, electronic and electrical sectors as well as for functional fabrics such as yogawear.

The expanded Nylon 66 polymer plant will improve Invista’s services to local and even global customers, Kowalski said. The company will work with its partners to explore advanced applications of Nylon 66 in engineering plastics, civil fibers, and industrial fibers. It will also promote upgrading in the fields of automobiles, electronics, and consumer goods.

Doubling capacity in Shanghai is not only a strong response to current market demand, but is also an accurate grasp of future development trends, said Pang Guanglian, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Committee and vice secretary general of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation.

Invista has invested over CNY14 billion (USD1.9 billion) in China’s Nylon 66 industrial chain over the past 10 years, the report said.

Editor: Kim Taylor