Ube adding nylon 6 capacity in Spain

Japanese conglomerate Ube Industries Ltd. is adding nylon 6 resin capacity at its plant in Spain.

Tokyo-based Ube will add about 22 million pounds of annual capacity at its plant in Castellon, officials said in an Oct. 18 news release. The firm already operates about 44 million tons of capacity there.

Officials said the expansion is needed to meet growing demand for high value-added nylon in Europe and North America. The expansion is expected be online in March 2015.

Nylon film is increasingly being used in packaging of food, toiletries and detergents, officials said. In these applications, nylon often is replacing polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC).

In addition to its Spanish plant - which employs 55 - Ube operates about 165 million pounds of nylon capacity in Thailand and more than 115 million pounds in Japan. The firm ranks as the world’s third-largest nylon 6 maker.