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Keeping very close to what had been scheduled, Braskem America (U.S. office in Philadelphia) brought on stream its new UTEC UHMWPE plant at its LaPorte, Texas, site in mid-January.  The new plant, for which output has not been disclosed, reflects another milestone investment in the company’s North American growth strategy. It allows the company to better serve its clients in North America as well as serve European clients via exports.

As reported last year, Braskem enhanced its Pittsburgh Innovation and Technology Center with the addition of advanced UHMWPE R&D capabilities to support the launch of the UTEC production in the U.S. An engineered polymer, UTEC boasts excellent mechanical properties, such as high abrasion resistance, impact strength and low coefficient of friction. The self-lubricating, high-strength, lightweight machineable material, used for semi-finished goods in a vast array of industries, is eight times lighter than steel and lasts ten times longer than HDPE.