Tight supply of MMA to ease

The tight supply situation in the Asian market for methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA) is expected to ease during 2010 to 2011 when three new MMA plants in the region achieve full operations. Sumitomo Chemical Singapore has raised its MMA capacity to 223,000 tons per year (tpy) across three lines. Lucite International Group Ltd., which was recently acquired by Mitsubishi Rayon, is putting onstream a 120,000 tpy MMA plant in Singapore in late 2008. Thai MMA, a joint venture (JV) between Japan’s Mitsubishi Rayon, SCG Chemicals and others, is due to initiate second-state construction of a 90,000 tpy plant in the second quarter of 2010. PTT Asahi Chemical, a Thai JV of PTT P.L.C., Marubeni Corp. and Asahi Chemicals, also intends to bring online an ACH-route MMA plant at the end of 2010. (November 20, 2008)