Showa Denko and Kyowa Hakko Starts up New Ethyl Acetate Plant

04-14-2004: Japan Ethyl Acetate Co., Ltd., a joint venture established by Showa Denko K.K. and Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd. in August 2003, held a ceremony at SDK's Oita Petrochemical Complex to celebrate the smooth start-up of the JV's new 100,000-ton-a-year ethyl acetate plant.

Demand for ethyl acetate has been increasing in Japan and other Asian countries for use as environment-friendly solvent, contributing to the improvement of printing and painting work conditions. Ethyl acetate is therefore expected to replace such aromatics as toluene and xylene.

Under the circumstances, SDK and Kyowa Hakko are strengthening their ethyl acetate businesses through a joint venture operation. Specifically, the JV has built its ethyl acetate plant by converting an acetic acid plant (acetaldehyde process) in Oita suspended in the summer of 2001. This ensures the production of ethyl acetate at a low capital-cost, highly competitive, world-scale plant.