Arkema has started up its new plant for the production of methyl acrylate, an acrylic acid derivative used in the manufacture of polymers for water treatment, elastomers and engineering polymers. This investment, on its Clear Lake site in Texas, represents the last phase of a $110 million investment plan intended to strengthen Arkema’s rankings in the U.S. acrylics market.

Following the commissioning of a 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate (2EHA) production plant in Bayport in 2012 and the opening of an acrylic acid capacity expansion in Clear Lake in June 2013, the start-up of a 45 KT methyl acrylate plant represents the last phase of the revamping and capacity increase plan for Arkema’s acrylics business in Texas announced in November 2010.

This commissioning now makes Clear Lake one of the world’s leading manufacturing sites for acrylic acid and derivatives.

With the completion of this investment program, Arkema aims to fully capitalize on the growth of acrylic acid and derivatives in the fast-growing markets of water treatment, superabsorbents and enhanced oil and gas recovery.