Braskem's UTEC® Extends Global Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Innovation and Client Reach

LA PORTE, Texas and PHILADELPHIA, May 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5 and BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), highlights its first full year of UTEC® Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) production at its La Porte, Texas production facility by introducing new market leading innovation including its new UTEC® 9540, the highest molecular weight polyethylene polymer commercially available worldwide.

Braskem, the largest thermoplastics polyolefins producer in the Americas and the worldwide leader in bio-polymers, serves UHMWPE clients globally with increased flexibility and product availability from its UTEC® facilities in the U.S. and Brazil, which have a combined annual UHMWPE production capacity of 70 kilotons. Braskem sells high-performance UHMWPE under the trade name UTEC®, developed and produced through Braskem's proprietary technologies.

Christopher Gee, UTEC Global Director, commented, "As we celebrate our first full-year of UTEC® production at our La Porte, Texas facility, and extend our product portfolio, we have strengthened Braskem's clear position as a market leader for UHMWPE clients worldwide. The successful UTEC® technology transfer from our operations in Brazil to the U.S. has allowed Braskem to increase UTEC® production capacity, expand its global footprint, and enhance client responsiveness. With global demand for UHMWPE increasing, including a rising presence in high-growth markets such as energy storage, we feel confident that we made the right decision to invest in this technology.  We look forward to expanding our leadership position in the market through new products offerings and strategic partnerships. The future for UTEC® has never been brighter."

UTEC® 9540 has a molecular weight over 50 times higher than High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) resins and is used in applications that require extreme abrasion resistance. This latest addition to Braskem's UTEC® portfolio extends the depth and breadth of products available to a wide range of applications including RAM extruded and compression molded sheets, rods, and profiles.

Braskem's UTEC® is an engineered polymer with excellent mechanical properties, such as high abrasion resistance, impact strength and low coefficient of friction. It is a self-lubricating, high-strength, lightweight machinable product used for semi-finished goods. Eight times lighter than steel and lasting ten times longer than HDPE, UTEC® is utilized across a vast array of applications in the following industries: construction, agriculture, material handling, transportation, textile, pulp and paper, food and beverage, mining, marine, porous plastics, oil and gas, high performance fibers, energy storage, and waste water treatment. UTEC® has products spanning a range of molecular weights and particle sizes. The molecular weight begins in the low range (3 million g/mol) and extends to a high range (7 to 11 million g/mol).

For additional information about Braskem's UTEC® product benefits and applications, please visit online at www.braskem.com/UTEC®. 

ABOUT BRASKEM

With a human-oriented global vision of the future, Braskem strives every day to improve people's lives by creating sustainable solutions with chemicals and plastics. Braskem is the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the leading producer of biopolymers in the world, creating more environmental-friendly, intelligent and sustainable solutions through chemicals and plastics. Braskem exports to clients in approximately 100 countries and operates 41 industrial units, which are located in Brazil, United States, Germany and Mexico, the latter in partnership with the Mexican company Idesa. For more information, visit www.braskem.com.

Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, and a new operation in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.

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SOURCE Braskem