Braskem Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Spheripol Process Technology at Neal, W.Va., Production Facility

KENOVA, W.Va. and PHILADELPHIA — June 14, 2018 — Braskem, a producer of thermoplastic polyolefins and biopolymers, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Spheripol process technology at its Neal production plant, located in the city of Kenova, W.Va.

Braskem’s Neal production facility sits on a 100-acre site along the Big Sandy River and produces more than 500 million pounds of polypropylene (PP) homopolymers per year and directly employing over 100 people. The plant is the first licensed deployment of the Spheripol process technology in the United States, a technology that is now one of the most widely used PP production processes worldwide.

Jeff Blatt, plant manager at Braskem’s Neal facility, stated: “On behalf of the entire Braskem team, we are proud to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Neal production facility taking a leadership role by bringing leading edge innovation to the market with the first U.S. Spheripol process technology deployment ever. Our track record for success in producing polypropylene in Neal has been a key part of Braskem’s leadership position as the largest producer of polypropylene in the Americas.”

“Since the initial launch of the Spheripol production process at Neal, the annual production capacity of the plant has almost doubled, and our future is as bright as ever. Over the past 8 years, Braskem has invested more than $20 million in Neal, West Virginia production facility infrastructure enhancements, helping extend our successful track record for plant safety, reliability, efficiency and environmental protection,” concluded Mr. Blatt.

Braskem is honored to be an integral part of the Kenova, W.Va., community and is a dedicated supporter of the Kenova Volunteer Fire Department and local Wayne County public schools. The company’s support of the program, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) at Spring Valley High School, helps the next generation of student leaders explore future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Braskem also supports the Wayne county public middle and elementary schools, helping excite young people about the vast opportunities open to them through fields of study in science.

Posted June 14, 2018

Source: Braskem

SHARE