Huvis and Indorama Ventures plan plant for low-melt fiber

A new plant in the U.S. will manufacture low-melt fiber (LMF) and have an annual capacity of 60,000 tons. The plant is an equal partnership of Indorama Ventures Public Company Ltd., a global chemical producer, and Huvis Corp. of South Korea. The location of the plant is being finalized. It’s expected to be operational in 2019.

LMF is commonly used as a binder fiber in core-sheath constructions to produce high value-added applications for automotive and industrial composites, such as wadding, insulation, filtration, automotive acoustic insulation material and other products where heat is used to bond the fibers.

The venture points to new growth for both companies in a time of global expansion of the industry. A press release reports LMF sales are increasing at a rate of 8 percent a year as manufacturers have been converting from conventional chemical adhesives to a thermo-bonding method.

The plan includes selling the initial volumes of LMF in the U.S., with the potential to significantly expand its scope into neighboring regions over time, an Indorama Ventures press release says.

Huvis operates manufacturing plants in Asia that produce Super Fiber, environmentally friendly fiber and differentiated fiber. Indorama Ventures delivers innovative, mission-critical solutions to customers in more than 100 countries.