New Top Global Player in Acrylics
Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, is set to acquire Lucite International Group Ltd. of the U.K. by the end of January.
Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, is set to acquire Lucite International Group Ltd. of the U.K. by the end of January. The deal reportedly will make Mitsubishi Rayon the world leader in acrylics, as it already is in Asia. It has facilities in Japan, Korea, China, and Thailand. Lucite, the current world leader in methacrylates, has 14 operations in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. (based in Cordova, Tenn.). With seven U.S. plants, Lucite International supplies Lucite and Perspex acrylic monomers, resins, and sheet. Mitsubishi Rayon (U.S. office in N.Y.C.) supplies Acrypet acrylic resins and monomers and Shinkolite acrylic sheet and film. With this acquisition, Mitsubishi gains Lucite’s new Alpha technology for making methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, which is said to have a 40% cost advantage over conventional MMA technology. The first Alpha MMA plant just started up in Singapore. (212) 223-3043 • www.mrany.com (800) 458-2483 • www.luciteusa.com
