Ashland to Increase Production Capacity for Hydroxyethylcellulose in Nanjing
The thickening agent is used as a non-ionic rheology modifier in a range of industries, including paints and coatings, construction, oil and gas, personal care, and pharmaceutical.
Ashland Global Holdings Inc. recently announced that it plans to increase production capacity of Natrosol™ hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) at its site in Nanjing, China. A natural product, the thickening agent is used as a non-ionic rheology modifier in a range of industries, including paints and coatings, construction, oil and gas, personal care, and pharmaceutical. According to Ashland, it is seeing increased demand for HEC due to: consumer trends toward more sustainable solutions; a global increase in the building and construction industries; and the desire for milder, natural, and sustainable solutions in consumer markets.
"Ashland Natrosol™ rheology modifiers have been the leading cellulosic thickeners for waterborne architectural coatings for more than fifty years," said Guillermo Novo, chairman and CEO. "Given the unprecedented demand and our customer-centric strategy, Ashland will build upon our previous investments in Nanjing and further expand capacity. This demonstrates our commitment to invest in Asia. It also supports a key lever of Ashland's growth strategy to ensure we can meet our customers' growing needs and provide additional supply security across the globe."
For additional information, visit www.ashland.com.
