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Packaging News - January 25, 2005 - Jobwerx News - Eastman Chemical thinks it has an answer for the soaring PET resin costs. It is a major PET resin production innovation called IntegRex. Announced last September, the technology encompasses manufacturing process integration from paraxylene to PET and completely redefines the process. In the first presentation from Eastman's Voridian Division at a public conference, the company provided further details about the IntegRex technology, and how it will be utilized in a new plant now being built to produce commodity resins for CSD and mineral water applications.

Greg W. Nelson, PhD., vice president, technology for Eastman Chemical Company’s Voridian Division, gave a presentation yesterday titled 'An Integrated PET Resin Manufacturing Process Designed for Packaging Applications' at Nova Pack Americas 2005 in Bal Harbour, Florida, USA. It was Eastman’s first public comment about its breakthrough IntegRex PET technology since it was announced last September at the company’s Investor Day.

"IntegRex technology represents multiple PTA and PET process innovations that enable new ways to think about product and package attributes," Nelson told the audience. "It is so much more than simply eliminating solid stating."

With a heritage of chemical process expertise, technological innovation and a significant research and development capability, Eastman expects to receive patents on more than 100 innovations surrounding this breakthrough technology, including the PET process, the PTA process, the integration of the overall manufacturing process and specific product attributes enabled by the technology.

Eastman is using IntegRex technology to build a world-scale, cost advantaged PX to PET manufacturing facility at its existing site in Columbia, S.C. Construction is expected to begin within the next few weeks. Additionally, a number of Eastman’s existing PTA facilities will be retrofitted using IntegRex technology.

Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN), headquartered in Kingsport, Tenn., manufactures and markets chemicals, fibers and plastics worldwide. The company employs approximately 12,000 people and had 2003 sales of US$5.8 billion. Visit Eastman’s Web site at eastman.com for more information about the company and its products.

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