Morris Township, N.J.-An increase in caprolactum production at Honeywell Resins & Co.’s Hopewell, Va., facility should mean more anhydrous ammonia used and more ammonium sulfate produced, according to the company. The expansion, combined with ongoing production improvements, is expected to boost caprolactam production by up to 10 percent. The Hopewell facility produces more than 750 million pounds, or 340,000 metric tons, of caprolactam annually. Honeywell said it would get the extra ammonia either via increased production or sourcing elsewhere. It also expects to produce more AS as result of the upgrade, though the amount will depend on the exact increase in caprolactum production. “As global demand for caprolactam rises, especially in China, we are making the investments necessary to meet the demand for merchant supplies,” said Qamar Bhatia, vice president and general manager for Honeywell Resin & Chemicals, noting caprolactam consumption in China alone has grown from nearly 500,000 metric tons in 2002 to more than 700,000 metric tons in 2005. Demand in China is expected to outstrip regional supply through 2011. Bhatia said the expansion will include new production equipment at the Hopewell facility. Celebrating 50 years of caprolactam production in 2005, the Hopewell facility is the world’s largest single-site producer of caprolactam, which is used in the production of nylon fiber, films, and plastics; and ammonium sulfate, a co-product of caprolactam production that is used as a fertilizer and sold under the Sulf-N® brands.
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