Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) | A Review of 15 PBT Producers

PBT Producer Profiles and Capacities This article compiles information on 15 domestic and international PBT producers for readers’ reference. 01 SABIC Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is a globally diversified chemical enterprise headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. SABIC operates manufacturing facilities across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region, producing chemicals, commodity and high-performance plastics, agricultural nutrients, and steel. It helps customers unlock new opportunities in key end-use sectors such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agricultural nutrients, electronics and electrical appliances, transportation, and clean energy. In 2020, SABIC’s total production reached 60.8 million metric tons. The company operates in over 50 countries worldwide and employs approximately 32,000 people. Fostering innovation and original thinking, SABIC holds 9,946 patents globally and maintains innovation centers in five key regions—North America, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and North Asia—backed by extensive R&D resources. Trade Name: VALOX Capacity: ~85,000 metric tons (unverified estimate) Website: sabic.com/en 02 DuPont DuPont is the world’s second-largest U.S.-based chemical company. In 1993, DuPont acquired Ciba-Geigy’s PBT business, significantly expanding its PBT production capacity. In 2011, DuPont and Lanxess announced plans to double the compounding capacity of their joint venture dedicated to PBT production. Trade Name: Crastin Capacity: ~100,000 metric tons (unverified estimate) Website: dupont.cn/ 03 BASF A global leader in the chemical industry, BASF serves virtually every sector and country worldwide. Its German plant expansion has increased combined PA and PBT compounding capacity to 700,000 metric tons. BASF/SABIC (Germany) is a facility formed after BASF acquired SABIC’s stake; its PBT products are primarily used in automotive, construction, electronics, and electrical applications. BASF/Toray (Malaysia) is a 50/50 joint venture between Japan’s Toray Industries, Inc. and Germany’s BASF SE. Its world-class polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) plant in Kuantan, Malaysia, commenced commercial production successfully in April 2006. Trade Name: Ultradur® Capacity: ~100,000 metric tons (unverified estimate) Website: basf.com/cn/zh.html 04 Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Plastics was established in 1994 through a joint investment by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Mitsubishi Chemical. Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd. manufactures PBT using dimethyl terephthalate and 1,4-butanediol as raw materials, employing a fully integrated production process. Novaduran exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, rigidity, heat-aging resistance, and chemical resistance. It also delivers excellent moldability, wear resistance, colorability, and electrical characteristics. Key Features: • Superior mechanical properties • Excellent heat resistance • Outstanding moldability and flow behavior • High dimensional stability and low moisture absorption • Excellent surface appearance

What Are Global Petrochemical Giants Doing Amid Industry-Wide ‘Low Prosperity’?

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) Systematically advancing localized industrial clustering while pursuing selective global expansion As the flagship of Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical industry, SABIC’s domestic development reflects a “systems engineering” mindset: centered on the Jubail Industrial City, it integrates project implementation, deep local integration of supply chains, low-carbon infrastructure development, and capital operations. Globally, SABIC’s strategy demonstrates a more resolute approach to “selection and trade-offs.” In Asia—particularly China—the company is building a complete localized supply chain spanning from basic feedstocks to high-performance materials via its “flagship project,” the Fujian Gulei world-scale integrated petrochemical complex, along with investments in local engineering plastics compounding facilities. This aims to embed SABIC deeply within Asia’s high-growth markets. Simultaneously, it is expanding production capacity for polyphenylene ether (PPE) oligomers—used in printed circuit boards (PCBs) for AI servers and 5G base stations—to directly target high-growth, high-value segments in the electronics and electrical sector. In stark contrast, following the permanent shutdown of its cracker units in Teesside (UK) and elsewhere, SABIC has upgraded its stance toward high-cost European assets—from “shutdown optimization” to “strategic exit.” LG Chem Shifting momentum toward battery materials and green transition Currently, LG Chem has submitted a restructuring plan for its domestic petrochemical business, optimizing—or even scaling back—certain traditional capacities to cope with industry-wide profitability pressures. In sharp contrast, the company is aggressively advancing and securing market share in battery materials. Technologically, LG Chem is promoting its innovative “Lithium Precursor-Free” (LPF) cathode material and has initiated mass production, aiming to reduce both costs and carbon footprint by shortening the process chain. Market-wise, North America has become its strategic priority. This combination of “technological differentiation + localized supply chain + long-term order commitments” underscores LG Chem’s determination to lock in the certainty of electrification. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Focusing on high-value-added sectors The Mitsubishi Chemical Group is explicitly channeling growth resources into high-value-added material sectors—including electrification, semiconductors, and food packaging. Regarding sustainability, its initiatives are evolving beyond plastic chemical recycling toward more advanced carbon-circular technologies. A chemical recycling facility built in collaboration with ENEOS at the Ibaraki plant has recently been completed, marking a shift in its circular economy strategy from R&D demonstration to commercial operation—aiming to establish a stable supply of recycled feedstock. Concurrently, in partnership with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and others, it will launch a carbon-circular demonstration project in 2026 that converts CO₂ from steel mills into methanol and then propylene.

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