Multi-specialty chemical company Solvay caters to multiple industries including pharmaceutical and consumer packaging. In the consumer packaging segment, Solvay’s high barrier polymers offer combined water vapor, oxygen barrier and heat sealing properties for protecting fresh food, convenience food, dry food and wrapped food. Food packaging materials from Solvay include fluorinated fluids (Solvera PFPE) used as surface treatment for oil- and grease-resistant packaging.
In India, the company has engagement primarily with the pharmaceutical industry when it comes to packaging applications. Solvay talked about its solutions at Plastindia 2018, which was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat last month.
“We have a lot of customers in India from the pharma segment who are using our solutions for niche applications—mostly for the export market,” says Amlan Das, managing director for India at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers.
Solvay has a plant in India at Panoli, Gujarat, where it manufactures high-end solutions—ether ketone and polyethersulfone. Almost 99% of the manufactured product is exported. Das informed that the company will begin manufacturing membrane polyethersulfone (PESU) at Panoli by the second half of this year.
“Keeping in mind the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, we will soon start membrane polyethersulfone production at Panoli and for that we will invest Rs 500 crore. This also shows our faith in the Indian market, which will only continue in the times ahead,” Das said.
Das said the new membrane grade PESU will cater to sectors such as healthcare, including dialysis treatment and pharmaceuticals, and water purification.
