Solutia to shutter production of PVB interlayers at US plant

US maker of performance materials and specialty chemicals, Solutia Inc. has announced to shutter production of its Saflex(R) polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers at its Trenton-based Saflex plant in Michigan effective March 31, 2009. The company will exclusively focus on production of its Butvar(R) PVB resin at the plant. The decision comes amid the faster growth in demand for PVB interlayers in Asia and Europe than North America leading to overcapacity in the region.

The move is set to affect 115 of the 187 employees at company's Trenton plant and about a loss of 30 mln square meters of PVB interlayers from North American region. Nevertheless, Saflex will maintain sufficient capacity to serve the market from our two other North American plants.

Saflex is the global leader in PVB production, innovation, quality and reliability. When laminated between layers of glass, PVB interlayers greatly enhance the performance characteristics of glass, providing benefits such as security, solar protection, sound attenuation and safety.