Kraton Corp. recently announced a significant investment in its alpha methyl styrene (AMS) resins facility in Niort, France. The company expects the investment will result in a 15% production increase at the Niort manufacturing facility by 2023. In addition, Kraton anticipates the investment will lead to a 70% reduction in solvent consumption, creating a favorable impact on the product life cycle by the end of 2022.

Also known as pure monomer resins, the company’s AMS resins are sold in high-end applications such as high-performance tackifying resins in fast-growing adhesive markets and tread enhancement additives for premium tires. In recent years, Kraton has made significant investments in AMS resins at the Niort facility, resulting in added operational capacity and improved asset reliability.