Arkema Expands PVDF Production Capacity 20% at China Facility

Arkema, headquartered in Colombes, France, announced a 20% expansion of PVDF production capacity at its Changshu, China manufacturing site, with startup scheduled for 2028.

According to the company, the additional capacity is intended to support demand across multiple markets, including lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, high-performance coatings, chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, water filtration and wire and cable applications.

Arkema said the project is supported by its global R&D network, which includes centers in China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United States. The company said these facilities support collaboration with customers and development of high-performance polymer solutions.

The Changshu expansion follows a previously announced 15% capacity increase at Arkema's PVDF production site in Calvert City, Kentucky, representing an investment of approximately $20 million. That expansion, announced in February 2025, focuses on PVDF grades for electric vehicle manufacturing, energy storage systems, semiconductor and cable markets, with startup planned for the second quarter of 2026. Arkema also produces PVDF at its Pierre-Benite site in France.

In other recent capacity news, Arkema started up a new transparent polyamide production unit at its Singapore manufacturing platform in January 2026. According to the company, the facility represents an investment of approximately $20 million and gives Arkema the largest transparent polyamide production capacity in Asia. The unit serves markets including electronics, industrial filtration and healthcare devices.