PTA
Where you need it, when you need it.
Looking for a supplier you can rely on to get you the PTA you need, where and when you need it? Then look no further than Lotte Chemical UK.
The only UK manufacturer of PTA, and one of a select few in Europe, we adopt the well-established process of para-xylene oxidation followed by purification and re-crystallisation to manufacture over 500,000 tonnes of PTA every year to pharmaceutical standards.
Around 20% of this output is transferred by internal pipeline to our own PET facility. The remainder is exported throughout Europe, principally to other PET manufacturers though some finds its way into polyester textile applications ranging from fashion brands to home furnishings.
As much a PET manufacturer as we are a supplier of PTA, we have clear understanding of the product quality requirements of our external customers. We also have a proven logistics capability and highly competitive commercial terms. All of which combined continues to ensure we deliver the best quality PTA at the best value, where and when it’s needed. The PTA produced at LCUK’s T8 PTA plant is used throughout Europe in everything from catwalk fashion, linens and carpeting for the home, work-wear, sportswear, and recyclable bottles for water and soft drinks
What is PTA?
First discovered and developed in the 1950s, PTA is the key raw material for the manufacture of polyester and arguably the world’s most versatile polymer, replacing and improving upon fibres such as cotton and wool
A white powder made to pharmaceutical standards, PTA is produced using a two-stage process involving the initial oxidation of para-xylene followed by purification and re-crystallisation
Of the 50 million tonnes of PTA produced every year, over 60% still goes to the manufacture of polyester textiles, with the highest growth outlet for PTA being PET resin used in the manufacture of drinks bottles and premium product packaging for its clarity and strength
PTA is also used in polyester film for audio and video tapes and photographic imaging, plus speciality resins for metal coatings