Tuesday, February 10, 2009

FRX Polymers to build “green” plastics plant in Switzerland

By Efrain Viscarolasaga

Chelmsford-based FRX Polymers Inc., a maker of environmentally friendly, flame retardant plastics, has signed an agreement with Uhde Inventa-Fischer (UIF) to build a pilot manufacturing facility at the German industrial engineering company’s facility in Switzerland.

The agreement will allow FRX Polymers to quickly achieve commercial scale for its new line of polyphosphonate homopolymers and copolymers, which it has been making on a limited scale in its Chelmsford facility. By 2010, the company expects to be capable of producing 500 tons of the material per year at the new plant.

Financial terms of the deal were not provided.

FRX’s family of plastics are strong and transparent, and possess high melt flow, according to company documents. Applications for the company’s plastics include television, computer, printer and cell phone housings, as well as electronic devices and connectors.

FRX Polymers was founded in 2007 through a joint venture between Israeli investment group KPP Investments and Chelmsford-based advanced materials company Triton Systems Inc.