“We’re doing what we can to fill the immediate need,” said Invista representative Jodie Stutzman to Automotive News. “The CDT operations we have are running hard, and we’re working to make available as much of the material as possible right now.”
Invista isn’t the only chemical company stepping up to help the auto industry. DuPont says it can increase production of its polymers used in automotive applications, Automotive News reports. Earlier this week, executives from eight automakers met with representatives from 50 suppliers in Troy, Michigan about the implications from the shortage of CDT. Paul Blanchard, senior principal analyst for IHS Chemical believes the best solution to the CDT shortage would be for Invista to increase production for the auto industry, noting that “this can help avoid a lot of replacement engineering activities.”
While Invista is the only domestic producer of CDT, French company Arkema, Japanese-based Ube Industries, and Swiss-based Ems-Chemie Holding also make nylon 12 and have been in talks with automakers and suppliers. Arkema, however, sources CDT from Evonik for its nylon 12 production.
So far, no automakers have changed production schedules due to the chemical plant explosion and resulting shortage of CDT.
