Eastman Restructures Crude

Eastman Chemical Company has announced plans for an expansion
of its crude tall oil fractionation unit in Franklin, VA,
and the shutdown of the company’s fractionation and rosin
ester units in Savannah, GA.
The fractionation process separates tall oil, a byproduct of
the wood pulping process, into products used in adhesives,
inks, coating, and other industrial applications. The expansion
of the Franklin facility to approximately 100,000 tons
per year and the shutdown of the Savannah site will restructure
Eastman’s fractionation operations to a more efficient
single site. These actions, scheduled to occur in 2003, will
result in a better product supply/demand process and will
reduce Eastman’s overall crude tall oil fractionation
process, according to the company.