Naphthalate – Polymers and Co-Polymers are not new materials to the world of polyesters. They have been available since late 1990s since the commissioning of the Amoco NDC production facility at Decatur, Alabama, in 1995. The interest in Naphthalates was intense during the early development in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the raw material costs and scale of production contributing to higher monomer cost has hindered the development of Naphthalate polymers and their usage for many of the potential application. In addition, availability and knowledge of the polymers and their attributes also remain a hindrance. Today, there is considerable interest in these materials especially driven by the change of hands from a strictly monomer supplier (BP) to an integrated polymer supplier (IVL). The availability and options for a variety of co-polymers with support for end-use product applications, a new revived interest it their use appears to be taking hold.

This presentation shall provide a glimpse of what is new, of course, with the past as the foundation for the future. Several new materials and potential end-use applications shall be shared for discussion.