According to reports, the Japanese company Kashima has announced the expansion of the production capacity of butyl halogenated butyl rubber from 10,000 tons / year to 80,000 tons / year. This expansion is expected to be completed in 2012. This will be the second time in five years that the Kashima halogenated butyl rubber plant is expanded.

       Kashima is a 50 - 50 joint venture between the Japanese corporation JSR and Exxon Mobil. According to the forcast, halogenated butyl rubber’s demand is expected to grow at 6% / year, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region.

       The company has stated that since 1995, ExxonMobil Chemical has expanded its global halogenated butyl rubber capacity by more than double. A competitor firm, Japan Butyl, has also completed an expansion of their Kawasaki plant, raising the total production capacity to 9.8 million tons / year.