SPECIALTY chemicals maker Ashland Inc yesterday opened a US$90 million polymer plant in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, to serve demand in China and Asia.

The plant is capable of making 10,000 tons a year of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), a polymer used as an additive in a wide variety of products such as paints, shampoos and shower gels.

The US company said the new plant is its largest single investment in the Asia-Pacific region.