Japanese thermoplastics engineering firm Polyplastics Group announced Thursday that a new cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) production facility will be built in Leuna, Germany to support increase demand for the company’s TOPAS brand COC polymers. The facility will be operated by a local subsidiary, TOPAS Advanced Polymers GmbH, and feature a capacity of 20,000 tn/yr.

The expansion is expected to double Polyplastics’ current capacity of the product. Polyplastics currently operates another COC polymers plant in Oberhausen, Germany.

Due to its purity and glass-like qualities, COC polymers are used in medical devices. The product is also used in packaging, optics and electronics products. TOPAS COC has received certification as a recyclable polyolefin under an EU initiative to further a circular economy.

Polyplastics is based in Tokyo.