Ascend Performance Materials has declared force majeure on shipments of its nylon 66 polymers, compounds and industrial fibers due to a July 10 fire at its Pensacola, Fla., complex.In a letter to its customers, Ascend said that it would "allocate polymer and fiber in a fair and equitable manner among its own internal requirements and Ascend’s contract customers" while the force majeure is in effect.
“At this point we are assessing when our polymerization units will restart,” Ascend spokeswoman Alison Jahn said in the email. She provided no further details on the declaration or the fire.
The Pensacola fire occurred about 4 a.m. on July 10 in one of the site’s vapor stacks, according to local reports.
“A fire at our Cantonment, FL site occurred this morning,” Ascend tweeted at 6:36 a.m. on July 10. “The fire was put out immediately and there were no injuries.”
Ascend is one of the world’s largest fully integrated manufacturers of nylon 6/6.
