Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, TN, announced plans for a production expansion at the company's crude tall oil fractionation unit in Franklin, VA, and the shutdown of the fractionation and rosin ester units in Savannah, GA. The plants, which are part of the resins businesses acquired in 2001 from Hercules Inc., are operated by Eastman Chemical Resins Inc., a wholly owned Eastman subsidiary. The fractionation process separates tall oil, a byproduct of the wood-pulping process, into products used in coatings, adhesives, inks, paper size, and other industrial materials.