ABS replaced by LyondellBasell's PP compound in lawnmowers production

(PlastEurope) -- Garden equipment manufacturer Husqvarna has specified ⌠Hostacom ERC 475L, a PP compound produced by LyondellBasell, to replace ABS in its redeveloped ⌠Flymo range of lawnmowers. The choice was driven by sharp rises in raw material prices and the requirement to use existing tooling in production. It was also important that a replacement offered sufficient impact strength and stability of shape when used in the manufacture of body casings. Plastics distributor K.D. Feddersen said that the newly-developed talc-filled ⌠Hostacom has the same shrinkage as ABS, combined with good mechanical performance.

The compound has undergone several development phases to improve brilliance, surface quality and scratch resistance, it added. The material has also enabled a reduction in cycle times compared to ABS, thanks to 20% reduction in processing temperature.

A representative of LyondellBasell top management is going to participate in Russian Polymers Summit on October 14, 2010 organized by ICIS and MRC. For more information please refer to http://www.icisconference.com/russianpolymers/ Summit official web page.

MRC

(Bloomberg) -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., the nation's biggest oil refiner, has raised its Tahe plant's processing capacity to 5 million metric tons a year.

MRC

TAIPEI (Reuters) -- The largest of state-owned CPC Corp Taiwan's three naphtha crackers should resume full operations within a few weeks after shutting down because of a typhoon, a company executive said on Tuesday.

The company is taking apart its No.5 cracker in southern Taiwan to check for problems following a typhoon that caused an outage on Sunday.

The cracker with a nameplate capacity of 450,000 tonnes per year (tpy) did not appear to be flooded despite high water and heavy rains elsewhere in southern Taiwan, he said.

MRC

(PackagingNews) -- Plastic packaging specialist Nampak is looking to trial milk bottles with 30% recycled content after a university study found that 50% recycled content was a feasible target for HDPE milk bottles.

Using post consumer food grade rHDPE pellets, the experimental work assessed the properties of blends of virgin HDPE with between 10% and 50% rHDPE, and also quantified the effects on material properties of five thermal cycles through an extruder.

The researchers concluded that the recyclate grades studied had very similar properties - including flow behaviour, quality and molecular and chemical structure - to the virgin materials.

MRC

(DuPont) -- Tim McCann, vice president - Performance Coatings, Americas, was appointed president, DuPont Building Innovations effective Oct. 1. Tim will report to Mark Vergnano, executive vice president.

Tim joined DuPont in 1980 as a technical representative for DuPont Permasep and has worked in a number of businesses since then, including DuPont Engineering Polymers and DuPont Fluoropolymers. In 2005, he was named vice president and general manager of DuPont Electronic Technologies. He was appointed to his current position in Oct. 2009.

"Tim will be responsible for implementing and executing the updated strategy for the Building Innovations business and leading the global team, Mark said. "Tim brings demonstrated business experience, strong people and organization skills, and a great mix of strategic and execution disciplines to the role.

MRC