Sartomer unveils its latest innovative acrylates

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sartomer (part of Arkema group), a key leader in high performance UV curable acrylates, has introduced its latest developments for UV/EB curable specialty acrylates, reported Arkema in its press-release.

Sartomer presented its ongoing commitment in the coating and graphic arts industries, with the following developments: innovative acrylates designed to answer the changing technical and regulatory requirements in most applications (food packaging, wood coating, etc.) - Bisphenol A, Tin, PETiA free solutions; low migration range (LM); SARBIO, based on renewable raw materials.

These products accont for unique chemistry to meet high performance features: adhesion, barrier properties, dual cure, high toughness, low viscosity, outdoor resistance, scratch resistance, soft-touch.

We remind, as MRC informed previously, this summer, Arkema, a France-based chemical manufacturer, intoduced a comprehensive range of PEKK (Poly Ether Ketone Ketone) ultra high performance polymers comprised of three families of products whose properties meet the requirements of aerospace, oil exploration and electronics applications. These new materials significantly expand Arkema’s high performance materials offerings to high added value markets.

Sartomer is part of Arkema. Sartomer is the premier global supplier of specialty chemicals for ultraviolet and electron beam (UV/EB), peroxide, and two-part epoxy/amine systems. For more than 50 years, Sartomer has pioneered the development of these advanced technologies, introducing hundreds of products that enhance performance in coatings, inks, adhesives, composites, rubber and other demanding applications.

Arkema is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Grangemouth refinery will probably stay shut for the time being after talks broke down between its owner Ineos Group Holdings and the Unite union over plans to cut costs and changes to wages and pensions, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Ineos, which operates the 210,000 bpd facility and a petrochemical plant, said the union refused to rule out industrial action during a 60-day consultation on the company’s cost-cutting plan. Unite, the UK's largest union, said it would only return to talks if the company suspends the proposal.

"For any negotiations to take place they have to drop the imposition on the workers," Peter Welsh, a spokesman for Unite, said by phone.

Employees already offered to hold off on any industrial action until December 31 in the last round of mediated talks, which ended without a deal this week, Welsh said.

As MRC wrote previously, Unite called off a 48-hour strike on October 16 which threatened to cut about 45 % of United Kingdom’s crude production. The site supplies power and steam to BP’s neighboring Kinneil processing plant, which handles crude from the Forties Pipeline System, gathered from more than 80 offshore fields.

"The union refused to accept Ineos offer to restart the Grangemouth plant in exchange for a commitment that there will be no further industrial action this year" Ineos said in an e-mailed statement after a meeting with Unite.

The facility will continue to supply steam to Kinneil while the refinery is offline, Richard Longden, a spokesman for Ineos said by phone from London. The Grangemouth oil refinery is jointly owned by Ineos and PetroChina, while Ineos is the sole owner of the petrochemical site, which has a capacity of 1 MMtpy.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond met with both parties, urging Ineos to restore production and calling on the union to pledge not to strike until the end of the year, according to a statement from the Scottish government.

Restoring full production after the outage could take weeks, Ineos said. During the eight weeks it took to reach normal refinery operations after the 2008 strike, a compressor caught fire and crude oil leaked, the company said.

As MRC reported before, Ineos Grangemouth plant is likely to be shut down in the next three years if it continues losing over GBP100 million every year, as per Ineos chairman of Olefins and Polymers Europe. The main reasons for the massive losses are the decline in North Sea petrochemical feedstocks and the site’s pension scheme deficit of GBP200 million, two issues Ineos is now working to address.

INEOS Group Limited is a privately owned multinational chemicals company consisting of 15 standalone business units, headquartered in Rolle, Switzerland and with its registered office in Lyndhurst, United Kingdom. It is the fourth largest chemicals company in the world measured by revenues (after BASF, Dow Chemical and LyondellBasell) and the largest privately owned company in the United Kingdom.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Brazilian trade deficit in chemicals in the first nine months of 2013 was 19.7% greater than in the same period in 2012, said Bnamericas, citing chemical industry association Abiquim.

The total deficit of USD23.8bn for the year to September reflected a 10.8% increase in chemical imports to USD34.4bn, and a 4.9% drop in Brazil's chemical exports to USD10.6bn. Abiquim expects Brazil to post a record annual trade deficit in chemicals in 2013 of more than USD33bn.

In the month of September, Brazil's imports of chemical products decline by 12% from August to USD3.9bn. Imports were 3.5% higher than in September 2012.

The most imported chemical products were intermediate products for fertilizers, with USD686mn of imports in September.

Brazil exported USD1.2bn of chemical products in September, 2.5% more than in August but 0.7% less than in September last year.

As MRC wrote before, Brazilian trade deficit in plastic resins and raw materials surged in the first eight months of 2013 to USD615mn from just USD6.7mn in the same period last year. Producers of polyolefins outside Brazil, especially in the US, used their lower production costs to increase their share of a fast growing market.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Henkel Bautechnik’s new factory in Russia’s Stavropol region is now open for production, reported the company on its site.

The plant was officially opened on October 16, at a ceremony attended by customers, local officials, journalists and employees.

It is setting the standard for sustainable manufacturing of construction adhesives and bringing Henkel’s world-leading dry mix products closer to new and existing customers in the fast-growing Russian market.

The new site is Henkel Bautechnik’s fourth plant in Russia and will supply more than twenty regional distributors in this attractive market. Adhesive Technologies is optimizing its logistics and stock-management in Russia to reduce delivery times, decrease costs and drive down its footprint by cutting fuel consumption. This is the reason Russia’s Stavropol region was selected: The area is a magnet for investment thanks to its abundant local resources, reliable transport infrastructure and proximity to large distribution markets. The new factory brings Henkel closer to its customers geographically, and opens up new opportunities for partnering and customer collaboration.

The plant’s facilities include five automated production lines, warehouse space covering 8,500m2 and an overall annual production capacity of 160,000 tons.

The project is part of Henkel’s commitment to expanding its presence in emerging markets, including Russia, where it is already the number one supplier of adhesives: Ceresit and Thomsit brand products were used on more than 250 Russian construction sites in 2013 alone.

As MRC wrote previously, in September Henkel inaugurated the world’s largest adhesives factory in Shanghai, China. With this new production facility the company says it is expanding its production capacity in a major emerging market and will deliver its adhesive technologies more quickly to the growing number of customers based in China and the Asian region. The new factory comprises 150,000 square meters of space and is now the central production site for the company's industrial adhesives in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries, and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite.
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