Solvay launches Ocalio cellulose acetate bioplastic

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has announced the introduction of OcalioT cellulose acetate bio-plastic manufactured using wood pulp, an entirely renewable resource obtained from SFI certified forests, said Foodbev.

This new and amorphous engineering bio-plastic is a non-toxic material. Together with a bio-plasticizer the bio-based content of OcalioT compounds is at present 50 %.

Unlike many bio-plastics, OcalioT, as a cellulose acetate bio plastic, only uses wood pulp. An entirely renewable resource and thus does not compete for food resources. It also has a much lower CO2 manufacturing footprint when compared to petroleum-based products.

With technical properties and performance more than comparable to oil-based plastics, OcalioT cellulose acetate compounds can not only replace applications made with engineering plastics such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) but also polycarbonates (PC).

In addition to the beneficial range and balance of mechanical properties and ease of processing, OcalioT plasticized cellulose acetate displays excellent surface aesthetics such as a high gloss, smooth and silky tactile qualities and an exceptional depth of colour, for both opaque and transparent grades.

"Solvay has over a century of experience developing and manufacturing commodity and high performance specialty plastics and polymers and the addition of bio-plastics is a natural progression," explains Marc Michels, marketing director Solvay Acetow.

"Our company's renewable chemistry platform studies the potential of bio-based chemistry with the objective of identifying opportunities for improving, advancing, and expanding Solvay's existing product offering to meet consumer's demanding expectations in an evolving society."

Patents for cellulose acetate were first deposited by Solvay Acetow in 1911 - the year of the first Solvay Conference, prestigious meetings of the world's leading scientists still held today. In recent years Solvay Acetow diversified its product portfolio based on its acetylation know-how.

Manufactured in Europe in back integrated and completely self-sufficient facilities, OcalioT cellulose acetate compounds will be commercially available in Q1 2014.

As MRC wrote before, Solvay announces that its Aroma Performance business unit has won the ICIS Best Product Innovation Award 2013 for its Govanil flavor whose revolutionary long-lasting and intensity of taste allows for a lower use of fat and sugar in pastry, bakery and chocolate food products.

Solvay is an international chemicals and plastics company. Solvay, with a market share 27%, is the second largest PVC manufacturer in Europe, after Kerling with 29% of the market. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012. Solvay SA SOLB.BE) is listed on NYSE Euronext in Brussels and Paris.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Hexpol TPE group, a manufacturer of custom-formulated TPE and flexible polymer compounds, has appointed MLPlastics as its distribution partner in the North of Germany, as per GV.

The group, which brings together the Elasto and Muller Kunststoffe businesses, announced the appointment at the K2013 exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany.

MLPlastics, based in Hamburg, Germany, was founded in 2003. Their primary focus is on the development and distribution of specialised technical polymer compounds. MLPlastics will be supporting the market expansion of Hexpol TPE’s Lifoflex and Dryflex TPE brands, with grades based on TPS (SBS, and SEBS), TPO and TPV technologies.

Specialist grades have been developed including halogen-free flame retardant, conductive, adhesion grades for 2K applications, hydrophilic and compounds offering improved compression set performance. Dryflex and Lifoflex are used in the consumer, automotive, construction, and electronics markets.

MLPlastics will also be working with the group’s range of complimentary flexible polymer compounds including Lifolit soft PVC, Lifocork cork compounds, Lifoprene TPU and Lifobatch colour and additive masterbatches.

As MRC informed previously, Hexpol acquired in 2010 thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) business Elasto from the Vita Group, which includes two production facilities in Europe and expanded its business in China with a launch of new compounding operations in 2012.

Hexpol is a compounder of thermoplastics and TPEs as well as a processor of wheels made from polyurethane, other plastics and rubber. The company is headquartered in Sweden but has a global footprint.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont's Board of Directors has authorized management to execute a full separation of its Performance Chemicals segment, which includes the Titanium Technologies and Chemicals & Fluoroproducts businesses, according to the company's statement.

DuPont intends to execute the separation through a tax-free spin-off to shareholders, subject to customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the separation in about 18 months, 100% of the new public entity will be owned by DuPont shareholders.

"Following a thorough strategic review process over the last year, the spin-off of Performance Chemicals is clearly the best option to deliver enhanced value for our shareholders. This separation will advance the transformation of DuPont and result in two strong, highly competitive companies," said DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman.

The Performance Chemicals spin-off is DuPont’s latest portfolio enhancement guided by its strategic direction. Since 2010, DuPont has executed a number of acquisitions and divestitures, including divesting its Performance Coatings segment earlier this year.

DuPont’s Performance Chemicals segment will operate as an independent, publicly traded company after the separation. The new company will have world leading businesses in Titanium Technologies and Chemicals & Fluoroproducts, solid fundamentals, strong cash flow generation, and well established positions in attractive markets. The Performance Chemicals segment generated about USD7 billion in 2012 revenues.

DuPont announced on July 23 that it would explore strategic alternatives for its Performance Chemicals businesses as part of an ongoing portfolio review to determine the optimal mix of businesses for maximizing shareholder value. Evercore and Goldman Sachs are strategic advisors on the separation.

As MRC wrote previously, in late 2012 DuPont reported of investments that the company were making in all its divisions kept on delivering results which were offset by the weakness in titanium dioxide (TiO2) markets. "Excluding the performance chemicals unit, which includes TiO2, the company expects earnings growth of at least high-teens in 2013 versus 2012. Performance chemicals margins are expected to fall six to seven percentage points in 2013," DuPont said.

DuPont is an American chemical company that was founded in July, 1802. The company manufactures a wide range of chemical products, leading extensive innovative research in this field. The company is the inventor of many unique plastics and other materials, including neoprene, nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, Mylar, Tyvek, etc. DuPont was the developer and main producer of Freon used in the production of refrigeration equipment.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Foster Wheeler has been selected by Farabi Petrochemicals Company to undertake a concept study and technology selection contract for the Jazan Petrochemicals Project in Saudi Arabia, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The Foster Wheeler contract value was not disclosed and will be included in the company’s fourth-quarter 2013 bookings. "Farabi Petrochemicals are pleased to award this contract to Foster Wheeler and look forward to working with them to develop this key investment in our company’s future," said Mohammed Al-Wadaey, president of Farabi Petrochemicals Company.

Foster Wheeler’s scope of work will include development of the overall concept for the project, which is planned to include a world-scale linear alkyl benzene plant and a range of units producing specialty chemicals derived from diesel feedstock.

Foster Wheeler will also recommend the technology for the production of low aromatics solvent and for the treatment of heavy fuel oil, as well as develop a capital and operating cost estimate and the invitation to tender for the front-end engineering design.

The study is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2014. "We are delighted that Farabi Petrochemicals Company has awarded this important strategic study to Foster Wheeler, continuing a relationship that stretches back over a decade," said Umberto della Sala, chief operating officer of Foster Wheeler.

"We look forward to making a key contribution in assisting our client to progress this significant investment, and delivering a strong performance that will position us well for subsequent phases of the project," he added.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, Foster Wheeler has recently announced that a subsidiary of its global engineering and construction (E&C) group was awarded a contract by Dow Chemical to provide services for the LA-3 crack more ethane (CME) project at Dow’s Plaquemine petrochemical complex in Louisiana. The objective of the project is to improve the plant's ethane flexibility to take advantage of low-cost feedstock. The scope will include brownfield additions and retrofit modifications to the plant.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Austrian petrochemical company Borealis has begun preparations for the start of Borouge 3 in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, reported Apic-online with reference to Borealis CEO Mark Garrett's statement at the K fair international plastics and rubber fair in Dusseldorf, Germany.

"We have begun preparations for the start up of Borouge 3 like air testing and drying of units. The different units will start up in a staggered way through 2014," he said.

Borouge 3, includes an 1.5 million mt/year ethane cracker, three polyethylene (PE) units with a capacity of 1.43 million mt/year and two polypropylene (PP) with a capacity of 960,000 mt/year.

The Borealis CEO added that the cracker will start before the polyolefins unit. "We will have shipments of ethylene to balance the usage. We can also balance usage within our Borouge system," he added. He did not specify the exact start up dates.

The existing capacity of Borouge 1 and 2 is 2.1 million mt/year of ethylene, 1.14 million mt/year of PE, 860,000 mt/year of PP and an olefins conversion unit with a capacity of 752,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote earlier, in 2012, Borealis and Borouge combined their expertise to serve the automotive market by introducing a new grade of polypropylene (PP) specified for use in lightweight bumper applications for two new Renault automotive platforms.

Borouge is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil company and Borealis.
MRC