Dow introduces new solutions and signs agreement with SIBUR and other petchem majors at Khimia-2013

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Dow Chemical Company presented its latest technological advances and the comprehensive portfolio of solutions for Russia and former Soviet Unionin at the 17th international chemical exhibition "Khimia-2013", reported the company on its site.

"With our continuous presence in Russia and CIS for almost 40 years, today we are proud to say that Dow is a recognized leader on the Russian market having two manufacturing facilities and supplying our diversified solutions for almost all the market segments. We view Russia and CIS as one of the largest growth potential regions in the world - given its size, vast natural resources, growing population, proximity to very large population areas such as China, India and Western Europe," said Peter de Groot, general manager of Dow in Russia and CIS.

During Khimia-2013 two Dow’s businesses - Dow Oil & Gas and Dow Microbial Control - presented a wide range of solutions for the oil & gas industry.

Besides, Dow and JSC SIBUR Holding, recognized leading manufacturers of basic and specialty chemistry, signed a framework agreement which clarifies the companies' collaboration in the spheres of fuel ethers, process technologies of sorption and others. The parties aim to introduce at SIBUR's sites Dow's latest technologies and solutions that increase efficiency of production processes and ensure the quality of future product.

Also, Dow, together with other major coatings producers and raw materials suppliers - LLC Tikkurila, JSC Yaroslavskie Kraski, CJSC Akzo Nobel Decor and DuPont Titanium Technologies - signed a Charter to form the Quality Paint Association in Russia. The Association aims to unite major producers of paints and varnishes, raw materials suppliers and other players of the coatings and paints industry in Russia - to advance international quality, and safety and environmental standards of paints on the Russian market bringing the market closer to Western international standards.

As MRC informed before, Dow Elastomers, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, has recently unveiled a breakthrough compatibilization technology that offers a tuneable range of new-to-the-world, highly effective solutions for combining both non-polar and polar polymers with polypropylene. INTUNE PP-based Olefin Block Copolymers from Dow offer highly effective solutions for combining polyethylene (PE), polyolefin elastomers (POE) and polar materials such as ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and polyamide (PA) with polypropylene (PP) to provide the best benefits of each material, while minimizing individual trade-off properties.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene (PS), polyurethane, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and synthetic rubber.

With almost 40 years of continued presence in Russia and CIS, Dow keeps growing the business, while significantly accelerating the growth of the chemical industry in the region. In 2012, Dow had annual sales of over 700 mln. USD and employed approximately 260 highly qualified specialists in Russia and CIS. In addition to its representation offices in Moscow and Sochi (Russia), Kiev (Ukraine) and Astana (Kazakhstan), the company has two manufacturing facilities in Ramenskoye (Moscow Region) for the production of additives for paints and coatings, and in Vladimir where the Dow Izolan joint venture company inaugurated in 2009 its new, large and state-of-the-art manufacturing plant for the production of polyurethane systems.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russian producers of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) plasticiser managed to stabilise the market.
Price offers for November delivery of DOP plasticiser was left at the rollover from the October level, as per MRC analysts.

Following price reduction of Rb1,000/tonne in October, Russian producers managed to stabilise the domestic market.
Many producers said DOP price offers for November were practically left at the rollover from the previous month.

Spot price for Russian DOP plasticiser was heard at Rb69,000-70,500/tonne FCA, including VAT. Demand for DOP plasticiser has weakened but there is not any shortage.

DOP is the dominant plasticizer used in PVC, providing low cost.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- European polypropylene (PP) producers have reduced prices following lower prices for propylene, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

November contrast PP prices in Europe were agreed by EUR30/tonne lower from October. European producers announced PP price cuts for the CIS markets by EUR30-40/tonne amid lower feedstock prices.

Deals for European homopolymer of propylene (homopolymer PP) to be shipped in November were being negotiated in the range of EUR1,130-1,200/tonne FCA this week. Prices for block copolymers of propylene (PP-block) were heard in the range of EUR1,200-1,260/tonne FCA.

Some market participants were not in a hurry to contract European PP, hoping to achieve even lower prices. European producers have recently adoped a practice of reducing prices further in the middle of the month.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- "Gazprom neftekhim Salavat" (part of Gazprom), Russia 's largest petrochemical complex, shut down its ethylene production for a scheduled turnaround, reported MRC analysts.

The outage at the ethylene production was caused by scheduled maintenance works and will last about a week. The plant's annual production capacity is 300,000 tonnes of ethylene.

The plant can process annually up to 10 million tonnes of oil. The production capacity for high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) is 120,000 tonnes and 45,000 tonnes per year, respectively.

The company's long-term development plans include an increase in HDPE production capacity, in pyrolysis production EP-300 up to 380,000 tonnes per year and commissioning a new complex for acrylic acid and acrylates.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Unimatec Chemicals Europe (Weinheim, Germany) has announced its expansion in North America with the formation of Unimatec Chemicals America Inc, as per GV.

The new sales and distribution office is located in Novi, MI, near Detroit.

Dr. H. Martin Issel, Managing Director of Unimatec Chemicals Europe, and President of Unimatec Chemicals America, said: "We are very excited and pleased to be able to service our North American customer base from our new Novi office, and have already stocked most popular product grades in our US warehouses."

The company operates warehouses in Akron, OH, and Atlanta, GA. Technical service chemists and sales specialists will also be part of the expansion in the Novi office.

The company is well-established on the market with its Noxtite brand of FKM, ACM and HT- ACM polymers and the Cheminox curatives, manufactured in Singapore and Japan. Because of their excellent heat and oil resistance Noxtite fluorinated and acrylic polymers are especially suited for automotive and other demanding applications in hoses, ducts, precision moulded parts, seals, and gaskets.

As MRC wrote earlier, in late October, Huntsman Corp., a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals, conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for a USD150 million expansion project at Port Neches, USA. Huntsman is preparing for the expansion of its ethylene oxide manufacturing capacity at the Port Neches facility by adding a third EO unit.

UNIMATEC is a manufacturer of high performance rubber polymers and chemical specialty products based on advanced Fluorine- and Organic chemistry.
MRC