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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsui Chemicals is in plans to shut a naphtha cracker for maintenance turnaround, reported Apic-online.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the cracker is likely to be taken off-stream on June 19, 2014. It is slated to remain off-stream for around one month.
Located in Osaka, Japan, the plant has an ethylene production capacity of 450,000 mt/year.
As MRC wrote earlier, Dow Chemical has signed a long-term ethylene off-take agreement with a new Japanese joint venture that will allow the chemical producer to enhance its performance plastics franchise. The joint venture is being formed between Japanese companies Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui & Co. to construct and operate a Linear Alpha Olefins unit on the US Gulf Coast.
Mitsui Chemicals,a Japanese chemical company, is a part of the Mitsui conglomerate. The company has a turnover of around 15 billion USD and has business interests in Japan, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and the USA. The company mainly deals in performance materials, petro and basic chemicals and functional polymeric materials.
MRC
Mitsui Chemicals to shut cracker for maintenance in Japan
Expansion makes the INEOS plant the largest single ENB plant in the world.
MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS Oxide has today confirmed that it has successfully expanded its Ethylidene Norbornene (ENB) plant at its Antwerp facility, increasing its capacity to 28,000 tonnes, making it the single largest ENB plant in the world, said the producer in its press release.
The expansion was completed during Q4 2013. "We are pleased to be able to announce that we have successfully expanded our ENB plant to support our customer’s needs." said Hans Casier, CEO INEOS Oxide. "Ongoing global growth, and demand from new ENB customers, in particular those producing ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, requires new capacity. Debottlenecking the Antwerp plant is a unique step by INEOS that will provide sufficient ENB for the next 2-3 years."
ENB is used primarily in the production of ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM). Because it is extremely wear and weather resistant this high performance rubber is increasingly favoured for use in the automotive, white goods and construction industries. Its unique molecular structure means ENB is also used in the high value fragrance and flavours industry as a scent carrier.
As MRC informed before, INEOS Enterprises announced that it has agreed to purchase Sasol Solvents Germany GmbH, one of European leading solvent manufacturers. The acquisition which is conditional on approval by the relevant competition authorities comprises production facilities in Germany, based at Herne and Moers, employing around 520 people.
INEOS Oxide is a leading producer of Ethylene Oxide and Ethylene Oxide Derivatives, Propylene Oxide and Propylene Oxide Derivatives, plus a range of solvents and specialty chemicals, with production facilities in Antwerp Belgium, Koln Germany, Lavera France, Plaquemine Louisiana and Hull United Kingdom.
MRC
Ufaorgsintez announced an increase in contract LDPE prices
The company raised contract price for the all grades of LDPE up by Rb100-1,400/tonne, compared with the level on 2 February.
Most significant increase occurred for contract price for shrinkable film LDPE - up by Rb1,400/tonne.
Ufaorgsintez OAO manufactures organic synthesis products in Russia and Europe. Its products include ethylene, propylene, ethanol, cumol, ethyl benzol, phenol, acetone, copolymer rubber, polyolefines, poly vinyl chloride and polyethylene items, thinners, and dilutants. The company exports its products to Byelorussia, Kazakhstan, Finland, Germany, France, and Brazil. Ufaorgsintez OAO was founded in 1956 and is based in Ufa, Russia.
MRC
PC imports to Ukraine increased by 15% in 2013
Last year Ukrainian converters purchased three PC grades: prime PC, PC compounds based on glass-fibre PC, anti flammable or diffusing agents, colourants (PC-compounds), and PC blends with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS). All these PC grades are produced in the form of granules.
The largest imported PC volumes occurred for prime PC, with 80% delivered in 2013. Total imports of prime PC to Ukraine was 3,400 tonnes in 2013, down 3% from the level in 2012. Prime PC is used for PC processing by moulding, extrusion and blow moulding.
Prime PC imports in the sector of injection moulding decreased to 2,200 tonnes in 2013, down 18% from the level in 2012. Injection moulding prime PC is used mostly in the production of bottle closures, in a lesser extent it is used for production of electrical goods and car components.
Imports of blowmoulding PC grade, which is used for production of bottles larger than 10 litres, was 618 tonnes in 2013, up 11% from the level in 2012.
Last year's imports of extrusion PC grade, used for sheet extrusion, was almost equal to blowmoulding PC grades imports - 600 tonnes, up 125% from 2012 level.
The share of PC compounds imports was 13% from the total Ukraine's PC imports in 2013. Total imports of PC compounds to Ukraine was 560 tonnes in 2013, up four times from the level in 2012. PC compounds are mostly used in car production. Besides, it can be used for the sheet extrusion (compounds with light-scattering properties). Because of expensive price imports of PC compounds to Ukraine are relatively low.
PC/ABS, which is processed by injection moulding, is used in the automotive industry. This type of PC compounds has such properties as: impact resistance, resistance to temperature, water, acids, oils, sodium salts. PC/ABS is also an insulator and is resistant to prolonged exposure to atmospheric phenomena. The composition may be modified by glass fibre (for extra rigidity and heat resistance) or retardants (anti flammability). PC/ABS imports was a little more than 600 tonnes in 2013, which was almost three times more than in 2012.
The main increase in Ukrainian PC market last year occurred for prime PC grade for processing by extrusion. The leader importer to Ukraine in this sector with a share of 95% was Sabic Innovative Plastics.
MRC
Sabic extends plastics portfolio by introducing two PP grades for medicine purposes
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sabic, Saudi Arabia's petrochemical major, has introduced two new pharmaceutical grades of polypropylene (PP) intended for syringes, other medical dosing application devices and also for packaging for healthcare applications, according to the company's press release.
The two grades, SABIC PP PCGR40 and a lubricated variant, SABIC PP PCGR40L, are high-flow random copolymers typically used for producing thin-walled products with high levels of clarity. These PP grades support the production of healthcare products that are highly reliable, very safe to use, and economic to produce.
SABIC PP PCGR40 is - amongst others - well suited to the production of three-piece syringes, in which an elastomeric seal on the plunger provides the required lubrication.
For two-piece syringes the second grade, SABIC PP PCGR40L, can be considered, since the lubrication is supplied by the plunger itself, providing a high level of dosing accuracy. The high levels of transparency of both grades are achieved by the inherent clarity of random PP copolymers plus the use of state-of-the-art clarifying technology.
Together, they provide an extra level of patient safety, since it is very easy to see the levels of liquid in the syringe, and to ensure there are no bubbles. Both new grades are reactor grades, which results in significantly pure materials.
Both new grades have a melt flow rate (MFR) of 40 g/min. This not only enables production of thin-walled medical devices and packaging, it also supports processors to reduce cycle times compared to grades with MFRs of between 30 and 35 g/min that are commonly used within the healthcare industry. This provides advantages for processors in terms of energy consumption, total conversion costs, and overall sustainability - an issue that is increasingly important for healthcare companies.
As MRC informed previously, in May 2013, started producing its new PP impact copolymer (ICP) grade PP77MK40T in China for the local market. PP77MK40T is suitable for production of garden furniture, household items, battery casings, containers, toys, crates and boxes, and enriches the polymers portfolio in Sabic.
Sabic is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia. It is the largest company in the Middle East.
Sabic is currently the second largest global ethylene glycol producer and is expected to become number one after the introduction of these new projects. SABIC is the third largest polyethylene manufacturer, the fourth largest polyolefins manufacturer and the fourth largest polypropylene manufacturer. It is also the world's largest producer of mono-ethylene glycol, MTBE, granular urea, polyphenylene and polyether imide.
MRC