Styrolution offers innovation for medical tubing to replace PVC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Microspec, the market leader in medical tubing, has earned a global reputation for extruding the most complex tubing in the industry. The company partnered with global styrenics leader Styrolution to replace PVC for its highly flexible multi-lumen tubing which makes it possible to administer different medications from one access point, as per Styrolution's press release.

The Styrolution solution offers better clarity than PVC, low drug absorption and unique processability, according to the statement.

Thus, Microspec selects Styrolution for its multi-lumen tubes: since lumens vary in shape, number, symmetry, and diameter, Microspec required an alternative material to PVC with unique processing properties to create the intricate tube structure. It was also important for the company to collaborate with a material provider that understand the strict regulatory environment for the healthcare and diagnostics (HD) industry and offer long-term recipes for its products. For this reason, Microspec turned to Styrolution for its state-of-the-art styrene butadiene block copolymers, Styroflex and Styrolux, and Styrolution's HD Service Package.

Styroflex and Styrolux offer excellent alternative to PVC: Microspec selected these products because of their excellent processability and low drug absorption. The high processability enables the production of a more complex lumen structure to provide optional tube stabilization by inserting guide wires or rigid tubes. Styroflex and Styrolux also deliver other advantages for medical applications, such as a low yellowness index, better clarity than PVC, increased run rates, and elimination of plasticizer migration.

As MRC informed previously, aiming to strengthen its customer-centric innovation and drive growth, Styrolution has recently announced a new organizational unit: Global Focus Industries and R&D. The group's R&D arm will further emphasize application-driven collaborative innovation with customers. The formation of the new unit aligns with the company's growth strategy, which calls for three ‘shifts' intended to put greater focus on three areas: higher-growth industries, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties, and emerging markets.

Styroflex and Styrolux - versatile styrenics: Styroflex is a styrene-butadiene block copolymer (SBC) with the properties of a thermoplastic elastomer (S-TPE), suitable for extrusion and injection molding. Styrolux resins are a range of thermoplastic styrene-butadiene copolymers (SBC).

The Styrolution Group GmbH is a global provider of styrenics , headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. The company is a joint venture between BASF (50%) and INEOS (50%), were merged into the main styrene operations of the two partners. Its main focus is on the production of monomer, polystyrene, styrenic specialties, and ABS. The company offers styrene plastics for a variety of everyday products from different industries, such as automotive, electronics, construction, household, leisure, packaging, medicine and health.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In 2016, the global polyethylene terephthalate (PET) supply is anticipated to exceed 26.29 mln tons, repoted Plastemart with reference to Merchant Research & Consulting's report.

Between 2004 and 2012, the world PET production witnessed stable positive growth and increased by approximately 7% annually. The PET supply grew from 11.3 mln tons in 2004 to more than 19.8 mln tons in 2012.

The market growth rates declined a bit during the recessionary years, but in 2010, the market began gaining pace. Asia ranked the world’s leading PET supplier with the production volume standing at over 9.5 mln tons in 2012.

China, the US, Mexico, Taiwan and South Korea were the top five PET manufacturing countries; in 2012, their combined share of the overall PET supply was equivalent to above 54%. In the same year, the polyester fibers production was the major PET application area.

As MRC wrote earlier, export sales of Chinese PET to foreign markets increased by 540,000 tons in 2013, up 43% from the level in 2012. Total exports of PET chips from China was about 1.78 mln tonnes in 2013. Chinese producers increased PET exports on the back of growing production capacities in China. China increased PET deliveries to Africa, the Middle East and Asia. At the present China is the largest exporter of PET in the world.

The world PET production is poised to continue following a stable growth trend, driven mainly by the increasing demand worldwide, expanding product applications as well as scheduled capacity additions.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Board of Directors of Total has proposed a final dividend of EUR0.61 per share for the fourth quarter 2013, an increase of 3.4% compared to the interim dividends of 2013, reported the company on its site.

Upon approval at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on May 16, 2014, the final installment of EUR0.61 per share for the 2013 dividend will be paid according to the following timetable:

Ex-dividend date June 2, 2014
Record date June 4, 2014
Payment date June 5, 2014

American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") will receive the final installment of the 2013 dividend in dollars based on the then-prevailing exchange rate according to the following timetable:

Ex-dividend date May 28, 2014
Record date May 30, 2014
Payment date June 20, 2014

As MRC reported previously, Total, Europe’s third-largest oil company, intends to invest EUR160m before 2016 to adapt its petrochemical platform in Carling, in the Lorraine region of eastern France, and to restore its competitiveness. Total plans indeed to develop new activities on the platform in the growing markets for hydrocarbon resins (Cray Valley) and for polymers, while shutting down the acutely loss-making steam cracker in the second half of 2015.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF signed a contract to divest its liquid masterbatch business in Clermont de l’Oise, France, to Audia International, a large global supplier of polyolefins and color masterbatches, said the producer in its press release.

The transaction is expected to close in mid 2014. The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the agreement.

BASF will concentrate on its business with solid and powder masterbatches, produced in Cologne, Germany. For BASF, the liquid masterbatches are a niche business and not part of its future focus.

For Audia, this acquisition of the liquid masterbatch business is very strategic and represents an exciting expansion in technology, markets, and geography, complementing its major entry into the European market over the past seven years. The liquid masterbatch business will be run as part of Audia’s subsidiary, Uniform Color Company, a leading global supplier of masterbatches, with facilities in North America and Europe.

As MRC wrote previously, last year BASF presented its innovative solutions for energy-efficient and low-maintenance construction in Russia. The company's new wide-range construction portfolio is aimed to increase energy efficiency in buildings and enhance durability and, thus, reduce repair and maintenance costs.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals.

Audia International is a privately held company focused on plastic compounding, color solutions, and distribution. The Audia International companies currently have 10 manufacturing locations and over 1,000 employees in North America and Europe and are doing business in over 50 countries, across broad market platforms including Automotive, Appliance, Construction, Packaging and Consumer.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China’s Sinopec is to sell up to 30% of its oil product marketing business as it seeks to restructure the segment, said Upstreamonline.

The refinery giant’s board has approved the measure and given the go-ahead for the sale of stakes to "social and private investors", it said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

The board agreed to restructure Sinopec’s oil product marketing segment based on the results of the audits and valuation to be conducted on the current assets and liabilities of this segment, the statement read.

It also agreed to diversify the ownership of this segment by way of introducing social and private capital investment.

"The shareholding percentage for social and private investors will be determined according to the market conditions."

The percentage of shares to be sold will not, however, exceed 30%.

As MRC informed previously, in late 2012, Sibur, a Russian gas processing and petrochemicals company, and Sinopec International (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd, the wholly owned subsidiary of Sinopec, signed an agreement that will see Sinopec purchase 25% + 1 share of Krasnoyarsk Synthetic Rubbers Plant JSC (KSRP). Sibur and Sinopec are also discussing projects on setting up a joint venture to produce nitrile and polyisoprene rubbers in Shanghai.

Sinopec Corp. is one of the largest scale integrated energy and chemical companies with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Its refining and ethylene capacity ranks No.2 and No.4 globally. The Company has 30,000 sales and distribution networks of oil products and chemical products, its service stations are now ranked third largest in the world.
MRC