Europe launches PLACYD, a large consortium, led by Arkema to address directed self assembly lithography

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PLACYD, is an EU funded consortium of industrial and academic collaborators and led by Arkema, a France-based chemical manufacturer, will establish a dedicated material manufacturing facility that allows the production of block copolymers meeting the rigorous standards required for their use in industry as nanolithographic templates, as per Arkema's press release.

PLACYD brings together leading researchers and industries to allow for the first time the integration of synthesis through to wafer scale production and system/device characterization.

Arkema hosted the kick-off meeting of the PLACYD project on February 18th in Paris, aiming to set up a full European Ecosystem dedicated to DSA technology with the support of key players of the semiconductor industry.

Part of the Seventh Framework European Programme (FP7) and funded by ENIAC JU (European Technology Platform for Nanoelectronics), this project will be led by Arkema for 3 years. Its aim is to develop and bring DSA materials to industrial maturity, as well as processes and integration schemes. It will contribute to establishing specific DSA design rules and developing specific software for device manufacture. Metrology and inspection requirements in the sub-10 nm range will be defined and implemented in next generation tools, and lastly, a full integration demonstration activity will be performed based at CEA-Leti to assess the efficiency of the whole solution.

Arkema has been developing Block Copolymer technology for decades for various applications. Based on this technology, the chemicals manufacturer has developed nanolithography materials in partnership with the CEA-Leti Institute and the LCPO laboratory. Through the PLACYD project, they will bring their know-how to the semiconductor industry. With the help of the PLACYD Consortium partners, a dedicated materials line will be set up on the Arkema Research Center site in Lacq (France) with the aim of delivering precisely defined, high purity, and highly reproducible materials on an industrial scale in order to enable supply to the semiconductor industry.

Meanwhile, new materials will be developed and optimized for next generation electronic chips.

As MRC wrote before, in November 2013, Arkema officially started its new 60,000 MTY emulsion polymers facility on its Changshu platform. The plant, part of Arkema’s Coating Resins business unit, will serve customers in the Asia Pacific region with a full line of waterborne emulsion polymers for coatings and adhesives applications.

Arkema with annual revenue of EUR6.4 billion is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
MRC

Demand for polypropylene decreased in Belarus by 4% in 2013

MOSCOW (MRC) - Demand for polypropylene (PP) in Belarus declined by 4% in 2013. The main decrease in demand occurred for homopolymer PP, according to MRC analysts.

Total imports of polypropylene to Belarus decreased to 83,100 tonnes in 2013 against 86,800 tonnes in 2012. Demand for homopolymer PP weakened, while the demand for propylene copolymers, on the contrary, became stronger.

Imports of homopolymer PP were reduced to 60,000 tonnes in 2013 against 64,600 tonnes in 2012. One of the reasons for the decline in demand for homopolymer PP was the reduction of BOPP films output.

Key suppliers of homopolymer PP to Belarus were producers from Russia and Poland, with 33,900 tonnes and 6,800 tonnes delivered in 2013 respectively. Belarusian market of propylene copolymers in 2013 showed an increase of 4.1% from 22,200 tonnes to 23,100 tonnes.

The main increase in demand occurred for the local producers of injection moulding PP products. Key suppliers of propylene copolymers to Belarus are producers from Germany and the Czech Republic with volumes 15,600 tonnes and 3,000 tonnes respectively in 2013.
MRC

Chinese producers reduced PET import prices for CIS buyers

MOSCOW (MRC) - Chinese producers sharply cut spot price for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for export markets.
This week prices for Chinese PET for customers in the CIS were reduced by USD30/tonne, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Following the fall in prices of paraxylene and other feedstock, Chinese producers of PET chips cut export prices for the CIS markets.

At the present offer price for Chinese bottle grade PET in the port of Odessa was heard at USD1,310-1,335/tonne CIF Odessa, excluding VAT.

Offer price in the Russian ports in the east of the country was heard at USD1,280-1,300/tonne CFR Vostochny, excluding VAT.
MRC

SIBUR cut export EPS prices for March delivery

MOSCOW (MRC) - SIBUR, the largest producer of expandable polystyrene (EPS) in Russia, reduced export prices for March shipments by USD30/tonne, from the February's level, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

New export price of Russian EPS from the warehouse in Voronezh was heard at USD2,000/tonne FCA , excluding VAT.

Offer price for EPS from the warehouse in Perm was heard at USD1,970/tonne FCA , excluding VAT.

Ukrainian converters said they had to buy Russian EPS, because European EPS price was significantly higher, besides there was no sufficient volumes of Ukrainian material from Stirol.
MRC

SIBUR Trading Company to be headed by Andrey Frolov

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Andrey Frolov has been appointed Executive Director of SIBUR International GmbH, succeeding Ilya Gushchin, who left the company for another job, said the producer in its press release.

At the same time, Andrey Frolov will continue serving as Director for Methodology, Monitoring, Sales Development and Marketing at SIBUR.

SIBUR International's Moscow office will be headed by Marat Avetisov.

SIBUR International GmbH is SIBUR's export division, providing trading and logistic services to SIBUR and other companies in the industry, specialising in export and distribution of Russian petrochemicals in Europe and Asia. The company operates warehouse facilities at the ports of the Black and Baltic Seas, which accept, store and ship freight. Currently, SIBUR International ships goods to 60 countries.

In 2010, SIBUR established SIBUR International Trading (Shanghai) Co., selling petrochemicals to Chinese companies. SIBUR's trading companies also operate in Turkey and Ukraine.
MRC