Celanese announces EVA price increase in Europe, Middle East and Africa

МОSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in VAE emulsions, announced increase in the price of vinyl acetate-based dispersions sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to the companies press-release.

PVAc homopolymer dispersions will increase by up to EUR175/MT effective May 1, 2014, or as contracts allow. Vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) and vinyl copolymer dispersions will increase by up to EUR125/MT effective May 1, 2014, or as contracts allow.

This price increase affects all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, building and construction, nonwovens, glass fiber, carpet, paper and textiles.

As MRC informed earlier, in November 2013, Celanese said it would begin discussions concerning the possible closure of both the acetic anhydride facility in Roussillon and the vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) production unit in Tarragona. This action is initiated to safeguard the competitiveness of the Celanese acetyl business.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. With sales almost equally divided between North America, Europe and Asia, the company uses the full breadth of its global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for customers and the corporation. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of EUR6.5 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japan's Kuraray Co., Ltd. has developed LEGENDA, a micropatterned film that can be used in such devices as LED lamps, reported the company in its press release.

Since this product can be used to produce a myriad of colors and effects when used in conjunction with conventional point-source LEDs, it holds great potential for applications in fields ranging from sophisticated designer lamps to toys and entertainment devices, which often demand particularly eye-catching visual properties.

To create the film, Kuraray first developed metal stampers using its own proprietary mastering technology. The company then developed a method of applying a UV-curable resin to the surface of a substrate film with the resultant film being simultaneously cured and stamped with intricate micropatterns to produce a unique light-shaping film.

By placing the film in front of an LED, a variety of effects can be achieved as the film refracts, reflects, scatters or diffracts the light, depending on the micropattern used.

Material that are suitable for such films production are acrylic film, PET, polycarbonate, etc.

As MRC wrote earlier, in December 2013, Kuraray and DuPont, the biggest US chemical maker by market value, signed a definitive agreement for DuPont to sell Glass Laminating Solutions/Vinyls (GLS/Vinyls), a part of DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, to Kuraray for USD543 million, plus the value of the inventories. The sale is expected to close during the first half of 2014 pending customary regulatory approvals.

Kuraray has a long history in production of vinyl acetate production starting in 1926 with the production of synthetic rayon, which was cutting-edge technology at the time. In the 1950s, Kuraray became Japan's first domestic producer of synthetic fiber, becoming a world leader in the commercialization of PVOH (Kuraray Poval) fiber under the KURALON brand.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into Russia surged in the first quarter of 2014 by 38% year on year and totalled 55,000 tonnes, according to MRC ScanPlast.

Such a major increase in imports over the stated period was caused by anomalously large shipments in January. The overall PET imports to Russia totalled in January 25,300 tonnes (9,100 tonnes - in January 2013). At the same time, February and March imports were 15,000 tonnes and 14,800 tonnes, respectively, which is a normal figure for the Russian PET market at the beginning of the year.

However, having significantly increased inventories, local companies reduced their buying activity in the Russian domestic market, which also resulted in weak domestic demand in the first quarter.

The Chinese producer - Shanghai Hengyi Polyester was a leader in PET shipments to Russia over the reporting period(its imports totalled 13,000 tonnes).

Chinese producers continued to replace other foreign PET suppliers. The share of Chinese PET chips imports rose in the first quarter of 2014 to 70% from 57% over the same quarter of 2013.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Through investments in the local facilities BASF enhances the competitiveness of the photoinitiator production in Mortara, Italy, and strengthens the site in the long term, as per the company's statement.

In 2014, BASF invests EUR4 to 6 million in its facilities in order to ensure the highest standards of safety and environmental protection and to improve the efficiency of the production lines. In addition, BASF extends its production of photoinitiators in Mortara. The site is one of the largest in the world for the production of photoinitiators.

The development, production and marketing of photoinitiators are a core business of BASF. BASF has built up a leading position in the UV coatings and inks market, with a strong portfolio comprising photoinitiators, light stabilizers, formulation additives and UV resins supported by intensive technical service. Added in very small quantities, photoinitiators speed up the drying process for UV curable coatings, inks and adhesives by triggering chemical reactions upon exposure to UV light.

As MRC reported earlier, in March 2014, BASF signed an agreement to divest PolyAd Services, part of its Plastic Additives business unit, to Edgewater Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. The closing of the transaction is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2014. The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. BASF is also a leading manufacturer, supplier and innovation partner of additives for the plastics industry such as ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizers, antioxidants and process stabilizers, and other additives.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Refiner LyondellBasell said it had pulled out of talks to sell its Berre refinery in southeastern France to Monaco-based Sotragem, adding that the bid offered no guarantee that the mothballed site would restart, said Reuters.

Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg announced last month that privately owned Sotragem had made an offer to buy the refinery near Marseille, a deal that would have run counter to the trend that European refineries are closing due to overcapacity.

U.S.-listed LyondellBasell said in a statement on Wednesday that Sotragem's bid did not offer acceptable commercial terms and showed no guarantee of a restart of the refinery. "LyondellBasell therefore decided to put an end to negotiations with Sotragem SAM," it said.

In January 2012, LyondellBasell had mothballed the 105,000 barrel-a-day refinery after having failed to find a buyer since putting it up for sale in May 2011.

Montebourg also sought in vain to save another refinery, the Petit-Couronne plant in northern France, which was closed last year. Montebourg said two companies, Bollore and Brownfields, had made offers to re-industrialise the Petit-Couronne plant, with plans to convert it into a strategic oil storage site. A spokeswoman at Montebourg's office did not immediately return a request for comment.

LyondellBasell Industries NV is a manufacturing company. The Company produces chemicals, fuels, and polymers used for packaging, clean fuels, durable textiles, medical applications, construction materials, and automotive parts. LyondellBasell Industries operates globally and is headquartered in the Netherlands. LyondellBasell is also a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. The more than 250 polyolefin process licenses granted by LyondellBasell are twice that of any other polyolefin technology licensor.
MRC