SABIC launched two new PC grades for the aircraft industry

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC has announced two LEXAN sheet solutions for aircraft interiors today at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, said the producer in its press release.

These innovative, new offerings – clear LEXAN XHR2000 sheet and LEXAN LIGHT F6L300 sheet - will help provide solutions to airlines’ quest for differentiated cabin interior designs while also helping to take out significant weight, resulting in a more fuel efficient aircraft. Design engineers will benefit from these lightweight, durable materials which can help to reduce system costs, offer ease of fabrication and comply with the industry’s strict regulatory standards.

Aircraft interior designers are often restricted by the clarity and compliance limitations of the transparent materials currently available to them. With 80% light transmission – the highest level of light transmission available in an OSU-compliant sheet material today – SABIC’s new clear LEXAN XHR2000 sheet is a pioneering option for aircraft interiors with this level of transparency while still meeting OSU 65/65 heat release and typical industry flame, smoke, toxicity requirements.

Robust vertical burn performance is also possible with the use of a post-secondary process, such as a functional coating or laminated film, which adds further design, chemical resistance and scratch resistance properties. LEXAN XHR2000 sheet facilitates the design of large components such as security partitions and oversized windows, which are becoming increasingly popular in top deck designs.

As MRC reported before, SABIC started producing its new polypropylene (PP) impact copolymer (ICP) grade PP77MK40T in China for the local market. PP77MK40T is the first product of its type to be made locally, paving the way for a more efficient supply chain, quicker time-to-market and enhanced competitiveness for SABIC's customers in China.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers. SABIC announced its unaudited financial results with a net profit of SR 25.23 (USD6.73 billion) in 2013. Sales revenues for 2013 totaled SR 189 billion (USD50.4 billion). Total assets stood at SR 339 billion (USD90.4 billion) at the end of 2013.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ufaorgsintez, owned by "United Petrochemical Company" (UPC), has announced an increase in contract prices of low density polyethylene (LDPE) for shipments starting from 1 May 2014, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The company raised contract polyethylene (PE) prices by Rb1,000-3,500/tonne from 15 April. 15803-020 grade LDPE accounted for the most significant price increase.

Prices of 108 and 158 grade PE rose by Rb1,000/tonne and Rb3,500/tonne, respectively, from mid-April. Prices of shrinkable film grade LDPE grew by Rb2,500/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, polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene items, thinners, and dilutants. The plant's annual polypropylene (PP) production capacity is 100,000 tonnes. Ufaorgsintez's overall output of polyethylene (PE) and PP totalled 23,100 tonnes and 32,600 tonnes, respectively, over the first two months of 2014. 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. As of January 22, 2010, Ufaorgsintez OAO operates as a subsidiary of Bashneft Joint Stock Oil Company. "United Petrochemical Company" (UPC) owns 87.76% of Ufaorgsintez's registered capital. Bashneft sold Ufaorgsintez's stake to UPC in May 2013.
MRC

Moscow (MRC) - Negotiations on Russian polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices for May delivery began last week. Russian producers' opinions on pricing level have split, according ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Russian PVC producers began negotiations regarding the level of contract prices for May delivery last Tuesday.
Russian producers' opinions concerning May pricing were mixed, despite the shortage of imported PVC.

Russia's largest PVC producer SayanskKhimPlast announced plans to keep the April level for May contracts.

The second largest PVC producer - Bashkir Soda Company (formerly Kaustik, Sterlitamak) did not announce its PVC prices for May delivery.

Kaustik (Volgograd) intended to raise contract prices by Rb500/tonne.

In general, despite the oncoming long May holidays, a lot of Russian converters were in no hurry to contract May PVC.

April contracts for Russian K64 and K67 PVC were done in the range of Rb49,500-51,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shin-Etsu Chemical's US subsidiary Shintech has applied to Louisiana's Department of Environment Quality for a permit to build a new plant that will produce ethylene, which is one of the main raw materials for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The permit application states that the ethylene production capacity of this new plant will be 500,000 tpy. With regard to the location of the plant, land for industrial use that Shintech already owns in Plaquemine, Louisiana, will be a leading candidate for the site.

Concurrently with carrying out the required processes to secure a building permit, Shintech says it will continue its feasibility study on the project. After all of these matters are fully considered, a final decision will be made.

This plant construction permit application is one step in the implementation of Shintech’s strategy to assure stable supply of ethylene for the manufacture of PVC.

Shintech says it has been implementing its strategy of setting up an integrated PVC production system starting from its raw materials.

Following its implementation of an in-house production system for chlorine, Shintech has been giving serious consideration to in-house production of ethylene to further strengthen its integrated PVC production system.

As MRC informed earlier, Shintech, one of the major polyvinyl chlorice (PVC) producer in the US, will spend USD500 mln to expand plant capacity by 10% in Plaquemine and Addis. Shin-Etsu said its Plaquemine plant is running at capacity and expansion is needed to meet growing worldwide demand for PVC. The expansion will eliminate production bottlenecks. Shin-Etsu will pay for the project using its own money, planning completion in 2015.

Shintech was founded in 1974 to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. The catalyst for its current success came in 1976 when it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. Since then Shintech has completed a series of production capacity expansions that combined aggressive domestic and export business plans with careful analysis of market conditions and customer needs. Currently, Shintech Inc. is the largest producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in the United States.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SIBUR has added ten polypropylene (PP) grades to its product mix, reported the company in its press release.

Unique to the company's grade range and developed for the purpose of import substitution, these grades have different uses, and their quality is in line with the best foreign counterparts.

PP H085 CF grade is utilised in non-oriented multi-layer packaging CPP films manufactured by BIAXPLEN, SIBUR's subsidiary. CPP films are used for lamination, packaging bakery, noodle and cosmetic products.

PP H033 FF grade is utilised to produce raffia, a mono-axially oriented film thread. The grade's specific composition offers a number of advantages over the basic PP grades, both in terms of the process (e. g., reduced waste and higher output) and the quality of finished products. It improves mechanical properties of the film thread resulting in a more effective textile processing of raffia into soft packaging.

PP H032 TF grade is used in thermoforming. Its unique composition with innovative additives helps to boost output, improve end-user performance of finished products and optimise polymer processing, eliminating the need for special additives to the general purpose grade.

The company has also launched the production of PP R003 EX grade used to manufacture PPR80 pressure pipes and fittings. Its special stabilising composition ensures a longer product life cycle at high temperatures.

SIBUR has also developed new products for the injection moulding segment, launching six special PP grades. The composition of PP H251 IM, PP H351 IM and PP H451 IM special grades ensures a high transparency of finished products, while that of PP H252 IM, PP H352 IM, PP H452 IM grades optimises the production process and improves physical, mechanical and optical properties.

"The expanded PP grade offering is in line with the strategy of SIBUR's Tomsk-based BIAXPLEN and NPP Neftekhimiya to penetrate the market's special grades niche", says Sergey Komyshan, SIBUR's Managing Director.

Out of all plastics, polypropylene ranks third in the world by volume of consumption after polyethylene and PVC and is widely used across an array of industries, including automotive, housing and utilities, and consumer goods (packaging, film, furniture, tableware).

As MRC informed previously, in May 2013, SIBUR began integrated equipment testing at the propylene storage facility and trial production of the first polypropylene line at the company’s Tobolsk-Polymer complex, which later was officially opened on 15 October 2013.

SIBUR is a uniquely positioned vertically integrated gas processing and petrochemicals company. SIBUR owns and operates Russia’s largest gas processing business in terms of associated petroleum gas processing volumes, and is a leader in the Russian petrochemicals industry.
MRC