HF Chlor Alkali selects INEOS Technologies for a new chlor-alkali plant in USA

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS Technologies has announced that it is supplying four state of the art BICHLOR bipolar electrolysers to HF Chlor-Alkali’s new plant located in Eddyville, Iowa, USA, as per the company's press release.

The new HF chlor-alkali plant will supply caustic soda, muriatic acid, and bleach to an adjacent food processing facility and other Midwest facilities.

INEOS BICHLOR electrolysers have been sold to 56 projects around the world. The biggest plant using the technology is located in Runcorn, UK, where 20 BICHLOR electrolysers produce over 1,000,000te of chlor-alkali products each year.

Peter Grant, Business Director of INEOS Technologies, said: "­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­INEOS Technologies is delighted to be supplying our technology for this new venture. With our extensive chlor-alkali manufacturing and technical knowledge, we look forward to supporting HF Chlor Alkali, LLC in making their manufacturing plant a great success."

As MRC wrote previously, Ineos Technologies has recently licensed its INEOS EPS process for the manufacture of regular and flame retardant expandable polystyrene (EPS) to EPS Qatar at a new complex to be built in the Doha region, Qatar. The 50,000 tpa Ineos EPS plant will produce a wide range of EPS grades to cover all the applications from construction to packaging and serve the growing demand in the GCC region. The plant will feature expansion capabilities to reach 100,000 tpa in a second phase.

INEOS Technologies is a leading developer and licensor of technologies for the global petrochemicals industry. It offers the broadest range of petrochemical technologies on the market today and also supplies catalysts, additives and coatings that our customers require to obtain the best possible performance from their investments.
MRC

Moscow (MRC) - The shutdown of Stavrolen amid seasonal strong demand for high density polyethylene (HDPE) and reduced imports were key drivers for price rise in the Russian market. Prices for film HDPE have traditionally risen most significantly, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Tight supply of HDPE in the Russian market, driven by several factors (Stavrolen's shutdown, seasonal improvement in demand and reduced imports), continued to bullish prices. The most significant growth in prices was seen in film HDPE market, with prices soared to Rb80,000/tonne in the end of May.

In the last week of May price offers for film HDPE grew to Rb78,000-80,000/tonne FCA, including VAT, whereas at the beginning of the month low end of the price was at Rb73,000/tonne. Only Kazanorgsintez and Nizhnekamskneftekhim offered their film HDPE in the market, as there was no imported material available in the market; there was information about small volumes of Middle Eastern HDPE offered.

The second largest consumption sector is pipe HDPE. Supply of Russian black PE100 was tight in the market in May, however, low solvent demand offset the shortage. As a consequence, May prices remained steady in the range Rb76,500-77,500/tonne FCA, including VAT.

Deals for imported PE 100 in the second half of May were done in the range of Rb82,000-82,500/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT, with a deferred payment of 30 days. Supply of blow moulding and injection moulding HDPE was sufficient in May.

However, the upcoming maintenance works at "Gazprom neftekhim Salavat" in July and other producers resulted in price rise. Price offers for blow moulding HDPE in the late May were in the range Rb75,000-77,000/tonne FCA, including VAT. Prices for injection moulding PE were on average down by Rb1,000/tonne.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a final greenhouse gas (GHG) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) construction permit to Flint Hills Resources in Corpus Christi, Texas, to modify an existing petroleum refinery, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The USD600 million project was originally announced by Flint Hills in August 2012, with the company submitting permit applications in December 2012. The approval will allow Flint Hills to modify equipment at its 230,000 bpd West refinery in Corpus Christi to help it take advantage of processing more crude oils from the nearby Eagle Ford shale.

Modifying the facility will employ up to 2,000 people, with 36 permanent employees expected. The permit became effective immediately upon signature.

In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specified that beginning on January 2, 2011, projects that increase GHG emissions substantially will require an air permit.

The EPA says it believes states are best equipped to run GHG air permitting programs. Texas officials are currently working with EPA to replace a federal implementation plan with an individual state program, which would eliminate the need for businesses to seek air permits from EPA.

EPA has finalized 39 GHG permits in Texas, proposed an additional 10 permits, and currently has over 22 additional GHG permit applications under review and permit development in Texas. Flint Hills operates a 70,000 bpd East refinery in Corpus Christi.

As MRC wrote before, US expandable polystyrene (EPS) producer Flint Hills Resources is exploring the potential sale of its 120,000 tonne/year unit in Peru, Illinois.

Flint Hills Resources is US refining, chemicals and biofuels company. Its refineries produce fuels that power much of Texas, the Midwest and the Alaska interior. The company's ethanol and biodiesel plants produce fuels that are used across the United States. Its petrochemicals are used to manufacture goods from plastics to building products to packaging materials.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of polyethylene (PE) in Kazakhstan decreased by 27% in the first four months of this year. Demand for low density polyethylene (LDPE) has improved, while the demand for high density polyethylene (HDPE) has dropped by 38%, according to MRC DataScope.

PE imports in Kazakhstan reduced to 6,200 tonnes in April, compared with 9,000 tonnes in March. In general, PE imports to the local market declined to 27,700 tonnes in January - April 2014, from 37,800 tonnes in the same period of 2013. Decline in demand for plastic pipes in the local market has led to a proportional decrease of the HDPE supply, while demand for LDPE increased from film producers.

Structure of PE supplies over the reported period was as follows. April HDPE imports to the country decreased to 3,900 tonnes, compared with 6,500 tonnes in March. Decline in HDPE imports in April resulted from reduced export quotas of pipe PE from Russian producers. Total HDPE imports in Kazakhstan fell to 19,700 tonnes in the first four months of this year, compared with 32,000 tonnes in the same period in 2013.

Imports of LDPE was 1,800 tonnes in April, compared with 2,200 tonnes in March. Total LDPE imports to Kazakhstan rose to 6,500 tonnes in the January - April, from 4,100 tonnes in the same period of 2013. The growth of demand occurred for local films producers. Key suppliers of LDPE were Russian producers, with their share of 94% from the totall imports to the country over the reported period.

April imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) to the country rose to 510 tonnes, from 413 tonnes in March. Total LLDPE imports in Kazakhstan were 1,400 tonnes in the first four months of this year, compared with 1,600 tonnes in January - April 2013. Key suppliers of polyethylene in Kazakhstan were producers from Asia and Uzbekistan.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, is making its products available in UL’s Materials Search Engine, Prospector, so that it’s easier for designers and engineers to find color masterbatches they need to make plastics products that comply with UL standards and those of other organizations, reported the company on its site.

To protect consumers around the world from forseeable risks associated with a product, such as fire and electric shock, manufacturers must comply with accepted local standards for flammability, including IEC 60695-2-11/12/13, known as the Glow-Wire (GW) test, and UL-94 vertical and horizontal flame tests. The UL94 norm was originally a national standard in the USA and is now globally established for classifying plastic products and how they burn.

To make a UL Certified product, developers often start by specifying a UL Recognized plastic resin. However, to gain manufacturing efficiency, manufacturer often use an uncolored or natural base resin plus a special concentrate or masterbatch to add color to the product. In this case, both the plastic resin and the masterbatch need to be certified by UL. Clariant has a huge portfolio of UL Certified masterbatches marketed under the REMAFIN and RENOL trademarks.

There are over 120 different products in all, providing a potential solution for approximately 20% of the materials listed on the Prospector Search Engine. In addition to electrical and electronic applications, Clariant masterbatches are suitable for automotive, medical devices, small home appliances, power tools, construction materials like photovoltaic cells, and other consumer goods that are electrified. They can be manufactured at over 20 plants around the world.

Now that the Clariant portfolio is included in the UL Prospector’s Search Engine, masterbatch selection just got even easier. UL Prospector’s search engine is the largest and most widely used informational resource in the Plastics industry. Through a single intuitive interface, this tool enables users to efficiently search and filter a comprehensive database that already includes over 85,000 plastics and thousands of other materials too. Users can look up masterbatches by color and polymer compatibility and access.

As MRC informed previously, in April 2014, Clariant Chemicals (India ) Ltd., an affiliate of Clariant AG announced the successful closure of the acquisition of Plastichemix Industries - a Gujarat based masterbatches business in India, with production facilities at Rania, Kalol and Nandesari.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC