New PolyOne technology improves brand protection and combats counterfeiting of consumer electronics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PolyOne Corporation, a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, has announced that its Versaflex soft-touch materials for consumer electronics are now available in combination with its Percept Authentication Technologies, reported the company on its site.

PolyOne's newly available formulation of technologies can help companies combat counterfeiting and reduce the risks associated with fraudulent goods such as phone cases, smart watches, headphones, earbuds and other wearable electronics.

"When designing innovative consumer products, it is extremely important to protect brand equity and still deliver the performance and aesthetic characteristics that the end consumer desires," said Walter Ripple, vice president and general manager for PolyOne's thermoplastic elastomer business, GLS. "Our new solution meets both those objectives, by joining PolyOne's Percept anti-counterfeiting ability with the soft-touch, performance, and durability benefits of Versaflex."

"In 2013, the US Department of Homeland Security logged USD145 million worth of counterfeit consumer electronics entering the country, and PolyOne's material was developed to help counteract the trend," Mr. Ripple added.

Percept technologies can be tailored to a wide variety of processing conditions, end-use applications, and authentication techniques based on overt, covert, or forensic-based approaches. These solutions enable companies to readily identify counterfeit products with easy-to-use methods based on additives and unique identifiers called taggants.

As MRC informed earlier, in February 2014, PolyOne Corporation announced the addition of new capabilities to its OnColor HC Plus portfolio. These expanded offerings add medical-grade LDPE, nylon, PEBA, PS and PVC to the globally available palette of specialty healthcare colorants, and are pre-certified to meet or exceed biocompatibility requirements for ISO 10993 and/or USP Class VI protocols.

PolyOne Corporation, with 2013 revenues of USD3.8 billion, is a global provider of specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions. PolyOne is a provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions with operations in specialty polymer formulations, color and additive systems, polymer distribution and specialty vinyl resins.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spanish ABS producer Elix Polymers (Tarragona) has optimised its supply chain and says it is now able to supply its customers with standard products within four days, sid Plasteurope.

The reduced times are the outcome of the group’s efforts, announced last year, to increase customer satisfaction, maximise competitiveness and improve its service to the market.

The reduced lead times apply to Elix’s natural and black "Elix P2H-AT" ABS, its "Cadon IM30" injection moulding grade, its natural "Cadon CG28" compounding grade, its high butadiene content powder "Elix 158I" as well as its "Elix 260G" standard SAN.

As MRC wrote before, the Hamburg-based German company Velox GmbH will be the preferred distributor for the ABS/SAN-based modifier product range from Spanish company Elix Polymers, S. L., Tarragona, and licensed distributor in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, as well as Switzerland.

ELIX Polymers, S.L. is a strong engineering plastics player with more than 35 years experience in precoloured ABS and ABS specialties. In addition to ABS, ELIX Polymers, S.L. offers its product line of high-quality polymer modifiers, mainly based on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers employed to improve performance of engineering plastics & PVC compounds.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Asian producers of polycarbonate (PC) increased September prices on average by USD300/tonne on the rising cost of feedstock, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

This is especially felt in the blow moulding sector, which is totally dependent on supplies from Asia. Asian PC is not popular in the moulding and extrusion sectors. Producers in Japan and South Korea have begun to raise prices since the end of June.

June PC prices were in the range of USD2,450-2,650/tonne CFR Vostochny. In September PC prices reached USD2,750-2,800/tonne CFR Vostochny. In this regard, traders began to refrain from the procurement of feedstock from some producers, as for converters such PC price was unacceptable. The situation is exacerbated by the price fluctuation in the domestic market because of the devaluation of the national currency.

The trend of consistent price rise of the feedstock of PC is characteristic for Asia and Europe. So, spot prices for acetone rose on average by USD60/tonne in the last six months. Phenol prices rose USD200/tonne over the reported period. Bisphenol A prices increased by USD340/tonne over the reported period. Prices for injection moulding PC in Asian markets are now at USD2,520-2,720/tonne CFR China. Price for extrusion material are in the range USD2,450-2,520/tonne CFR China. Domestic prices of PC in Asia increased by USD120/tonne.

The most popular producers supplying PC in Russia for bottles blowing are Samyang (with share of 32%) and LG Chem (with 18% share). Both plants are geographically located in South Korea.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is gearing up for another big investment of USD13 billion (Rs 78,000 crore) to set up its third refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat, said Plastemart.

Reliance already operates the world's biggest refining complex in Gujarat, where its two refineries process about 1.4 mln bpd of crude oil.

The company has sought environment approvals to set up a USD12.8 bln upgrade to its Jamnagar complex including a 4,00,000-bpd refinery, some polymer units as well as a 450-megawatt pet coke-based power plant.

As per a company spokesperson, "The evaluation for this project is at a nascent stage and no concrete decision has been taken yet. It is too early to say how things shape up in the coming years.'

As MRC wrote before, Reliance Industries is implementing a new project to source 1.5 million tpy of ethane feedstock from the US to feed its crackers in India. Reliance says it is planning to upgrade its crackers to maximize the cracking of ethane and also to have maximum operational flexibility to optimize feedstocks with complete control of the supply chain.

Reliance Industries is one of the world's largest producers of polymers. The company's polymer production in 2010-11 (polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride) made 4,094 kilo tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ufaorgsintez, owned by United Petrochemical Company, resumed its polypropylene (PP) production on 4 September 2014 after a scheduled maintenance, reported MRC analysts.

The shutdown for maintenance works was done on 4 August 2014. The plant's annual production capacity is 100,000 tonnes.

As reported earlier, Ufaorsintez shut down its low density polyethylene (LDPE) production (158 grade and 153 grade polyethylene (PE) along with the plant's PP production on 14 August 2014. The resumption of the plant's LDPE production is scheduled for 7 September.

Ufaorgsintez OAO was founded in 1956 and is based in Ufa, Russia. Ufaorgsintez OAO manufactures organic synthesis products in Russia and Europe. Its products include ethylene, propylene, ethanol, cumol, ethyl benzol, phenol, acetone, copolymer rubber, polyolefines, poly vinyl chloride and polyethylene items, thinners, and dilutants. The company was incorporated in 1984. Ufaorgsintez produced about 44,000 tonnes of PE and 64,100 tonnes of PP over the first six months of 2014.

United Petrochemical Company owns 87.76% of Ufaorgsintez's capital. Bashneft sold Ufaorgsintez to United Petrochemical Company in May 2013.
MRC