Contributing 30% of global demand North America is biggest market of biopolymers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- North America is the world's largest market of biopolymers, which consumed more than one-third of the total demand, as per Plastemart with reference to MarketsandMarkets.

US is the key consumer of biopolymers in North America. Packaging, bottling, fibers, and automotive are the application segments driving the demand for PLA, bio-PE, and bio-PET which in turn is pushing the demand for biopolymers within the region.

The growing concern for human health and safety in the region has also led to increased consumption of biopolymers. The biopolymers market is also up surging due to high penetration of material in industries like packaging and automotive which have further helped the biopolymers market to emerge in the region. Various innovations, developments, and expansions in different industries have in turn made the region a potential growth market for biopolymers and its products.

There are few global players in biopolymers market of which top players dominate the market. North America is the biggest biopolymers market; whereas, Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest growing biopolymer markets. NatureWorks (US), Braskem (Brazil), Metabolix (US), Meredian (US), Novamont (Italy) are the most active players between 2009 and 2013.

As MRC wrote before, last year, BASF also unveiled its plans to expand its business in the biopolymers market, since it presents another growth market. "We are currently stepping up research into a biodegradable, primarily biobased foam with properties similar to those of polystyrene foam for use as packaging for food and electric and electronic goods,"said Brudermuller.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF, the world's petrochemical major, is in plans to shut its No 1 naphtha cracker for maintenance turnaround, reported Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Germany informed that the plant is likely to be shut on September 11, 2014. It is planned to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the cracker has a capacity of 220,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed previously, on 1 September 2014, BASF reported flaring at the largest of its two ethylene crackers
at Ludwigshafen site, Germany. The production at the cracker was not stopped. The flaring was caused by technical issues during the preparation for a two-week turnaround scheduled for September.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Plastics Corp (FPC) has shut a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant for maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant was shut on September 9, 2014. It is planned to remain shut for around one month.

Located at Ningbo in Zhejiang province of China, the plant has a production capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, Formosa Petrochemical Corp (FPC) is planning to shut its No. 1 residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) for maintenance turnaround in H2 September 2014. The planned shutdown has been planned to take care of a technical glitch. Located at Mailiao in Taiwan, the unit has a propylene capacity of 375,000 mt/year.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman Corporation has announced that the European Commission has approved its previously announced acquisition of the Performance Additives and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) businesses of Rockwood Holdings, Inc., reported the company on its site.

The Commission approval is subject to the divestiture of Huntsman’s business associated with a product known as TR52 mainly sold into inks applications. This divestiture represents approximately 30,000 tonnes of TiO2 with annual EBITDA of approximately USD5 million to USD10 million and excludes any associated manufacturing assets.

Huntsman has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its TR52 business to Henan Billions Chemicals Co., Ltd. Financial details of this agreement were not disclosed.

The transaction with Rockwood is expected to close in the coming weeks, pending the European Commission’s approval of the sale of the TR52 business to Henan.

Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2013 revenues of over USD11 billion. The company's operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik Corporation has opened a new 20,000 metric ton expansion at its precipitated silica site in Chester, Pa. reported the company on its site.

"This is a very exciting day," said Andreas Fischer, Head of Evonik’s Silica Business Line. "Chester is an integral part of Evonik’s global silica business. We have expanded our plants and constructed new facilities in Asia and Europe, and now we’ve built up our capacities for precipitated silicas in North America as well."

Fischer explained the capacity addition in Chester was part of Evonik’s initiative to increase world-wide capacities for precipitated silica by 30% since 2010.

"Demand for precipitated silica is increasing," said Fischer. "Our expansion in Chester will enable us to keep pace with the growth of our customers and to meet the requirements of the tire, food and other industries. Our dedicated employees in Chester and at our other sites throughout the world have enabled Evonik to remain a market leader in silica."

Precipitated silica is also used as an ingredient in the food and animal feed industries, as well as in paints and coatings.

In July 2014, Evonik announced plans to build a plant to produce precipitated silica outside Sao Paulo, Brazil. The facility is scheduled to go on stream in 2016. The increased development in North and South America follows expansions that have already been completed in Europe and Asia. A production plant extension was completed in Thailand in March 2014.

Evonik has a worldwide capacity of about 550,000 metric tons of precipitated and fumed silica and matting agents per year.

As MRC informed before, Evonik Industries is paving the way for a new technology whose applications include automotive finishes that are more scratch-resistant than ever before. The specialty chemicals company has developed an industrial-scale method for producing silane-modified binders for automotive finishes. The advantage of these silane-modified binders: silane groups increase crosslinking density, making it possible to create automotive finishes that are flexible yet harder, leading to improved scratch resistance.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2013 more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around EUR12.9 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.0 billion.
MRC