Amcor planning more growth in Asia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Flexible packaging firm Amcor Ltd. is rapidly expanding its presence in the Asian market. The company’s top official in the region said it will soon announce plans for a new plant, said Plasticsnews.

"We are planning to set-up a greenfield plant in a Southeast Asian country. We are working on location and investment and would likely to make announcement by December this year," said Ralf Wunderlich, president & managing director, Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific, in an interview with Plastics News at the Speciality Film & Flexible Packaging Conference in Mumbai.

The move is part of company’s growth strategy. Melbourne, Australia-based Amcor recorded sales of nearly USD10 billion last year, with about 30% coming from emerging markets.

In another part of its emerging market strategy, Amcor in May signed an agreement to buy an Indonesian flexible packaging business, Jakarta-based Bella Prima Packaging Ltd., for USD25.2 million. Bella Prima has two plants and about 1,000 employees, and specializes in shrink sleeve, labels and lids.

Ralf said Amcor expects to complete that deal in 2014. Amcor also is expanding capacity at its two Indian plants.
"Growth has become softer in India in about last couple of years but we have decided to expand capacities of our two plants in Haridawar and Baroda," Ralf said. Capacity in Haridwar will grow about 30%, while Baroda will be doubled.

"We have observed the push is coming back in this market and doubling of Baroda plant capacity would be in line with growth prospects in near future," he said.

Amcor wants a larger stake in the Indian packaged food industry, which is projected to reach USD30 billion by 2015.
Amcor generates more than USD100 million in sales in India. The company plans to introduce products there with an emphasis on sustainability and product safety.

Amcor Limited is an Australian-based multinational packaging company. It operates manufacturing plants in 42 countries. It is the world's largest manufacturer of plastic bottles.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF is one of the first plastics manufacturers to expand its PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) product line by a new special grade optimized for the production of air-tight coffee capsules that retain the aroma, as per the company's press release.

This engineering plastic goes by the name Ultradur B1520 FC (FC: food contact) and it combines excellent barrier properties against moisture and oxygen, while above all, containing the aromas, without a need for any additional complex coatings. This distinguishes these Ultradur capsules from other injection-molded capsules, which are usually packaged individually, as well as from multilayered thermoset capsules. Injection molding is the adequate processing technique for the production of upscale coffee capsules with their exacting design.

With its food-contact certification, this new grade is suitable not only for coffee capsules but also for thin-walled injection-molded packaging for cosmetics and food products.

Besides, as the first manufacturer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), BASF has successfully optimized the material so that it can be applied extensively and unpainted on the vehicle exterior. The automotive manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen uses the new TPU grade Elastollan AC 55D10 HPM (High Performance Material) for cladding the Citroen C4 Cactus with so-called Airbumps. This world first is the result of many years of development work between the French automotive manufacturer, the supplier Rehau of Switzerland and BASF. Airbumps are large air-filled cushion bumpers in contrasting colors: They are fitted on the sides as well as on the front and rear of the vehicle, protect the car exterior from impact and scratches and give the vehicle its distinctive look.

The trend towards miniaturization and thinner walls in electrical and electronics applications continues apace and BASF has developed multiple product families with new and improved UL listing.

The flame-resistant Ultradur types B4406 G2/ G4/ G6 (polybutylene terephthalates) are classified according to UL94 V-0 from a wall thickness of 0.4 mm. Now the listing has been expanded to include the relative temperature index (RTI) for 0.4 mm. The high RTI values for dielectric strength remain consistently high at 140 C. The product family therefore is especially suitable for increasingly powerful electrical plugs, power strips and housing components. These can now be produced with lower wall thicknesses.

The newly developed Ultramid A3U42G6, too, a halogen-free, flame-retardant, glass fiber-reinforced polyamide meets fire protection class V-0 according to UL94 from a wall-thickness of 0.4 mm. The heat aging resistance was significantly improved over glass fiber-filled polyamide types such that the material, with an RTI value for dielectric strength at 140 C with a 0.4 mm wall-thickness and even 150 C at 0.75 mm and more, is suitable for use at higher temperatures. The new Ultramid A3U42G6 is also distinguished by extremely easy processing with reduced deposit formation. The flame retardant system shows no migration effects and thus ensures higher-quality component surfaces. Possible application areas include control, contactors and connectors.

Ultraform S2320 003 PRO (polyoxymethylene), specially developed by BASF to meet the particular requirements of the medical technology sector, has made an impressive debut in the Skin Stretcher product from BioWim GmbH, primarily for its reduction of the friction between touching functional components, the combination of high rigidity with outstanding resilience as well as very good flowability. The material also provides demonstrated compliance with international standards for the use of plastics in medical technology. Skin Stretcher is an implement for treating or closing large wounds after operations or accidents.

Rethinking Materials – this is the thought experiment posed by BASF and the design agency DING 3000 which led to the "Concept 1865" bicycle - a bike that takes on the appearance of the penny-farthing bicycle that was popular at the time of BASF's founding in 1865. The electric bicycle incorporates over 20 different, in some cases very innovative, plastics, from polyurethanes to thermoplastics, foams, epoxy resins and composite products that BASF subsumes under the heading "Performance Materials."

As MRC wrote before, in July 2014, BASF Shanghai Coatings Co., Ltd. inaugurated its new automotive coatings plant at the Shanghai Chemicail Industry Park in Shanghai, China. The expansion of its automotive coatings production capacity with an investment of around EUR50 million further strengthens BASF’s presence in China and its position as a leading coatings supplier to the automotive industry.

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 had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Taiwan Styrene Monomer Corp (TSMC) has extended the shutdown at its styrene monomer (SM) plant by another two weeks, reported Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that plant was expected to remain off-stream for two weeks. It was shut on October 1, 2014 owing to technical issues.

Located at inYuan in Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 160,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed previously, Styrindo Mono Indonesia (SMI) is in plans to shut its No.1 styrene monomer (SM) plant for maintenance turnaround in H2 November 2014. The plant is slated to be shut for around one month. Located in Merak, Indonesia, the plant has a production capacity of 100,000 mt/year.

We also remind that Taiyo Petrochemical shut down its SM plant for maintenance in September 2014. The shutdown is expected to remain in force for around 30 days. Located at Ube in Japan, the SM plant has a production capacity of 370,000 mt/year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA), one of the key opposition groups which has cast the bill as job killer and cash-grab by grocers groups, plans to take the matter to the voters themselves next November, said Plasticsnews.

"Fortunately, California’s constitution provides voters the opportunity to stop bad laws through the referendum process. Our research confirms that the vast majority of California voters are opposed to legislation that bans recyclable plastic bags and allows grocers to charge and keep fees on other bags. So we have taken the necessary steps to gather signatures and qualify a referendum to repeal SB 270 on the November 2016 ballot," said APBA Executive Director Lee Califf in a Tuesday statement.

"Since state lawmakers failed their constituents by approving this terrible bill, we will take the question directly to the public and have great faith they will repeal it at the ballot box. Ultimately the voters will decide and, until then, California families — including thousands of our industry’s workers — will be protected from the implementation of this unprecedented scam."

Much like the 11th hour retooling of the bill that got it through the state legislature, Brown waited until the last possible day to sign the measure into law. Under the new law, single-use plastic bags will be prohibited as of July 1, 2015, and Californians will pay a minimum of 10 cents for each reusable plastic or recycled paper bag at grocery stores.

In 2016, the ban will extend to pharmacies and liquor stores. "Reusable" bags are defined by the law as those designed for at least 125 uses and made of at least 25 percent recycled plastic. Eventually, the recycled-content requirement will go up to 40%.

"California policy makers have made a clear statement in enacting the bag ban: Producers are responsible for the end of life impacts of their products," said Mark Murray, executive director of Californians Against Waste, a major supporter of the bill. "If a product is too costly to society and the environment, California is prepared to move to eliminate it."

California is the first to enact a state-wide ban on plastic bags, though the county-by-county bans in Hawaii have created a de facto state-wide ban, as well.

As MRC wrote before, cities in a number of Asian countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan, are currently on the warpath against plastic shopping bags.
The cities have passed local laws that ban such bags, on the basis that they clog sewers and drainage canals, cause street flooding, choke animals and are responsible for other forms of environmental damage.
China and Taiwan, for example, impose heavy fines on violators. Other countries are appealing for a switch to the production and use of biodegradable bags.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman Corporation announced today that it has received final clearance and approval from the European Commission to acquire the Performance Additives and Titanium Dioxide businesses of Rockwood Holdings, Inc., said the producer in its press-release.

The acquisition is expected to close October 1, 2014. Huntsman is acquiring the Rockwood businesses for USD1.1bn, plus the assumption of USD225m in pension liabilities.

The deal will make Huntsman the largest processor of sulfate ores, a key raw material which is also a cheaper alternative to chloride ores, and the number two player in titanium dioxide, behind DuPont.

As MRC wrote before, the Commission opened a broad investigation in March, concerned that the deal may result in higher prices in sulphate-based titanium dioxide, a pigment used as a whitener in products from toothpaste to cars.

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2013 revenues of over USD11 billion. Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. 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