Lanxess presents innovative products at Composites Europe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- At Composites Europe, Lanxess, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of synthetic rubber, is focusing on Tepex, the continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic high-performance composites from its subsidiary Bond-Laminates, as per the company's press release.

"Our intention is to highlight the enormous potential for lightweight design opened up by our composites. To this end, we are showcasing a number of examples from lightweight design in automobiles, sports equipment such as soccer boots, and housing components for the consumer electronics industry," explained Jochen Bauder, Managing Director at Bond-Laminates.

The new multi-axial Tepex semi-finished products are a real innovation. Bond-Laminates can produce them continuously in an industrial-scale process that enables the continuous fiber layers to be oriented at almost any angle in the thermoplastic matrix. It is even possible to achieve quasi-isotropic lay-ups.

"The designer can now orient the layers of continuous fibers precisely to the flow of forces in the part. The resulting composite components are designed with great precision to suit the load, and are therefore lightweight," said Dr. Christian Obermann, also Managing Director at Bond-Laminates. The new semi-finished products offer a great deal of forming freedom.

The hybrid technology using Tepex with polyamide 6 as an overmolding material has already conquered a large number of series applications in the lightweight design of automobiles. Durethan BKV 55 TPX, a new polyamide 6 reinforced with 55 percent short glass fibers and optimized for overmolding Tepex, will also be introduced.

In Durethan B 24 CM H2.0 (previously Durethan TP 173-007), Lanxess has developed an alternative to polypropylene in the DLFT process (Direct Long Fiber Thermoplastics). Compared to conventional polyamide 6-based long-fiber compression molding compounds, the melt of this heat-stabilized material exhibits much better flow properties.

As MRC informed previously, last summer, German specialty chemicals company Lanxess celebrated the opening of its first production facility in Russia. In the new plant at the Lipetsk site, Lanxess subsidiary Rhein Chemie manufactures polymer-bound rubber additives for the markets in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), primarily for the automotive and tire industries. A production facility for the bladders used in tire production is to be added in 2016. The overall investment volume in euros amounts to a seven-digit figure and 40 new jobs will be created at the new plant in the medium term.

Lanxess is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 8.3 billion in 2013 and roughly 17,000 employees in 31 countries. The company is currently represented at 52 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japan's ethylene production in September dropped 16.1% from August and 4.4% year on year to 492,100 mt, reported Apic-online with reference to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's statement.

The ministry said Japan's ethylene production fell due to annual maintenance at two steam crackers. Idemitsu Kosan shut down its 623,000 mt/year naphtha-fed steam cracker in Tokuyama, western Japan, in early September and will restart it in November.

Tonen General shut its 515,000 mt/year steam cracker in Kawasaki, eastern Japan, mid-August and will restart it early October.

As MRC informed earlier, Mitsubishi Corp. during May 2014 completed the previously announced shutdown of its No. 1 ethylene facility and No. 1 benzene plant in Kashima, Japan. Mitsubishi earlier said the two facilities would be closed during periodic maintenance in 2013 as part of a structural reform of its basic petrochemicals operations at the Kashima complex. The ethylene plant had a rated capacity of 328,000 t/y. Capacity of the benzene unit was not available.

We also remind that Japan's ethylene production in July rose 14.6% from June to 553,400 mt, and was up 2.1% on the year. The steep month-on-month increase in output was attributed to two steam crackers returning from their maintenance shutdowns in July.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, has announced its intention to partner with Neste Oil and Veolia in a joint venture to modernise and operate the power plant in the Kilpilahti petrochemical cluster in Porvoo, Finland, said the producer in its press release.

Designed to meet demanding European emissions requirements, the power plant will supply Borealis' integrated petrochemical complex in Porvoo with safe, reliable and sustainable energy.

Much of the existing power generation infrastructure dates back to 1971, and is nearing the end of its operating life. The joint venture, co-owned by Neste Oil (40%), Veolia (40%) and Borealis (20%), will implement a modernisation programme between 2015 and 2017, with planning already underway. The result will be new generating facilities comprising three new steam boilers which will comply with the latest environmental regulations, including the European Commission's (EC) Industrial Emissions Directive.

Neste Oil plans to transfer its existing power plants at the Porvoo site into the joint venture in spring 2015. Borealis and Neste Oil will source energy for their respective activities in the integrated petrochemical complex from the joint venture on a contractual basis and Veolia will take responsibility for the operations.

"The modernisation of the power plant represents a milestone for our Porvoo location," says Markku Korvenranta Borealis Executive Vice President Base Chemicals. "It further strengthens our integrated operations with Neste Oil, improves the environmental performance and supports a sustainable future for the Porvoo location. This joint-venture will secure our long-term reliable energy supply for our operations in Porvoo on a competitive basis."

As MRC wrote before, Borealis signed an agreement for technology, engineering and project management company Neste Jacobs to deliver EPCM services for the upgrade of the process section part of Borealis' steam cracker to enable increased ethane cracking in Stenungsund, Sweden. The steam cracker is one of the most feedstock-flexible in Europe and in addition to ethane, it can also crack naphtha, propane and butane.

Borealis is a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers. The only polyethylene (PE) producer in Sweden, Borealis’ Stenungsund facilities include a PE plant, a cracker for ethylene and propylene production, and an innovation center focused on research and development for infrastructure markets.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman Corporation’s Polyurethanes division has become the first U.S. manufacturer to receive the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Environment certification for one of its polyols -- TEROL 563 modified aromatic polyester polyol, said the producer in its press release.

TEROL 563 polyol is primarily used in polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation applications. When properly formulated and processed, insulation panels produced with TEROL 563 can pass the Factory Mutual 4450 Calorimeter and ASTM E-84 Tunnel tests.

The UL certification demonstrates that Huntsman’s TEROL Performance Polyols business possesses the technological expertise and logistics to provide an independent, third-party certified range of recycled content and renewable content polyols. Huntsman’s aromatic polyester polyols incorporate both pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content allowing customers to design their insulation products with confidence and meet preferred purchasing protocols.

Huntsman retained the services of UL Environment to certify its pre-consumer recycled, post-consumer recycled and renewable resource content claims. UL verified the claims by reviewing Huntsman’s manufacturing practices and raw materials sources.

"Receiving the UL Environment certification illustrates Huntsman’s continued commitment to environmental excellence and providing high-quality, sustainable insulation products to our customers," said Les Yamato, Business Manager, TEROL Polyols, Huntsman Polyurethanes. "We strive to be an industry leader in sustainability, and the UL Environment certification represents another step toward that goal."

As MRC wrote before, Huntsman Corporation received final clearance and approval from the European Commission to acquire the Performance Additives and Titanium Dioxide businesses of Rockwood Holdings, Inc.

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.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Austrian steel technology and capital goods company Voestalpine AG has signed an agreement to sell its plastics solutions business to Polytec Netherlands Holding, which is part of Horsching, Austria-based Polytec Holding AG, said Plasticsnews.

In 2013 Voestalpine’s plastics solutions business unit generated sales of around EUR120 million (USD150 million) at its two Dutch sites in Putte and Roosendaal, and it employed almost 700.

Products produced by the business include underbodies, acoustic, and exterior components for commercial vehicles, as well as non-automotive products.

Polytec said the acquisition will expand its position as a leading supplier of composite parts for the European automotive industry. According to Polytec, following the acquisition, it will have 23 manufacturing plants in 10 countries.

Currently the company has 21 sites and more than 3,500 employees.

Voestalpine said the sale to Polytec will be completed around the beginning of November.

As MRC wrote before, together with its partners Bekaert (Belgium) and voestalpine Plastics Solutions (Netherlands), BASF was working on the development of thermoplastic components that are reinforced with steel cord fabrics and produced by means of injection molding. The three companies have joined together with the objective of employing and further developing this new EASI technology with partners in the automotive industry. The abbreviation EASI stands for Energy Absorption, Safety and Integrity.
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