Styrofoam to be banned in New York City

MOSCOW (MRC) -- New York city Mayor Bill announced that all plastic-foam containers and packaging will be banned from New York City as of July 1, 2015, as per Time.

Restaurants, stores and manufacturers will no longer be allowed to possess, sell or offer items made with expanded polystyrene (EPS).

The ban on Styrofoam stems from a law passed in December 2013 that gave officials a year to determine whether EPS could be recycled in a safe, environmental effective and economically feasible matter. According to the mayor's office, the Department of Sanitation determined it cannot.

The law allows for a six-month grace period, meaning no bans can be imposed until Jan. 1, 2016. In the meantime, New York City government will be conducting outreach and education programs.

As MRC informed previously, in October 2014, 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 this November.

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.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The global polyurethane dispersions market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2012 to 2018, according to Business Standard, citing Transparency Market Research’s (TMR) new report.

As per the report, the global polyurethane dispersions market will report a market value worth USD1.18 billion by 2018.

The global polyurethane dispersions market is primarily driven by the growth of the textile finishing industry, and higher production of synthetic leather. Polyurethane dispersions refer to high solid dispersions of polyurethane polymers in water. These are mostly used for manufacturing polyurethane coatings and adhesives that contain low levels of organic compounds that are volatile which exhibit superior coating and excellent adhesion properties for metals, wood, rubber, textiles, plastics, and other miscellaneous high performance substrates.

Polyurethane dispersions ensure polyurethane-like-performance, however, with added advantages like the absence of toxic and volatile organic compounds, elimination of odour, and the absence of harmful monomers. They possess high degree of toughness and are generally used in adhesives, sealants, and coatings.

In terms of consumption, the global polyurethane dispersions market is dominated by the segment for adhesives and coatings. Owing to rising demand for synthetic leather from industries like that of interiors, furniture, and automobile, it is anticipated that the synthetic leather production segment will witness robust growth in the forthcoming years.

Regionally, the global polyurethane dispersions market is categorised into Europe, the Asia Pacific, North America, South America, and Rest of the World. In the year 2012, the global polyurethane dispersions market was led by the Asia Pacific with a share of almost 37%. The Asia Pacific was followed by Europe which accounted for almost 29 percent of the total market share in the overall polyurethane dispersions market. "It is expected that the Asia Pacific will retain its leading position in the years to come both in terms of revenue and production. The Asia Pacific polyurethane dispersions market is driven by greater production and consumption of polyurethane dispersions in the emerging economies of China and India," said TMR in a press release.

As MRC wrote before, Alpek and BASF have signed agreements concerning the EPS (expandable polystyrene) and PU (polyurethane) business activities of their Polioles joint venture in Mexico, and BASF’s EPS business in North and South America, excluding BASF’s Neopor (grey EPS) business. Alpek will acquire all of Polioles’ EPS business activities, including its EPS production site in Altamira, Mexico. In parallel, BASF will acquire Polioles’ PU business activities, including selected assets in its Lerma facility as well as all marketing and selling rights for PU systems, isocyanates and polyols.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Fluor has started construction activities on a new delayed coker unit for ExxonMobil at its Antwerp refinery in Belgium, said the companies in their press-release.

Construction on the project, which will expand the refinery’s production capabilities, formally kicked off at a recent groundbreaking ceremony.

Fluor’s responsibilities span the project’s life cycle and include design, engineering, procurement, module fabrication, transportation, installation and construction.

Fluor is responsible for the new delayed coker unit that will convert heavy, higher sulfur residual oils into transportation fuel products such as marine gasoil and diesel fuel.

"Fluor will provide our full suite of engineering, procurement and construction services on this lump-sum refinery expansion project for the European downstream market," said Taco de Haan, president of Fluor’s energy and chemicals business for the Europe, Africa and the Middle East region.

"We are applying our modular execution and construction innovations in order to deliver schedule and capital efficiencies through an integrated solution to ExxonMobil," he added.

Engineering and design work for the project began in June 2014 and is being led by Fluor’s office in the Netherlands. Fluor booked the project into backlog for an undisclosed value earlier in 2014.

As MRC wrote before, a joint venture of Fluor and Technip was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) management contract by Malaysia's Petronas for its Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project located in Pengerang, Johor.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in Specialty Chemicals, will show its support for greater sustainability across the industrial, decorative and automotive applications with new products and advanced solutions for the global paint and coatings community at the European Coatings Show 2015 in Germany, said the producer in its press-release.

For the first time at the ECS, Clariant’s EcoTain portfolio for paint and coatings formulations will actively demonstrate the company’s commitment to creating value for its customers through sustainable solutions. The EcoTain label clearly identifies products for their sustainability performance over the whole life cycle.

EcoTain is just one example of how Clariant is delivering process-, energy- and cost-savings, and performance innovation to support the sustainability requirements of its customers.

At ECS, visitors will find innovative bio-based quinacridone pigments among the extensive selection of pigments and pigment preparations for the coloration of paints and coatings, with a strong focus on brilliant colors for high performance applications. New concepts and solutions for all along the value chain will be presented, including Clariant’s emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization and hazard label-free dispersing agents for pigment pastes. Halogen-free fire protection solutions and formulation stabilizers designed to promote efficiency in the achievement of durable, high-performance and trend-setting paints and coatings will also feature.

Making its debut for the point-of-sale market, Clariant will present its new patented 24-canister dispenser machine designed for use in professional paint stores and typical POS retail environments. The simultaneous color dispenser relies on a unique Clariant piston pump technology and is available with up to 24 canisters of 3- or 6-liter size.

"Sustainability – the key to long-term success for us and our customers – fuels Clariant’s innovation pipeline. We are committed to creating value for all stakeholders by addressing the trend to manufacture sustainable, economic and energy-saving products without compromising on innovation in color and performance," comments Joachim F. Kruger, Senior Vice President, Corporate Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs.

Clariant is listed among the world’s top ten percent of chemical companies in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, one of the most renowned global sustainability indices.

As MRC wrote before, Clariant signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 50% shares of Companhia Brasileira de Bentonita (CBB) from Geosol, a world leader in analytical services for mineral exploration. The transaction is subject to certain conditions precedent, as well as regulatory approvals.

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.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal Dutch Shell has received US government approval to export a very light form of domestic crude oil that has undergone minimal processing, reported Reuters with reference to the company's statement.

Shell had been working with the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, which regulates export controls, to understand requirements to ship lightly processed condensate internationally, the company said.

The approval enables Shell to move ahead with exports of condensate that qualifies as a refined product as defined by BIS guidance issued on Dec. 30, the company said.

As MRC informed previously, in late December 2014, oil major Shell said it had sold parts of its Norwegian downstream business to Finnish fuel firm ST1 for an undisclosed sum, further divesting parts of its downstream activities. ST1 will take over Shell's Norwegian retail, commercial fuels and supply and distribution businesses, while Shell's aviation business in Norway will become a 50-50 joint venture with ST1. The deal is expected to close this year, pending regulatory approval.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
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