CPC Corp's refinery reported propylene leaks at Kaohsiung

MOSCOW (MRC) -- CPC Corp's refinery in the Kaohsiung area reported leaks of propylene gas, said Chinapost.

Wu Yi-fang, head of CPC's Talin refinery, said a loose connector in the six-inch piping system transporting the colorless gas to its Linyuan plant caused the leak.

But the plant took contingency measures to prevent a large volume of the propylene gas from leaking out, he said, estimating that it would take about two hours to clear any remaining gas from the pipe.

To ensure safety, CPC and Kaohsiung's Environmental Protection Bureau were monitoring the flammability level of the gas at the scene and urged the public not to panic.

Kaohsiung was the scene of a deadly propylene gas explosion involving another chemical company on July 31, 2014 that killed 32 and injured more than 300.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay, a privately owned multinational chemicals company, and 3A Composites are joining forces to make innovative specialty foam materials for advanced transportation, offering for the first time on a large and worldwide scale a tailored, cost-effective substitute to traditional, labor-intense materials used to reduce the weight of applications, said Solvay on its site.

Their world-class manufacturing capability will combine 3A Composites’ unique know-how in industrial process development and high-volume fabrication of foams, with Solvay’s world leadership offering of high- and ultra-performing plastics materials. The partners will first build on Solvay’s Radel foam and so-called sandwich materials, used on Airbus A350 and Solar Impulse, and will later expand to products that Solvay is developing.

Transports like commercial aircraft or high-speed trains are increasingly seeking to replace heavier plastics and metal structures, which are more time-consuming to process and expensive to maintain, with specialty foams. Light-weighting applications range from the cabin to ducting and trolleys and help to improve energy efficiency.

"Our alliance is a game changer in making high-tech foams available on a large scale. Part makers will benefit from greater flexibility in their designs and from uniting strength and insulation performance at the highest level of fire resistance," said Armin Klesing, Global Business Development Manager Aerospace & Composites at Solvay's Specialty Polymers Global Business Unit.

The alliance secures global logistics and regional support through its manufacturing and workshop capabilities worldwide. 3A Composites expects additional foam extrusion capacity in the United States to come on stream 2016 and will continue to service the market with its existing product lines.

As MRC wrote previously, in October 2014, Swiss Solvay unveiled its breakthrough innovation for surface cleaning formulations. While Mirapol Surf S polymers are a well-established range of polymers for hydrophilization of surfaces such as ceramic, glass, stainless steel, Solvay launches a unique technology enabling formulators to deliver the key benefits consumers now expect for even modern plastic surfaces.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker Chemie AG is considering a carve out of its semiconductor division to focus investment on chemical and polysilicon businesses, as per the company's statement.

Siltronic could be listed on the stock market or a strategic investor found to buy the asset outright, the Munich-based company said in a statement today. Bloomberg earlier reported that Wacker is working with Rothschild on a potential US spinoff that may raise about USD300 million, citing people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.

"A detailed analysis of all the possible courses of action is necessary first to see how far these goals are achievable and which path would then be appropriate," said CEO Rudolf Staudigl.

Wacker joins Bayer and EON in seeking to separate business units to streamline operations. Siltronic partners with chip manufacturers including Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. and has production facilities in the US, Asia and Europe, according to its website. Separating the unit would reduce the capital intensity of the remaining group, Staudigl said.

No final decision has been made, according to Wacker.

As MRC reported earlier, in 2013, Wacker Chemie AG officially launched its new production plant for ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site has, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into Russia fell in January and February by five times year on year and totalled 8,140 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope report.

February imports rose by 23% from January to 4,500 tonnes. Shanghai Hengyi Polyester accounted for the largest PET imports to Russia.

There was a decrease in imports from Lithuania in January and February. Thus, about 600 tonnes of Neo Group's PET were shipped into the market. The porducer reduced its supplies to 122 tonnes in February. The depreciation of the euro against the dollar will lead to an increase in demand for European material. Imports of Lithuanian PET have been low so far.

PET imports to Russia are expected to fall this year. The rouble devaluation, unpredictability of the foreign currency exchange rate at the time of the imported material receipt, as well as the expansion of PET production capacities in Ufa were the reasons for lower purchasing in foreign markets. Russian companies will increase their consumption of domestic material in 2015 at the expense of imported material.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) continues to decline sharply, having dropped to less than 300 tonnes in February of this year. At the same time, a weak rouble allows to keep strong exports, according to MRC DataScope.

February SPVC imports in Russia dropped below 300 tonnes amid seasonally low demand and weak rouble, compared with more than 700 tonnes in January. Export sales of Russian SPVC, on the contrary, because of the high dollar remained at a high level and in February reached about 5,000 tonnes, excluding deliveries to Belarus.
The main volume of imports in February occurred for Chinese Chinese PVC and amounted to about 260 tonnes. The remaining volumes occurred for the resin from Europe and were delivered in Kaliningrad. Imports of US PVC into Russia have not been done since December 2014.

As it was reported earlier, in February 2014 imports of SPVC in the country were 14,300 tonnes. February SPVC exports from Russia slightly dropped. Total SPVC exports from the country in February were about 5,000 tonnes, compared with 5,600 tonnes in January. The decline in SPVC sales occurred for Ukraine and Iraq, while shipments to India remained practically at the January level. SPVC imports in Russia is expected to be at zero in March taking into account lower prices and more than sufficient supply from Russian producers. Growing demand in the domestic market will not allow to significantly increase exports.

MRC