SABIC presented a new LDPE grade for packaging industry

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC has recently broadened its SABIC PCG portfolio for healthcare with the addition of a new LDPE grade to help the global IV packaging industry benefit from consistent and reliable supply, said the producer in its press release.

The new grade, SABIC LDPE PCG06 is typically for use in semi-rigid plastic bottles obtained from the Blown Fill Seal (BFS) process to package a variety of Large Volume Parenteral (LVP) solutions such as saline or dextrose. "SABIC is committed to enabling our existing and potential customers to address risks and to providing a much needed credible supply to the industry globally as demand grows, thus improving confidence in the supply chain" said Hery Randrianantoandro, Healthcare Segment Leader at SABIC in Europe.

The grade has been tested on a Rommelag Blown-Fill-Seal bottlepack type 321 machine in close collaboration with Kocher-Plastik Maschinenbau GmbH of Germany, it requires only minor adjustments during processing compared to the market benchmark. "Based on tests performed on our machine type 321, this new grade SABIC LDPE PCG06 can be processed on a bottlepack machine for bottles with our LDPE equipment" emphasized Martin Groh, Technical Manager at Kocher-Plastik.

This new grade will not only be helping improve confidence in the supply chain but also can offer potential improvements in barrier properties, such as permeability to oxygen and water vapor, and higher autoclaving sterilization temperature compared to the market benchmark, thanks to its optimized structural density. "Improving the preservation of the efficacy and integrity of the drug product during its expected shelf-life is a continuous challenge for our customers," said Marnik Vaes, Technical Marketing Healthcare at SABIC, "It is an area where we are stepping up effort and focus in order to support our customers further," he added.

SABIC LDPE PCG06 fully complies with the European and US Pharmacopoeia standard and will be available worldwide.

As MRC informed earlier, SABIC has announced its commitment to developing innovation in additive manufacturing at NPE2015. The world's first 3D printed car, developed with SABIC material technology, manufactured by Local Motors. Leveraging its global technology centers in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Saudi Arabia, SABIC is expanding its application development focus in additive manufacturing technology.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the worldпїЅs top petrochemical companies. The company is among the worldпїЅs market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC

BASF announces changes in its personnel

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Teressa Szelest, currently Senior Vice President, Global Business Unit Hygiene, Ludwigshafen, has been named President, Market & Business Development North America, effective May 1, 2015, reported the company on its site.

She will be located in Florham Park, New Jersey. Szelest succeeds Dr. Beate Ehle who will take a sabbatical until the end of 2015 at her own request.

As MRC wrote previously, in October 2014, the Board of Executive Directors of BASF, the world's petrochemical major, announced the personnel changes, as follows:

Gabriel Tanbourgi, President of the Care Chemicals division, will retire effective December 31, 2014. He will be succeeded by Hans-W. Reiners, who is currently President of the Performance Chemicals division, effective January 1, 2015.

Prof. Dr. Christian Fischer, President, Advanced Materials & Systems Research, will assume responsibility for the Performance Chemicals division effective January 1, 2015. Dr. Harald Lauke, President, Biological & Effect Systems Research, will succeed Fischer at the same time.

Dr. Peter Eckes, President, Plant Science, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, will assume responsibility for the new research division, Bioscience Research, Research Triangle Park, as of January 1, 2015.

Dr. Stefan Blank, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of BASF New Business, Ludwigshafen, will become President of the Intermediates division, Ludwigshafen, effective December 1, 2014. The current head of the division, Sanjeev Gandhi, has been appointed to the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE. Dr. Guido Voit, Senior Vice President, Intermediates Asia Pacific, BASF East Asia RHQ Ltd., Hong Kong, will succeed Blank as head of BASF New Business at the same time.

Besides, effective September 1, 2014, Ralf A. Spettmann, previously Senior Vice President, Pigments & Resins Europe, Ludwigshafen, became President of the Construction Chemicals operating division headquartered in Ludwigshafen. Spettmann succeeds Dr. Tilman Krauch, who took up a new position at another company.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF 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 over EUR74 billion in 2014 and over 113,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC

Saudi Aramco secures USD10B loan to fund refining, petrochemical expansions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Arabian Oil Co. has reached agreement with a group of global and regional banks to borrow USD10 billion and is set to wrap up the deal within days, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The deal, one of the biggest in the Gulf region in recent years, is in the final documentation stage, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is confidential. They declined to disclose the lenders.

The transaction will be split between a USD6 billion five-year tranche and a USD1 billion one-year tranche, priced at 12 basis points above Libor and 10 basis points above Libor respectively, the people said. A spokesman for Saudi Aramco declined to comment.

As MRC reported earlier, in May 2014, Saudi Aramco announced that its downstream investments would exceed USD100 billion over the next decade, as global demand for oil rises by a quarter in the next 25 years.

Besides, Saudi Aramco Products Trading Co., the fuel marketing unit of Saudi Arabia’s state oil producer, started selling products of an affiliated petrochemicals maker. Aramco Trading will sell products including polypropylene and polyethylene made by Rabigh Refining & Petrochemicals Co.

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco's value has been estimated at up to USD10 trillion in the Financial Times, making it the world's most valuable company. Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 260 billion barrels, and largest daily oil production.
MRC

Evonik to invest over EUR4 billion in research and development

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Essen-based Evonik Industries, a leading specialty chemicals manufacturer, is investing over EUR4 billion in research and development, as per the company's press release.

"Our intention is to turn Evonik into one of the world's most innovative companies," affirmed Klaus Engel, the Chairman of the Executive Board, at today's R&D press conference in Wesseling. "Innovations are a key element of our growth strategy," noted Engel, who went on to announce continued high investments in research & development (R&D) for the future.

Thus, Evonik plans to invest over EUR4 billion in R&D over the next decade. Engel referred to innovations as the ‘elixir of life’ for the specialty chemicals industry: "Innovations open up new business areas and strengthen our leading market and technology positions." In fiscal year 2014, Evonik's R&D spending amounted to EUR413 million, an increase of 5% over the previous year (EUR394 million). The R&D investment ratio was 3.2% (2013 - 3.1%).

Evonik intends to make tangible improvements to its innovative power, as innovations are to make key contributions to revenues and earnings in the future. The company plans to significantly expand its innovation pipeline to keep up a steady flow of new products and solutions. Ulrich Kusthardt, who was appointed Chief Innovation Officer at Evonik earlier this year, presented a three-point plan for this purpose. "We must become more focused in our projects, more international in our research, and more open in our exchange of knowledge," said Kusthardt. The goal is to bring innovations to consumers with even greater speed and efficiency.

The Evonik R&D pipeline is well-filled with some 500 projects, with even greater focus to come from strategic innovation management. Promising innovation areas for Evonik include ingredients for the cosmetics industry, membranes, specialty materials for medical technology, food supplements and animal feed additives as well as composite materials.

The company held over 25,000 patents and patent applications in 2014. Some 250 new patents were filed last year - the equivalent of almost one invention per business day. With some 2,600 Evonik employees working in research at 35 sites, the company has continuously increased the value of its patent portfolio over the past years.

As MRC informed before, in July 2014, Evonik Industries announced an investment in the double-digit-million euro range in a new research center at the Rheinfelden site. Starting at the beginning of 2016, research into silanes will be carried out in modern laboratories in the four-story building. Silanes are used in the electronics industry, in the tire industry, for the production of adhesives and sealants as well as plastics, and in the construction industry.

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

Solvay to expand peroxides production to serve growing North American markets

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay, the world’s largest producer of hydrogen peroxide, plans to expand its production facility in Longview, WA., to meet growing demands from pulp and paper producers in the Pacific Northwest and other industrial markets around the United States, said the producer in its press release.

Solvay expects to increase its North American production capacity by about 20 percent, supported by a multi-million dollar investment in Longview. This investment will help to ensure that Solvay can continue to supply key markets that rely on Solvay to support their own growth projections.

The investment will be in two stages. Longview construction is expected to begin later in 2015 and completion of stage one is expected in late 2016. Stage two of the expansion will take place in the near future as market conditions require. Plant employment will remain stable, augmented by contract workers during the construction stages.

Solvay’s investment plans signify another substantial commitment to the Longview plant and to the region’s industrial markets including the neighboring North Pacific Paper Corporation’s (NORPAC) production facility. The expansion of Solvay’s North American peroxides capacity will also support internal demand growth for electronic grade peroxide serving the electronics market.

Since the Longview plant opened in 1989, Solvay has more than tripled its local production in a longstanding partnership with the forest products industry. In addition, Solvay’s Longview employees have worked without a lost-time accident for almost the entire history of the site. Capping that commitment to safety, Solvay, since 2002, has consistently earned VPP Star Status from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one of the first manufacturing sites in Washington State to do so.

As MRC informed earlier, Solvay Silica is unveiling Efficium a breakthrough Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS), an innovative reinforcing filler which allows for higher productivity and greater flexibility in producing green passenger car and truck tire compounds.

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 пїЅ fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
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