BASF presents new tinting concept for performance flooring and waterproofing systems

MOSCOW (MRC) -- From now on the MasterTop and MasterSeal products from the Master Builders Solutions product range will also be tinted locally at BASF sites in Germany, Czech Republic and Italy, reported the company on its site.

So far, local tinting hubs only existed in Finland, England, Belgium, France and Spain. Due to this investment, BASF sets-up a pan-European infrastructure that increases flexibility and brings supply efficiency close to the customer.

The warehouses of the European sites are supplied with a non-tinted base which is produced in Oldenburg, Germany, the company's recently opened new Competence Center for Performance Flooring and Waterproofing systems in Europe. This base will be tinted locally to provide rapid production and delivery time by reducing the transport distance. "The roll out of the tinting machines in Europe will improve our professional service significantly. We are now able to support our customers with our Polyurethane and Epoxy solutions much more flexible and even quicker," says Luc Van Eldere, Head of Business Segment Management Performance Flooring Europe.

To realize the area-wide tinting approach BASF invested in the renewal and replacement of machines and continuously focused on improving product quality. To ensure color uniformity of the MasterTop and MasterSeal products across Europe, the different shades of colors have been calibrated and set individually for each hub.

With the new tinting and delivery concept BASF is ideally positioned to supply all major European markets and to enter new markets, especially in Eastern Europe.

As MRC reported earlier, BASF is significantly expanding its production capacity for about 20 specialty amines at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF says it will invest a double-digit million euro amount in expanding current production facilities, which are planned to go on stream gradually by early 2017. The specialty amines are especially used for the manufacturing of coatings, lubricants, crop protection products and pharmaceuticals.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Brazil’s mega-city of Sao Paulo initiated a ban on petroleum-based plastic grocery bags on April 5, following a multi-year dispute between plastic industry trade groups and city government, said Plasticsnews.

Supermarkets can now only offer bags made from plant-based plastics, and those bags must be color-coded green or gray for use with recycling or trash. Citizens who don’t use the bags properly face potential fines. Sao Paulo aims to increase recycling by requiring that only the green bags be used for recyclables, an unusual provision in a bag law. But critics are skeptical, saying the new regulation alone — without major investment in collection services — won’t greatly boost recycling.

Sao Paulo’s initial effort to ban plastic grocery bags in early 2012 was quickly halted by industry legal action and vocal consumers, who complained they were being cheated when grocers stopped providing plastic bags, which Brazilians rely on as liners for small trash cans at home.

Grocers can now offer only biodegradable plastic bags colored green and gray, or any type of plant-based packaging such as cardboard boxes, at no cost or for a few cents. The law says bags must have at least 51 percent plant-based content.

Stores that continue distributing non-biodegradable plastic bags will face fines of up to 2 million real (USD644,000). Citizens must use green bags at home just for recyclables, or face fines of 50 to 500 real (USD16 to USD161).

Latin America’s second most populous city, with 11.9 million people, generates 12,500 tons of residential waste daily, but recycles just 3 percent of it, according to local figures. Officials want to increase the recycling rate to 10 percent by 2016.

Municipal garbage collection is available for 68 percent of residents, or 86 out of 96 districts. The city says neighborhoods that don’t have public recycling collection won’t be inspected for proper bag use.

Plastic bags are considered by some to be a major contributor to flooding problems in Sao Paulo. Large black and old plastic grocery bags can still be used for garbage under the new law.

As MRC informed earlier, representatives of European Union member states hammered out a dealto reduce consumption of lightweight plastic bags to 40 bags per person per year by 2025. National governments will have to either reduce average lightweight plastic bags consumption to 90 bags per person per year by 2019 and 40 by 2025 or ensure that, by 2018, consumers pay for their bags. A second unanimous vote was needed because the original agreement had been opposed by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Production of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in Russia exceeded to 198,500 tonnes in Q1 of this year, up 26% compared to the same period of 2014. The largest increase in PVC production occurred for RusVinyl and Bashkir Soda Company, according to MRC ScanPlast.

All Russian producers of PVC except SayanskKhimPlast kept a high level of capacity utilisation in March. Russia's total PVC production in March was 60,500 tonnes (63,900 tonnes in February). Russia's PVC production totalled 198,500 tonnes in the first three months of the year, compared with 157,800 year on year. Such a high growth rate in production resulted form the launch of new 330,000 tonnes/year production at RusVinyl, based in Nizhny Novgorod as well as increased PVC output at Bashkir Soda Company.

Structure of PVC production over the reported period looked as follows. SayanskKhimPlast last month reduced production volumes, partly because of a brief stop on maintenance work at the beginning of March. The producer's PVC production in March dropped to 11,900 tonnes from 19,500 tonnes a month earlier. Total PVC production by the producer was 56,100 tonnes in the first three months of this year, down 22% year on year.

Bashkir Soda Company (BSC) in March of this year produced a little more than 21,500 tonnes of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC), while in February the figure was 19,600 tonnes. Producer's production of SPVC totalled 63,900 tonnes in January - March of this year, up 11% year on year.

RusVinyl (JV SIBUR and SolVin) in March kept its capacity utilisation at the level of February; having produced 19,200 tonnes of EPVC and SPVC. Total production at RusVinyl was 54,900 tonnes in January - March 2015.

Kaustik (Volgograd) in March increased production of PVC to 7,900 tonnes, compared to 7,400 tonnes a month earlier. Total PVC production by the producer was 23,700 tonnes in the first three months of 2015, which is practically equal to the same time a year earlier.


MRC

МОSCOW (MRC) -- US energy giant PG&E was hit with a USD1.6 billion fine over the deadly 2010 explosion in California which left eight people dead, said Bloomberg.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said the fine was the heaviest ever imposed by authorities in the state.

The devastating September 2010 pipeline explosion near the town of San Bruno, close to San Francisco, destroyed around 30 homes.

"PG&E failed to uphold the public's trust. The CPUC failed to keep vigilant. Lives were lost. Numerous people were injured. Homes were destroyed. We must do everything we can to ensure that nothing like this happens again," CPUC chief Michael Picker said in a statement.

Part of the fine will be used to upgrade the network of pipelines across California including PG&E pipelines. PG&E said in a separate statement that the "lessons" of the San Bruno explosion would not be forgotten.

It added that it had already distributed more than USD500 million to victims of the blast and their families, established a USD50 million fund for the city of San Bruno and contributed more than USD70 million towards rebuilding in the town.

PG&E -- the Pacific Gas and Electric Company -- distributes energy to around 16 million customers throughout north and central California. PG&E stock closed 1.55 percent lower on Wall Street Thursday, ending the day at USD52.78.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, commonly known as PG&E, is an investor-owned utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border. It is the leading subsidiary of the PG&E Corporation. PG&E was founded in 1905 and is currently headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building in San Francisco.MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Industrial packaging maker Mauser Group is acquiring IBC North America and Clean Tide Container, companies with common ownership, said Plasticsnews.

Mauser, of Bruehl, Germany, said the acquisition will increase its presence in North America. "We are excited to expand our footprint in the United States," said Hans-Peter Schaefer, CEO of Mauser, in a statement. "This acquisition affords us the opportunity to more effectively service our North American customers."

Mike Harding, co-owner and vice president of sales for IBC North America and Clean Tide Container said, "Our founders would be proud of the business we have built and of the company that will continue to take us forward. Now that we are part of the global Mauser family, we will be able to serve our customers with a variety of products and services that we had always envisioned."

IBC is based in Clarkston, Mich., and Clean Tide in Robertsdale, Ala. The companies also have plants in Lawrenceville, Ga., Chillicothe, Mo., and Perris, Calif.

As MRC informed earlier, Mauser Group is increasing its share in its Shanghai joint venture from 32.5% to 50%. Under the agreement, the intermediate bulk containers (IBC) production assets of Mauser Packaging (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd. will be transferred to the 11-year-old JV, Fanshun Mauser Shanghai Packaging Co. Ltd.

Mauser gains a total of three manufacturing and five reconditioning sites in the United States for intermediate bulk containers. Mauser (Bruhl, Germany) has annual revenue of about USD1.6 billion, with 4000 employees and facilities around the globe. Its plastics division is the company's largest but it also makes and distributes metal and paperboard drums and industrial containers. The bulk of the plastics divisions' processing facilities are in Europe though it also has ones in Brazil, the U.S. and Thailand.

MRC