BASF licenses valureTM technology to EM.tec design GmbH

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF SE has entered into a technology license agreement with EM.tec design GmbH for the production of valureTM. The new production plant, located in Bingen, Germany, will have an annual capacity of about 1.5 million square meters of surface finished material, as per BASF's press release.

With this BASF has extended the availability of valureTM globally, complementing the existing production facility in India, which started up last year. BASF supports its licensing partners with the chemistry, technology know-how, and joint development with customers as well as application-oriented services.

"This partnership with EM.tec design represents a powerful opportunity for valureTM to accelerate and extend its reach in Europe which is a major market for BASF,” said Hermann Althoff, Senior Vice President, BASF Leather & Textile Chemicals. "EM.tec design has demonstrated the dynamic character of a start-up combined with solid know-how of the automotive industry. OEMs and brand owners will benefit from the versatility of valureTM to create more innovative surfaces for their products."

EM.tec design is the wholly owned spin-off start-up of Heinz Einhaus GmbH which is a leading supplier of finishing systems for the automotive industry for small- and medium-size parts. "Our state-of-the-art production facility in Bingen shows our long-term commitment to valureTM" said Manuel Einhaus, Founder of EM.tec design. "Together with BASF, we will focus our combined efforts to serving a broader range of customers in the automotive, fashion, furniture and packaging industries."

valureTMis a technology to create laser structured surfaces with almost limitless design freedom to create haptics and textures ranging from soft touch to hard, leather graining, the appearance of velvet and geometric patterns and impressions. A silicone mold is laser engraved and sprayed with a microporous polyurethane dispersion. The resulting film can be applied to a wide variety of materials like leather, fabric, cardboard, paper or plastic without impairing the air permeability of the material - helping to achieve surfaces with a distinctive character that are soft, warm to the touch, and offer attractive designs. The polyurethane surfaces are resistant to wear and tear, soiling, and within limits to the exposure to water, sweat and oil. Quick design changes present no difficulties enabling customers to produce different sizes on a smaller scale.

As MRC reported earlier, BASF will expand its capacity for the production of Paliocrom effect pigments by more than 20% by 2017 in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The investment will enable the company to accommodate for the growing demand of its aluminum-based effect pigments in the automotive coatings sector. With an investment of approximately EUR10 million, BASF aims to strengthen its position in this fast-growing market.

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) -- Huntsman Corporation announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Tecnoelastomeri, a manufacturer and marketer of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) based hot-cast elastomer systems and processing machines, based in Modena, Italy, said the company in the press release.

2014 sales revenue for Tecnoelastomeri was approximately USD12 million. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Hot-cast polyurethanes are used in many downstream applications, including bumper pads, coated conveyor belts, gears, rollers and wheels. These applications are used in the automotive, rail, oil and gas, mining and steel industries among others. Huntsman has supplied MDI for these applications for many years.

Tecnoelastomeri markets its diverse product line globally under a number of well-known trademarks, including Tecnoelastomeri engineering urethane elastomers, Tecnothane polyurethane systems, Rithane specialty polyurethane systems, Castech polyurethane machines and Linthane specialty thermoplastic urethanes (TPUs).

Commenting on the acquisition, Tony Hankins, President of Huntsman’s Polyurethanes division, said: "We are very pleased with the acquisition of Tecnoelastomeri. The addition of its highly experienced team to our Polyurethanes business will significantly strengthen our offer to the growing, downstream hot-cast elastomer markets globally."

"In the past few years we have strengthened our downstream capabilities and now have more than 25 facilities worldwide. These investments reflect our confidence in the long-term growth prospects for MDI-based urethanes."

As MRC informed earlier, Huntsman Corporation has announced that Monte Edlund will succeed Stu Monteith as president of Huntsman’s Performance Products division (HPP), effective July 1.

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2014 revenues of approximately USD13 billion,including the acquisition of Rockwood’s performance additives and titanium dioxide businesses. 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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, will increase list and off-list selling prices for acetic acid in view of the recent rapid increase and continued volatility in China methanol prices, as per the company's statement.

The price increase below will be effective immediately, or as contracts allow.

Thus, prices of acetic acid will rise by RMB100/tonne.

As MRC reported before, Celanese Corporation will raise list and off-list selling prices of Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM). The price increases below will be effective as of July 1, 2015, or as contracts allow.

Thus, VAM prices will rise as follows:

- by USD0.03/lb - for USA, Canada and Mexico;
- by USD70/tonne - for Central and South America;
- by USD40/tonne - for Asia (outside China).

Besides, Celanese Corporation raised list and off-list selling VAM prices effective June 1, 2015. Thus, the company's VAM prices rose by EUR 75/tonne for Europe and Middle East and by USD30/tonne for Asia (outside China).

Earlier, in April 2015, Celanese Corporation increased its prices of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in Asia. Vinyl acetate ethylene (EVA) emulsions increased by Yuan 400/tonne for China and USD55/tonne for the rest of Asia effective April 24, 2015, or as contracts allow.

This price increase affected all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, waterproofing, building and construction, glass fiber, carpet and paper. This increase was attributed to the continued pressures on raw materials, notably ethylene and VAM.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,500 employees worldwide and had 2014 net sales of USD6.8 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF, the world's petrochemical major, has commissioned the pilot plant for the manufacturing of SLENTITE, its new high-performance product, as per the company's press release.

The large-sized insulating panels will initially serve the optimization of the performance profile and will subsequently be supplied to selected cooperation partners. This high-performance insulating material based on a polyurethane aerogel is thus the first to be available in the form of a heavy-duty panel. SLENTITE combines all the key properties of a forward-looking insulating material for both new construction projects and renovation.

As announced, the new plant at the Lemforde location went into operation after 18 months of planning and construction. Numerous firms from the local area were involved in the project. The plant was installed by plant engineering specialists working to specific instructions from BASF engineers. "We're very pleased to have been able to execute such a complex and novel project on time with our competent and enthusiastic team," says Dr. Hermann Bergmann, Group Leader Polyurethane Research. "Now it's a question of fine-tuning the production process." Dr. Rene Lochtman, Managing Director BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, also stressed the positive impact of development from the laboratory to the pilot stage: "By investing in new technologies like the SLENTITE pilot plant, we have succeeded in building on our very good position on the insulating materials market and strengthening the Lemforde location."

Dr. Marc Fricke, SLENTITE project manager, stresses the special features of the newly developed product: "SLENTITE is unique. With the pilot plant up and running, we have achieved an important goal and can soon start supplying samples to selected partners. What's more, we are now in a position to develop an industrial-scale production process."

The high-performance product is suitable above all for interiors and offers architects ample design freedom. It also scores with its minimal space requirements and excellent moisture regulation which adds to a pleasant room-climate. The panel can be handled dust-free and processed just like conventional construction products.

As MRC reported earlier, in june 2014, BASF undertook three key capacity expansion projects for performance materials at its Pudong site in Shanghai (China). The capacity expansion projects includes Ultramid (polyamide, PA), Ultradur (polybutylene terephthalate, PBT), Elastollan thermoplastics polyurethane elastomers (TPU), and Technical Center and capacity expansion of Cellasto (microcellular polyurethane components).

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. BASF had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Nan Ya Plastics (part of Formosa Group) is in plans to restart its No.2 monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the plant is planned to be restarted in mid-July 2015. It was shut on June 10, 2015 for maintenance turnaround.

Located in Mailiao,Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 360,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed previously, Nan Ya Plastics shut down its No.4 MEG plant in Taiwan for maintenance turnaround on September 7, 2014. The plant remained shut for around one month. Located at Mailiao, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 720,000 mt/year.

We remind that Sinopec Hubei Chemical Fertilizer has started a new MEG plant on February 8, 2014. Initially the plant was scheduled to start commercial production in late 2013. Located at Zhejiang in Hubei province of China, the plant has a production capacity of 200,000 mt/year.

Another Chinese petrochemical producer Hubei Chemical Fertilizer started a new monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant in late 2013. Located in Hubei, China, the plant has a production capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year.
MRC