Trinseo to shut SM plant in Germany for maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo, a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber, is in plans to shut a styrene monomer (SM) plant for maintenance turnaround, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Germany informed that the SM plant is planned to be taken off-stream in end-August 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located in Bohlen, Germany, the plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, in October 2014, Trinseo announced that it would realign its business divisions, creating two new business groups called Performance Materials and Basic Plastics and Feedstocks.

The Performance Materials division will include the following reporting segments: Rubber, Latex and Performance Plastics (consisting of the Automotive and Consumer Essential Markets businesses). The Basic Plastics and Feedstocks division will also represent a separate segment for reporting purposes and will include the following businesses: Styrenic Polymers (Polystyrene, ABS, SAN), Polycarbonate, and Styrene Monomer.

Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo has completed the name change process for most legal entities around the world. Some Styron companies are still completing this process and will continue to do business as Styron until their respective name changes are complete.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo’s technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015.
MRC

BASF presents new plastics, catalysts and battery materials for automotive industry

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF, the world's petrochemical major, has developed innovative plastics, catalysts and battery materials to enable automotive manufacturers to save weight and reduce emissions as well as improve safety, comfort and fuel efficiency, said the producer on its site.

With the microcellular polyurethane elastomer Cellasto, BASF offers a tailor-made solution for reducing NVH effects (NVH: noise, vibration, harshness) in vehicles. At the stand, top mounts, head-up-display mounts as well as electric motor mounts in different material combinations will be displayed. Top mounts made of Cellasto contribute to considerable weight reductions while the head-up-display mounts can eliminate disturbing vibrations in different surrounding conditions. The electric motor mounts fit the requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles because of their lightweight, compact design and extraordinary acoustic isolation.

The world’s first plastic transmission crossbeam in the rear axle subframe was developed by ContiTech Vibration Control and BASF for the S-Class from Mercedes-Benz. It is made from the engineering plastic Ultramid A3WG10 CR, a specialty polyamide from BASF which is particularly reinforced and optimized to withstand high mechanical loads. Compared to the previous beam made from die-cast aluminum, this highly durable component offers a weight saving of 25%, better acoustics as well as excellent mechanical properties even at high temperatures and conforms to the latest crash requirements.

New catalysts and battery materials by BASF enable vehicles to have a lower environmental impact, whatever powertrain technology they use. The single-component EMPRO FWC four-way conversion catalyst can remove particulate matter as well as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from gasoline-engine exhaust. This can help automakers meet strict new emissions regulations including Euro 6c, while reducing system complexity, tooling and overall system cost.

The patented EMPRO SCR.2F (Selective Catalytic Reduction on Filter) technology combines SCR with a diesel particulate filter to control nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions on a single substrate, saving weight and space. For full electric, plug-in, and hybrid vehicles, BASF’s advanced cathode materials and electrolytes offer high power as well as energy, safety, and improved efficiency for lithium-ion batteries.

BASF also presents different materials for engine cover noise reduction. One example is the thermally stable Basotect TG melamine foam, which is now being used for the acoustic layer in the Volkswagen EA888 engine for the Jetta, Golf, Passat, Tiguan, and Beetle models produced in North America. The use of Basotect provides not only superior noise absorption, but also flame retardance and high weight reduction. Basotect TG is the only thermoset melamine foam, which is specially manufactured for thermoforming to make sophisticated three-dimensional components for tight spaces.

Another possibility for reducing noises under the hood is the flexible polyurethane integral foam Elastofoam I that is used to produce lightweight engine covers with the one-shot process, i.e. with one material in one process step. The soft cover is produced by the Austrian company Polytec Car Styling and fitted as in various car models of the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo.

As the first manufacturer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), BASF has successfully optimized the material so that it can be applied extensively and unpainted on the vehicle exterior. PSA Peugeot Citroen uses the new TPU grade Elastollan AC 55D10 HPM (High Performance Material) for cladding the Citroen C4 Cactus with so-called Airbumps. These are large air-filled cushion bumpers in contrasting colors: They are fitted on the sides as well as on the front and rear of the vehicle, protect the car exterior from impact and scratches and give the vehicle its distinctive look.

As MRC wrote before, BASF’s Coatings division is now the sole supplier of automotive coatings for the new plant of the Chinese automaker Chery in Jacarei, Brazil, which started operations in August 2014.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It 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 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC

Sadara signs agreement to supply MDI for Juffali project in PlasChem Park

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sadara Chemical Co. has signed an agreement for the multi-year supply of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) for a new production facility being built by E. A. Juffali & Brothers in PlasChem Park in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, according to GV.

Juffali’s project will consist of several units designed to produce highly differentiated chemicals and products for use in various industries in Saudi Arabia. Some of the units will receive direct feed of Sadara products, while others will use feedstock provided by other suppliers.

"The Juffali MDI project will cater to the local demand for polyurethanes in industries such as construction, furniture, special flooring for sports facilities and electrical appliances, all of which will benefit from locally sourced MDI for the first time ever in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East," explained Mohammad Alazzaz, director of Value Park at Sadara.

PlasChem Park, located adjacent to Sadara’s complex and being developed as a collaborative effort between Sadara and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, is intended to strengthen Jubail’s position as a key enabler and supporter of the Kingdom’s downstream manufacturing sector, providing numerous opportunities in multiple market segments based on Sadara's technologies.

As MRC wrote previously, in June 2015, Sadara Chemical Co. signed a 20-year supply agreement with Energy Chemicals Sources Co. (ECSC), a new joint venture of Halliburton and The Industrialization & Energy Services Co. (TAQA), to supply feedstock to ECSC's planned chemical production facility to be built in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Under the agreement, Sadara will supply 60,000 t/y of ethylene oxide and 20,000 t/y propylene oxide via pipeline to the new specialty chemicals complex, which will be located in PlasChem Park. Construction on the facility is planned to begin this year with production expected in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Sadara is building a world-scale, fully integrated chemicals complex in Jubail Industrial City 2, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The complex will be comprised of 26 manufacturing units, will possess flexible cracking capabilities and is expected to produce more than 3 million metric tons of high-value performance plastics and specialty chemical products. The first production units are expected to come on-line in the second half of 2015, with full production starting in mid-2016.
MRC

Bayer MaterialScience division said to be interested in PU-related acquisitions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bayer's MaterialScience division, which plans to list on the stock exchange by mid-2016 at the latest, could consider acquisitions, especially in polyurethane-related businesses, reported GV.

The company could be listed as early as October in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) potentially worth more than EUR 10 billion, sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.

Patrick Thomas, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer MaterialScience, told the German newspaper Handelsblatt in an interview that the company may consider acquisitions in the area of "polyurethane-based coating raw materials or dispersions", should appropriate assets come up for sale.

In ten years' time the company, which will be renamed Covestro on 1 September 2015, will be significantly larger, he said. "But from today's point of view it will be based on the same three areas that we are active in already." Most of MaterialScience's EUR 11.7 billion in 2014 sales came from polyurethane, polycarbonate and raw materials for coatings, adhesives and sealants, according to Reuters.

As MRC informed earlier, in July 2014, Bayer MaterialScience said that it had decided to close its site in Darmstadt, Germany, as part of the worldwide consolidation of its business with sheets made of the high-performance plastic polycarbonate. The closure in Darmstadt affects 90 employees. The European customers will be supplied in the future by the plants in Nera Montoro, Italy, and Tielt, Belgium.

Bayer MaterialScience is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. Bayer MaterialScience had 30 production sites and employed approximately 14,800 people around the globe. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company.
MRC

Ningbo Zhongjin to commence production at new PX plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ningbo Zhongjin Petrochemical is likely to commence production at its new paraxylene (PX) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company is in plans to begin production at the PX plant soon during this week.

Located at Ningbo in Zhejiang province of China, the plant has a production capacity of 1.6 million mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC wrote before, top Asian refiner China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) shut its PX plant for maintenance turnaround in end-October 2014. It remained off-stream for around one month. Located at Zhenhai in China, the plant has a production capacity of 650,000 mt/year.

Besides, in the first decade of May 2015, JX Nippon Oil and Energy resumed operations at its PX plant after maintenance turnaround. A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant was shut on April 24, 2015. The shutdown of the plant coincided with the shutdown of an upstream cracker at the same site. Thus, the plant remain off-stream for around two weeks. Located at Kawasaki in Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 350,000 mt/year.
MRC