PPG Asian Paints launches first waterborne automotive refinish paint in Sri Lanka

MOSCOW (MRC) – PPG Asian Paints Lanka Ltd. announced the launch in Sri Lanka of ENVIROBASE High Performance (HP) automotive refinish paints – the first eco-friendly waterborne automotive paints introduced in Sri Lanka for use by the refinishing industry, said the company on its site.

Prestige Automobiles (Pvt) Ltd. is the first PPG Asian Paints customer in Sri Lanka to convert to using the waterborne products in its operation. With low volatile organic compound (VOC) levels that comply with increasingly strict limits in many countries, waterborne coatings now protect and beautify most new vehicles produced around the world. The Envirobase HP line is the leading premium waterborne basecoat refinishing system globally, according to Biju Ramachandran Nair, country manager for PPG Asian Paints, and introducing these paints in Sri Lanka will enable local refinishers to use the latest technology that is approved by most of the world’s leading automotive brands.

PPG Asian Paints is a joint venture of PPG Industries, the U.S.-based leading global paint company, and Asian Paints, a leading manufacturer and supplier of coatings in Asia.

As MRC informed earlier, PPG Industries agreed to acquire US-based IVC Industrial Coatings for an undisclosed amount. The company operates five manufacturing facilitates in the US, one plant in Guangdong, China, and a small development lab in Manchester, England.

PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) is a global supplier of protective and decorative coatings. Performance Coatings, Industrial Coatings and Architectural Coatings- EMEA segments supply protective and decorative finishes for customers in a range of end use markets, including industrial equipment, appliances and packaging; factory-finished aluminum extrusions and steel and aluminum. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were USD15.4 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lotte Chemical Louisiana LLC, a subsidiary of South Korea’s Lotte Chemical Corp., has let an additional contract to CB&I, Houston, for an associated monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant to be built next to its 1 million-tonne/year ethane cracker project with Axiall Corp., Atlanta, in Lake Charles, La. (OGJ Online, June 18, 2015), as per Ogj.

As part of the contract, valued at more than USD365 million, CB&I will provide construction services for the MEG plant, the service provider said on Dec. 21.

Lotte Chemical previously let a contract to CB&I to provide construction planning and reviews, as well as early works services, for the proposed MEG unit, which will sit adjacent to the planned cracker (OGJ Online, Oct. 30, 2015).
To be owned and operated by Lotte Chemical, the USD1.1-billion MEG plant, once completed, will be the nation’s largest and provide the company 600,000 tpy of MEG for export to Europe and Asia, said Soo Young Huh, Lotte Chemical’s president and chief executive.

As MRC informed earlier, LACC LLC, a subsidiary of Axiall and Lotte Chemical USA Corp.’s 50–50 joint venture Eagle US 2 LLC, recently announced its final investment decision to build the steam cracker and MEG plant at a total cost of USD3 billion nearby Axiall’s Lake Charles chlor-alkali manufacturing plants to take advantage of existing infrastructure, competitive US shale feedstock resources, and ethylene distribution infrastructure.

Lotte Chemical is a member of the Lotte Group in Korea, which has been listed on the Korean Stock Exchange since 1991. Lotte Chemical is a leading manufacturer of petrochemical products, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene oxide/glycol, compound resin, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, methyl methacrylate, ethylene oxide derivatives, benzene, toluene, mixed xylene, purified terephthalic acid and purified isophthalic acid among others. Lotte Chemical, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, has manufacturing facilities located throughout South Korea, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, UK and the USA.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China-based Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery has awarded a contract to CB&I to use its Catofin catalytic dehydrogenation technology for a grassroots propane and butane dehydrogenation unit to be constructed in Dalian of Liaoning Province, as per Chemicals-technology.

Under the deal, CB&I will license and provide engineering design for the proposed dehydrogenation unit. As well as CB&I's Catofin technology, the unit will use Clariant's Catofin catalyst to process 300,000t per annum of propane and 600,000t per year of isobutane feedstock for jointly produce propylene and isobutylene.

The unit is claimed to be the largest single-train dehydrogenation plant in the world. CB&I technology operating group president Daniel McCarthy said: "CB&I's CATOFIN technology provides our customers with proven reliability and the flexibility to co-process multiple feed compositions at world-scale capacities.

"In addition to this award, CLG, CB&I's joint venture with Chevron, was awarded the ISODEWAXING catalytic isomerisation and ISOFINISHING hydrofinishing processes for this project. This multi-technology award underscores CB&I's broad portfolio of technology solutions."

CB&I's Catofin propane dehydrogenation process is a fixed-bed process that helps to produce propylene from propane commercially.

The company said that with the help of recently improved catalyst technology, the Catofin process has been able to accomplish highest conversion rate for propane dehydrogenation.

As MRC reported earlier, Hengli Petrochemical Company operates two PTA plants in Dalian with the total capacity of 4.4 million tpa. The company resumed operations at its PTA plant No. 2 with a capacity of 2.2 million tpa at the weekend, 20-21 October, 2012. Company"s PTA plant No. 1 with the capacity of 2.2 million tpa resumed production in September 2012. At present, the plant"s No. 1 capacity utilization is 80% of it total production capacity.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus decreased by 33.3% over the first ten months of 2015, totalling slightly over 23,000 tonnes, according to the Statistics Committee of Belarus.

October PVC shipments to Belarus slumped to 1,100 tonnes from 2,800 tonnes a month earlier. Some producers of shaped and linear articles reduced their purchasing because of weak demand for finished products and high prices of Russian producers. According to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, overall demand for PVC from local converters subsided to 23,000 tonnes from January to October 2015 versus 34,500 tonnes a year earlier.

Weaker demand for unmixed PVC from local converters was caused by a fall in sales of finished products both in the domestic market - over 35% and in foreign markets - 32% (only sales of shaped and linear articles decreased to 14,500 tonnes from 21,400 tonnes a year earlier).

Russian producers became the key PVC suppliers to the local market. Their share grew to 71% this year, and their total shipments were 16,400 tonnes. The Polish producer Anwil with a total of 3,400 tonnes of resin was the second largest supplier.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRС) -- PPG Industries announced two executive appointments, said the companu on its site.

Chris Caruso, director, information technology, global architectural coatings, will become vice president, information technology, effective Feb. 1. He will report to Ram Vadlamannati, PPG vice president, architectural coatings, for the Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific regions.

Craig Jordan, current PPG vice president, human resources, will retire Feb. 28. Jordan joined PPG in 1989 as HR manager for the company’s former chlor-alkali plant in Natrium, West Virginia, and progressed through numerous HR management roles prior to assuming his current position in 2010. He has led efforts to strengthen PPG’s global hiring, succession planning and talent development.

Werner Baer, current PPG vice president, information technology, will retire March 1. Baer, who joined PPG in this role in 2002, has overseen the development and implementation of a number of industry-leading global IT platforms at PPG and the IT integration of several complex acquisitions.

As MRC informed earlier, PPG Industries has agreed to acquire US-based IVC Industrial Coatings for an undisclosed amount. The company operates five manufacturing facilitates in the US, one plant in Guangdong, China, and a small development lab in Manchester, England.

PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) is a global supplier of protective and decorative coatings. Performance Coatings, Industrial Coatings and Architectural Coatings- EMEA segments supply protective and decorative finishes for customers in a range of end use markets, including industrial equipment, appliances and packaging; factory-finished aluminum extrusions and steel and aluminum. Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in nearly 70 countries around the world. Reported net sales in 2014 were USD15.4 billion.
MRC