Linde Picked for Gazprom Processing Plant Project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Linde AG said Thursday it has agreed with Gazprom to build a gas processing plant in eastern Russia, said The Wall Street Journal.

The plant will be part of Gazprom’s pipeline taking gas from eastern Siberia to China. Linde didn’t disclose the value of the contract.

The Amur Gas Processing Plant will be one of the largest in the world, with capacity of up to 49 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The plant will be constructed in five phases due for completion in 2024.

Linde signed an engineering and supply agreement for all five phases of the plant. The first phase includes two ethane and natural gas liquid extraction and nitrogen rejection units, as well as one helium production unit.

Linde was selected by Gazprom, Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk and its general contractor NIPIgas, Linde said.

Linde and Gazprom also signed an agreement to cooperate on future natural gas-related projects.

As MRC wrote before, SIBUR, a Russian gas processing and petrochemicals company, and Linde Group signed agreements to build and operate new air separation units in Dzerzhinsk, the Nizhny Novgorod Region. On a long-term basis, SIBUR will provide Linde with a leased site and power supply while Linde, in its turn, will supply technical gases to SIBUR. Linde will be investing EUR 70 million in the ASUs. The new on-site plants are expected to come on stream at the end of 2015.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2012 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 15.280 bn.
MRC

Wacker presents new silicones and polymer binders for challenging construction and coatings applications

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker has presented high-performance silicones and polymer binders for challenging coatings and construction applications: wood impregnated with the silicone resin emulsion SILRES WH is protected against damp, moisture and damage caused by swelling and shrinkage for an exceedingly long time, said the producer on its site.

New dispersions and dispersible powders of the VINNAPAS brand enable reliable waterproofing construction solutions, even under pressure and at low temperatures. Further highlights are SILRES BS silicone emulsions for water-repellent, yet vapor-permeable masonry coatings as well as a new VINNAPAS dispersion for flexible flooring adhesives.

The novel silicone resin emulsion SILRES WH provides wood with long-lasting protection against moisture and damp, as the beading effect on impregnated wood shows (right). In contrast, untreated wood (left) soaks up water immediately. By providing long-term protection, SILRES WH greatly reduces the frequency of renovating and recoating exterior woodwork.

The 40-percent emulsion is based on a functional silicone resin and can serve as a water-repellent impregnating agent or as an additive for formulating film-forming wood stains. Due to its hydrophobic properties, SILRES WH reduces the water uptake of wood and keeps its water content low. Consequently, the wood is better protected against typical damage such as cracks caused by swelling and shrinking. SILRES WH added to paints and wood stains confers lasting water repellency, even in low concentrations. The water repellency is clearly revealed by the beading effect the emulsion produces on wood surfaces after weathering. The new product greatly reduces the frequency of renovation and repainting compared with conventional wood preservatives.

Further highlights were Wacker’s vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers (EVA)-based products for waterproofing construction solutions. VINNAPAS 536 ED is ideal as a versatile binder for two-component waterproofing membranes for creating reliable seals in wet areas, such as kitchens or bathrooms. The product offers good compatibility with cement and inorganic fillers which results in high bonding strength. For one-part cementitious waterproofing membranes, Wacker is presenting the EVA-based dispersible powder VINNAPAS 5044 N. The product offers strong adhesion, even following protracted exposure to water, as well as high elasticity, outstanding crack-bridging ability, and ease of processing, making it ideal for long-lasting coating of canals, pipes, cellars, swimming pools and damp rooms.

The products of the SILRES BS portfolio are based on water-repellent silicone resins and silicone resin emulsions and offer building protection for decades. Silicone resins form an extremely stable and highly durable three-dimensional silicone resin network on mineral surfaces and within mineral-based coatings. The network repels water and moisture, but is permeable to water vapor inside the wall. This effect keeps the building structure dry and prevents wall damage and decay caused by moisture.

As MRC informed before, in 2013, Wacker Chemie AG officially launched its new production plant for EVA dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site has, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC

PPG sales were flat, but income beat 2015 estimates

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) announced a surge in fourth quarter net income attributable to the company of USD314 million from USD83 million a year ago, as per company's press release.

On a per share basis, earnings increased to USD1.17 from USD0.31 last year. On an adjusted basis, net income was USD332 million or USD1.23 per share.

Net sales for the quarter edged down to USD3.696 billion from USD3.707 billion in the prior year. The company noted that unfavorable foreign currency translation impacted net sales by 7 percent, or about USD250 million. In local currency basis, net sales were up 7 percent and sales volumes were increased by 2 percent supported by Europe and Asia. Wall Street expected USD3.75 billion.

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. It has a workforce of over 300.

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

Wacker launches new high-refractive-index silicones for LEDs

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker, the Munich-based chemical company, has developed new encapsulants for light emitting diodes (LED) and optical components, said the producer on its site.

The compounds are made of highly transparent silicone elastomers with a high refractive index. The products withstand high operating temperatures and strong light radiation without yellowing. That makes them ideal for manufacturing LEDs with high light efficiency. They also protect the LED chip against corrosive gases, which greatly extends the component’s service life. The silicone encapsulation compounds can be processed in industrial metering processes such as dispensing.

LUMISIL 590 and LUMISIL 591 are highly transparent, addition-curing silicone elastomers with a refractive index of 1.53, which means they rank among the high-refractive-index (HRI) encapsulants. Such grades are particularly suitable for manufacturing highly efficient LEDs. The HRI silicone protects the sensitive LED chip against mechanical influences and corrosive gases. At the same time, the silicone’s high refractive index enables optimum light efficiency.

LUMISIL 590 and LUMISIL 591 protect the LED chip reliably against environmental influences. Corrosive gases such as hydrogen sulfide can damage the LED chip and reduce its performance. Tests show that LED chips encapsulated with LUMISIL 590 and LUMISIL 591 are protected against such damage longer and have a prolonged service life.

The LUMISIL product line comprises optical high-performance silicones for LED manufacturers with high requirements. All LUMISIL products enable very efficient, cost-effective production and exhibit optimized flow and crosslinking characteristics, as well as high photostability. As an encapsulation material, they protect the LED chip reliably against environmental influences and thereby extend its service life.

Wacker offers highly transparent silicone elastomers for applications with a high (HRI) and normal (NRI) refractive index. HRI silicones combine high light efficiency with low gas permeability, which make them ideal for high-end LEDs. For NRI applications, WACKER offers a wide range of products with easy workability in conventional processes such as encapsulation, mold-making and injection molding.

As MRC informed previously, in 2013, Wacker Chemie AG officially launched its new production plant for ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site has, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC

Reliance restarts PP lines in India

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has brought on-stream its polypropylene impact copolymer (PP ICP) lines, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in India informed that the company has resumed operations at its PP ICP lines early this week. The Hazira cracker, the PP and PE plants had suffered an unplanned shutdown on Jan 8th. All plants except for the ICP lines restarted on Jan 11, 2016.

Located at Hazira near Surat in Gujarat, the cracker has a production capacity of 1.1 mmt/year and the downstream PP plant has a production capacity of 600,000 mt/year. The PE plant has a capacity of 450,000 mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, in April 2015, RIL successfully put into operation two plants in Dahej, Gujarat, India. The first is a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin plant, which consists of two lines with a combined manufacturing capacity of 650 KTA. The second facility is a new purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant that provides a capacity of 1,150 KTA. With the commissioning of this plant, also built with Invista technology, Reliance’s total PTA capacity will increase to 3.2 MMTPA, and its global capacity share will rise to 4%.

Reliance Industries is one of the world's largest producers of polymers. The company's polymer production in 2010-11 (polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride) made 4,094 kilo tonnes.
MRC