SABIC launched two new LDPE foam grades for Middle East, Africa and Asia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC has announced the launch of two new dedicated foam grades, SABIC LDPE HP2024JDF and HP2024NDF, for Middle East, African, and Asian markets for physical extrusion foam, as per the company's press release.

These grades have been successfully adopted by the market. SABIC is committed to the ongoing development of innovative solutions beyond its established foam solutions portfolio, and therefore is additionally launching a new dedicated foam grade, SABIC LDPE HP0824NDF, to broaden the application window for the tapes, seals and underlayment market.

The advantages of SABIC LDPE HP0824NDF are the high viscosity, giving good head pressure for uniform and thicker foam thickness, relatively higher resin density for better mechanical strength, and good compression stress as well as resilience.

In foam processing, the product quality and consistency of foam grades, including security of supply, are key requirements for customers. SABIC’s newly developed dedicated LDPE foam grades will help customers address their specific needs.

Next to SABIC LDPE HP2024NDF and HP2024JDF, a new dedicated LDPE foam grade SABIC LDPE HP0824NDF, will be launched in the beginning of 2017. SABIC LDPE HP0824NDF offers special benefits using various foam production processes such as physical foam extrusion, the chemical cross-linking process, as well as the bun process resulting in lightweight foams. It offers material and energy savings, while retaining or even improving product performance; and it offers benefits in thermal and acoustic insulation, cushioning and protection. SABIC is helping to improve these benefits by enhancements to the physical properties and foamability of the polymers themselves.

All three grades are less sensitive to web-breaks and foam-collapse due to high consistency and a wider operating window compared to existing materials in the market, resulting in a higher material yield during processing. The foams produced give a higher compression strength, better resilience, uniform surface and cell structure, and fewer pinholes, as well as better dimensional stability compared to existing materials. This offers opportunities for material savings during production.

As MRC reported earlier, in October 2016, SABIC developed next generation LDPE foam grades. Thus, the first product of a new generation LDPE foam grades from SABIC was designed to increase production efficiency at the foam manufacturer.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world's market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Amcor Rigid Plastics is spending tens of millions of dollars to expand a plastic packaging manufacturing site in Ohio, said Plasticsnews.

The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company, a division of global plastics giant Amcor Ltd., said the USD40 million investment will just about double both manufacturing and warehouse space in Bellevue.

Amcor has been in Bellevue for 30 years, and the construction will involve 126,000 square feet of new manufacturing space and 85,000 square feet of new warehouse space, the company said.

The facility makes preforms as well as injection and extrusion blow molded containers. "This is all about our continued investment in the specialty container side of our business, what we call Diversified Products. That is an area of focus for us, and this plant is basically a Diversified Products plant," said Michael Hodges, director of communications for Amcor Rigid Plastics.

Amcor, because of the company’s long and deep history in making beverage containers, views packaging for areas such as food, pharmaceuticals, household care and personal care as diversified products. The category also includes wine, spirits and beer packaging.

"I know everybody calls them something different, but that’s what we call them at this point," Hodges explained.

"During this strong period of growth for our business, we’re fortunate to be able to make this substantial investment at our Bellevue site," said Ann O’Hara, vice president and general manager for Amcor’s Diversified Products business unit, in a statement.

O’Hara indicated the site in northwest Ohio is "a strategic geographic location for Amcor" as the area also is home to many of the company’s customers in the food, healthcare and consumer segments. The conversion from glass to plastic packaging also is adding to the need for more production capacity, she said in the statement.

Considering the growth experienced by the company’s existing customer base in the region, Hodges said it made sense from both a cost and sustainability view to expand in Bellevue.

Work on the expansion already has begun, and Hodges said the company expects to be operating out of the expanded space by this summer.

Exact details regarding job growth and an economic development grant from JobsOhio, a private non-profit job creation organization, are not being revealed at this point, Hodges said. The location currently employs 148 workers.

As MRC informed earlier, Amcor’s Flexibles unit is to split its European and US business, in a move aimed at tightening the branches’ strategic focus.

Amcor Limited is an Australian-based multinational packaging company. It operates manufacturing plants in 42 countries. It is the world's largest manufacturer of plastic bottles.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has completed the sale of its Neolor business to the Baotou Hongbo Te Technology Co., Ltd. (HBT) as its Special Chem Global Business Unit (GBU) is refocusing its activities on selective high value-added segments in the growing automotive and electronics markets, said the company on its site.

The divestment entails all of GBU Special Chem’s Neolor main equipment to produce Neolor products and the exclusive use of the specially-designed equipment. Furthermore, HBT acquires the intellectual property (IP) associated with the Neolor business and the commercial activities, as well as its marketing know-how.

Neolor is a unique range of rare earths inorganic plastic coloration pigments, that combine heat and weather resistance, UV absorption and infra-red reflection properties. The range is available in three colors - light orange, orange and red and has excellent heat stability, migration resistance and light stability; it’s the ideal solution for a variety of plastics, including polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polysulfide, ABS, ABS/ASA, ASA/PC, PC/PBT, ABS/PA and PU.

As MRC informed earlier, in the late December 2016, Solvay has completed the sale of its 70.59% stake in Solvay Indupa to Brazilian chemical group Unipar Carbocloro, following the approval earlier this month of the Brazilian antitrust authority CADE.

Solvay, with a market share 27%, is the second largest PVC manufacturer in Europe, after Kerling with 29% of the market. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with about 30,900 employees spread across 53 countries. It generated pro forma net sales of EUR12.4 bn in 2015, with 90% made from activities where it ranks among the world’s top 3 players.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian state-owned oil company, has selected Tecnicas Reunidas (TR) to execute the turnkey contract for the "Clean Fuels" project in the Ras Tanura refinery in the east coast of Saudi Arabia, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The contract has a duration of 48 months until the mechanical completion of the plant. The scope of this contract includes engineering, procurement, construction and assistance with commissioning in two packages:

Package 1: Isomerization, Naphtha hydro-treatment, CCR, interconnections, flare system and buildings.
Package 2: utilities & offsites.

"The awarding of this contract highlights the position of TR in the Saudi Arabian market, proving the continued confidence placed in the company by one of its most important clients, Saudi Aramco, with which it has been working uninterruptedly since 2003, in more than 10 refining, petrochemical and gas projects," the company said in a press release.

As MRC wrote previously, in June 2016, Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. were one step closer to building their first plant to process crude directly into chemicals, cutting out a link in the production chain from hydrocarbons to the finished products that go into plastics and other consumer goods. The state-owned companies signed an agreement to study such a project to be located in Saudi Arabia, they said in a statement. A joint venture is possible if the companies decide to move ahead after the study is completed by early 2017, they said. Oil companies normally refine crude into transportation fuels including gasoline and diesel and leave byproducts such as naphtha to be processed separately into chemicals.

Saudi Aramco is an integrated oil and chemicals company, a global leader in hydrocarbon production, refining processes and distribution, as well as one of the largest global oil exporters. It manages proven reserves of crude oil and condensate estimated at 261.1bn barrels, and produces 9.54 million bbl daily. Headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the company employs over 61,000 staff in 77 countries.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ineos Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, will present new product highlights and a range of new applications for the healthcare industry at Pharmapack 2017 in Paris, said Ineos on its site.

The focus of INEOS Styrolution’s booth at this year’s Pharmapack will be on providing complete solutions - suitable styrenic materials, compliance testing, full service HD package - for medical device manufacturers.

Alexander Silvestre, Global Director - Healthcare, is particularly excited about the company’s exhibits at this year’s Pharmapack: "I encourage customers to stop by at our booth. We will present several new solutions for the healthcare industry for the very first time. They will enable medical device manufacturers to develop new applications based on very robust regulatory compliant styrenic materials".

INEOS Styrolution’s Novodur HD ABS is the material of choice for many healthcare applications. Its good chemical resistance, flowability, surface appearance and suitability for common sterilization methods (such as gamma-radiation, E-beam, NO2, or EtO sterilization) make Novodur an attractive material for many leading medical device manufacturers.

Due to properties like outstanding transparency and impact resistance, INEOS Styrolution’s Styrolux SBC is the perfect fit for a wide range of healthcare applications from filter housings to drip chambers, lab-ware and drainage containers.

As MRC informed before, in early 2016, Styrolution announced that it had changed company names and visual identity to Ineos Styrolution to mark Ineos ownership. Despite the company changing its names, including all entities, and logo, the company will continue to operate and actively pursue business opportunities as before. Corporate structure, company organization, all financing arrangements and operative contracts with business partners are not affected by the name and logo change. They remain as is.

INEOS Styrolution is the leading, global styrenics supplier with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS standard and styrenic specialties. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, toys/sports/leisure, and packaging. In 2015, sales were at 5 billion euros. INEOS Styrolution employs approximately 3,100 people and operates 15 production sites in nine countries.
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