Biodegradable packaging foam from Nomaco

(Packaging world) -- NomaGreen from Nomaco Engineered Foam Solutions is a biodegradable polyethylene packaging foam available in 2-in. thick, low-density PE plank sheets.

NomaGreen is not starch-based or bio-based. It only begins the biodegradation process in a microbe-rich environment, like a landfill, so it meets the performance requirements for packaging without worry about expsure to moisture, heat, light or mechanical stress.

NomaGreen achieves 49% biodegradation in 120 days, according to an independent study.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp. plans to invest US$191 mln in a purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The scope of the investment is still unclear. Formosa plans to set up a new plant in Ningbo to produce phenol and acetone, with an initial investment of US$50.4 mln.

MRC

(Gulf Times) -- Qatar has set a target to achieve annual petrochemical production of 18mn tonnes per year by 2015-16, HE the Deputy Premier Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah has said.

Qatar is investing billions of dollars in new petrochemical ventures through QP, Qapco and their joint ventures. Holder of the world's third largest gas reserves, Qatar is also investing in aluminium and fertiliser factories as the country diversifies its economy away from oil and gas.

Yesterday, Qatar Petroleum and Shell signed a memorandum of understanding to build an estimated $6bn, world's largest, mono-ethylene glycol plant at Ras Laffan.

Al-Attiyah said, ⌠mono-ethylene glycol is a new product in our petrochemical portfolio. This is in line with our venturing into deep downstream products. The proposed MEG plant at Ras Laffan will be the world's largest. It is a big achievement for us.

MRC

(ICIS) -- A newly revised European directive provides opportunities to strengthen chemical plant safety rules, Europe's largest federation of environmental organisations said on Wednesday.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) supported the Seveso II Directive revision as part of its strategy of pushing for "prevention and precautionary principles rather than the current 'management of risks' approach and the provision of more transparency in regards to these installations", it said.

The European Commission said the drafted Seveso II changes would, if adopted as planned from 1 June 2015, align legislation to changes in EU chemicals law. This would allow for stricter inspection standards and improvements in the level and quality of information available to the public in the event of a chemical plant accident, the Commission added.

The directive is named after the Seveso disaster, caused by an industrial accident in July 1976 at a small chemical manufacturing plant near Milan, Italy. It resulted in residents being exposed to a polychlorinated dibenzodioxin.

MRC

Technical problems at Stavrolen complex (Lukoil group), start-up of new ethylene capacities at Kazanorgsintez and low level of production loading in Salavat: all these factors limited production output during the year.

Total production of HDPE in Russia in 2009 made more than 710 KT. According to MRC analysts' estimates, at the end of the year the Russian companies will have produced more than 800 KT of HDPE. MRC