LyondellBasell begins production at new PP compounding plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell announced the successful startup of a new 20 ktpy polypropylene (PP) compounding plant in Dalian, China, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This is the company's third facility in China, strategically located to serve the region's growing automotive market.

LyondellBasell is the largest producer of PP compounds in the world, with 15 wholly owned facilities, including the Dalian plant, and three JVs in 12 countries. Currently in China, LyondellBasell operates PP compounding plants in Suzhou and Guangzhou. The addition of the Dalian plant allows the company's further expansion into the strategically important North China region which is home to a number of major automobile manufacturers including BMW, Daimler, GM, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan and Chery.

LyondellBasell's PP compounds are found in almost all modern vehicles and significantly contribute to improved fuel efficiency and the ability of automobile manufacturers to comply with strict environmental standards for car interiors. For example:
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik enters into strategic partnership with Melrob and NRC Group for distribution of its methyl methacrylate monomers, as per the company's press-release.

The Methacrylates Business Line is concentrating its sales activities; as part of this exercise it has given distribution rights for its methacrylate monomers in Europe excl. CIS to the British distributor Melrob and the NRC Group. Melrob has recently become an affiliate of Nordmann, Rassmann GmbH (NRC). The collaboration will enable the partners to react quickly and flexibly to changing customer needs. The Methacrylates Business Line is thus strengthening its position as a leading solutions provider for customers processing methacrylates. Methacrylate-based monomers are components of many products and applications such as coatings, adhesives, and plastics.

On October 1, Melrob and the NRC Group will take over exclusive distribution of standard monomers, specifically methyl methacrylate VISIOMER MMA, methacrylic acid VISIOMER GMMA, hydroxy methacrylates VISIOMER HEMA and VISIOMER HPMA, and the butyl methacrylates VISIOMER i-BMA and VISIOMER n-BMA. From January 1, 2018 the Melrob-NRC Group will also be distributing the specialty methacrylate monomers from Evonik.

“We’re convinced that the reorganization of the distribution business will enable us to respond better to the needs of our customers in Europe and that we will benefit from the long-term experience of Melrob and the NRC Group. With this setup we’re positioning ourselves as a leading solutions provider for methacrylates and, along with our distribution partners are ensuring the best possible support for our customers,” says Hans-Peter Hauck, head of the Methacrylates Business Line.

Melrob has been a reliable distributor for MMA monomers in Great Britain since 1995, and is distinguished by high service orientation and outstanding expertise in technical service. “So the company is exactly the right partner for us. The recent merger with NRC now allows the company to expand its activities to every part of Europe,” added Hauck.

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MOSCOW (MRC) — DowDuPont Materials Science, the business division of DowDuPont to be named Dow, announced the startup of its new integrated world-scale ethylene production facility and its new ELITE enhanced polyethylene production facility, both in Freeport, Texas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

These two key milestones enable Dow to capture benefits from increasing supplies of US shale gas to deliver differentiated downstream solutions in its core market verticals. Both units will continue to ramp up through Q3 and are expected to reach full rates in Q4 2017.

A central component of Dow’s US Gulf Coast investments, the ethylene production facility has an initial nameplate capacity of 1.5 MMmt. As part of Dow’s next wave of growth investments, the unit will be expanded to 2 MMmt, making it the world’s largest ethylene facility. Measured by total investment per metric ton of capacity, this new ethylene unit represents the least capital-intensive ethylene investment in the region.

The 400,000 mt ELITE polyethylene production unit is the first of four new derivative units at Dow’s manufacturing sites in Texas and Louisiana. Dow’s ELITE enhanced polyethylene resins are known for their versatility and high-performance attributes and are used in multiple types of flexible food and industrial packaging applications.

In addition to supporting Dow’s near-term capacity additions, the ethylene facility will also support further planned debottlenecks to unlock additional polyethylene capacity as well as a new world-scale polyethylene unit as part of the Company’s comprehensive growth investments. The remaining derivative assets to come online in the US Gulf Coast include:
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall output of chemicals increased in the first eight months of 2017 by 5.5% year on year, despite lower production in May,June and August, according to Rosstat.

According to the Federal Service of State Statistics, last month's production of basic chemicals decreased by 1.6% year on year. However, the high growth rates in the previous months of the year provided for the increase of 5.5% in the output of basic chemicals in January-August 2017.

August output of ethylene was 228,000 tonnes, compared to 219,000 tonnes a month earlier, lower production in July was caused by a scheduled shutdown for maintenance at Gazprom neftekhim Salavat. Overall, over 1.97 m tonnes of this olefin were manufactured in the first eight month of 2017, up by 7.6% year on year.

Last month's production of benzene grew to 110,000 tonnes from 99,600 tonnes in July on the back of shutdown at Gazprom neftekhim Salavat. Overall output of this product exceeded 912,400 tonnes over the stated period, up by 9.1% year on year.

August production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) were 96,500 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) versus 87,700 tonnes a month earlier. Low production volumes in the last two months of the summer was a result of the planned shutdown for the maintenance works of Bashkir Soda Company and SayanskKhimPlast. Overall output of caustic soda grew to 802,000 tonnes in January-August 2017, up by 8% year on year.

Last month's production of mineral fertilizers was 1.86 mln tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients) versus 1.77 mln tonnes in July. Nevertheless, Russian plants produced 14.6 mln tonnes of fertilizers in January-August 2017, up by 9.8% year on year. Production of all types of fertilizers increased, with potash fertilizers, the output of which grew by 15%, accounted for the greatest increase.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- ClearSign Combustion Corporation, a leading of industrial combustion technologies that deliver unmatched reduction of pollutant emissions while improving operational costs, announced that it had successfully completed the first installation of the Duplex Plug and Play, for industrial process heaters at a refinery in Texas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Unlike traditional burners, the company stated in a press release, Plug and Play uses patented Duplex technology to enhance the combustion process ensuring best available, ultra-low emissions while enhancing operational efficiency by increasing the mean time between heater maintenance cycles that require furnace shutdowns.

The six-burner test heater was chosen by the Texas refinery to demonstrate the Plug & Play's ability to control flame impingement and improve emission performance. Starting with one burner, and incrementally adding subsequent burners as the customer's maintenance schedule allows, the first installation of Plug & Play has achieved the project goals.

ClearSign is coordinating the subsequent roll out of the follow-on order to conform with the refinery's maintenance schedule and expects to finish the project by years' end.
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