Dow introduces new shoe soling systems

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow Polyurethanes, a business division of Dow Chemical Company, is launching two new soling systems, to serve the "athleisure" and protective footwear markets, as per GV.

According to the company, the Enerlyte polyurethane elastomer is a system designed for the active consumer, bringing lightweight, durable, high “energy-return” and soft-touch soles to the "athleisure" market. Furthermore, with the new Voralast H2, the company broadens its footwear portfolio with a polyurethane soling system specifically designed for protective shoes requiring a combination of comfort and protection in a variety of working conditions and addressing the needs of the industrial, agriculture, cold store, trekking and wellington professional shoe manufacturers.

"If you’re asking whether to focus on comfort or performance, you’re asking the wrong question. End customers expect both to be taken into account,” said Akil Sahiwala, Marketing Manager - Footwear, Dow Polyurethanes. “Enerlyte and Voralast H2 are designed with both in mind. Enerlyte outperforms EVA and standard PU foams when it comes to ball rebound and energy return, delivering high sole resilience and elasticity at very low density. And Voralast H2 brings comfort, flex fatigue and elasticity, while also offering enhanced hydrolysis resistance, abrasion endurance, and excellent anti-static and grip properties."

Dow Polyurethanes has launched these two new products at Simac in Milan, Italy, on 20-22 February 2018.

"From polyolefin elastomers and olefin block copolymers, to high performance polyurethanes, Dow takes pride in delivering products designed so our customers can make the best possible soles and midsoles. Expanding our range of polyurethane soling solutions to include Enerlyte and Voralast H2 shows our dedication to ensuring our customers have the ingredients they need for a winning formula," commented Jon Penrice, Vice President Dow Polyurethanes Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI).

As MRC wrote before, Dow Polyurethanes, in July 2017, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company announced the opening of a new Polyurethanes Service Center in Romania, expanding its network of more than 20 sites for production, development and technical service across the EMEAI region.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Neste is rebuilding the wastewater treatment plant at its refinery in Porvoo, Finland. The project involves renewing the chemical and biological treatment systems of the wastewater plant, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2020, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The changes will improve the efficiency of wastewater treatment and ensure the processing capacity. The investment, which will cost EUR 50 million, is being carried out in cooperation with Borealis Polymers Oy, the other user of the plant.

"Wastewater plant operations play a key role in minimizing refinery emissions because water is discharged into waterways after treatment. Thanks to the plant, the amount of oil emissions into the sea is already very low, about 10% of the amount permitted for wastewater treatment plants under refinery's environmental permit," says Vice President of Production Marko Pekkola and continues: "Our goal in accordance with our principles of responsibility is to ensure that all our operations are safe for the local area, for our customers and for the environment."

Every year, Neste invests significantly in its plants with regard to the environment, resource efficiency, safety, and improved competitiveness. The solvent deasphalting unit that came into operation at the Porvoo refinery last summer has made it possible to reduce the production of heavy fuel oils. At the same time, we will be able to increase the production of diesel and comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) global sulfur regulation, which enters into force in 2020. This imposes a global sulfur cap of 0.5 percent for marine fuels. This will reduce sulfur and particulate emissions when using Neste fuels.

The asphaltene recovered in the pretreatment unit can later be used as a fuel at the new power plant in Kilpilahti, Porvoo. This contributes to the area's circular economy.

"In 2017 we made improvements in many areas, for example, to better ensure uninterrupted production. We focused in particular on safeguarding the local environment at each of our production sites. For example, the air quality at the Porvoo refinery was generally good in 2017, and complies with all the guidelines and is below all the limits set by Finland and the European Union. Most of the time it also meets the World Health Organization's stringent recommendations. The implementation of noise barrier investments was also completed last year, reducing noise near the refinery," Pekkola says.

As MRC informed before, in October 2016, technology, engineering and project management company Neste Jacobs and Borealis signed an agreement for Neste Jacobs to perform an energy screening for all production units at Borealis’ site in Porvoo, Finland.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- In a bid to expand its foam production capabilities in North America, Pregis LLC has purchased Rex Performance Products (RPP) for an undisclosed amount, as per Canplastics.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Marysville, Mich., RPP makes closed-cell polyethylene foam. The acquisition adds another 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space to Pregis’ capabilities, as well as 150,000 square feet of warehouse space to the Pregis network.

RPP currently has 85 employees; RPP CEO Don Tate will join Pregis and lead the company’s engineered foam operations.

"We will now have five engineered foam manufacturing locations and a vast warehousing network across the continent to serve fabricators,” said Kevin Baudhuin, RPP’s president and CEO. “We view the RPP organization and their employees as a perfect fit within Pregis. We believe our combined product offering, enhanced foam technology and our teams’ knowledge strengthen our position as a valued partner to our customers."

RPP’s engineered foam products have been used for protective packaging (cushioning, surface protection, blocking/bracing, void fill) solutions for a wide variety of products and markets.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., Pregis makes protective packaging and surface protection products as well as equipment systems. The company serves consumer and industrial market segments including food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical devices, agricultural, e-commerce, retail, automotive, transportation, furniture, electronics, building, construction, and military/aerospace.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Equate Petrochemical has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Honeywell to use the latter’s technologies to support operations at its industrial complexes in Kuwait, as per Refiningandpetrochemicals.

EQUATE is currently the owner and single-operator of several fully integrated world-class petrochemical complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe. The company is Kuwait's first international petrochemical joint venture and the world's second-largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG).

Honeywell Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon president George Bou Mitri said: "As a global software-industrial company, Honeywell has supplied the petrochemical industry with leading technologies and services for decades.

"After half a century in Kuwait, Honeywell's commitment to deliver solutions that enhance the productivity of our customers is as strong as ever. We are proud to work with EQUATE to build local petrochemical capability that supports the New Kuwait 2035 strategy to become a global hub for the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry."

As part of the MOU, EQUATE will test newly released Honeywell technologies, including the latest additions to the Honeywell Connected Plant portfolio, as well as assess EQUATE's requirements and new ideas at Honeywell facilities.

The companies will join efforts to analyze EQUATE's needs and create added value through increased productivity and reduced downtime, setting a new standard for the petrochemical industry in the region.

EQUATE technical services vice president Tareq Jafar Al-Kandari, said: "We are firm believers that success requires input from all our key stakeholders, including our technology suppliers, such as Honeywell.

"Being part of the global petrochemical industry with operations in three continents and contributing to various economies, EQUATE is strongly committed to absolute reliability and sustainability in all operations and activities.“Our relationship with Honeywell is based on innovation and trust, which are key factors to ensure overall progress."

Honeywell has had a presence in Kuwait for more than 53 years and is the leading automation provider in the country that has about 9% of the world's oil reserves and is among the world's top ten oil exporters.

Honeywell has successfully delivered more than 2,000 projects in Kuwait and services 50 sites daily.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- With the goal of improving convenience as more consumers do their food shopping online, Nova Chemicals Corp. is helping film processors, converters, and brand owners develop sustainable packaging for the fast-growing meal kits industry, as per Canplastics.

"Solving the packaging challenge is key to transforming the meal kits business from a trend to a permanent segment of the food market,” Mark Kay, Nova’s polyethylene (PE) performance films leader, said in a Nova statement. “Packaging materials, such as our high-performance PEs, help ensure that fresh food deliveries are still truly fresh when the consumer arrives home to a meal-kit box on their doorstep."

Meal kits – the subscription services for ready-to-cook meal recipes and ingredients – are growing three times faster than any other food segment, the statement continued. “Perishable food deliveries create new challenges for the supply chain including product freshness, package integrity and package sustainability,” Nova said. “Instead of bulk deliveries to the grocery store that are then merchandised and hand-selected by the consumer, foods are portioned by co-packers or distribution facilities and shipped to the consumer’s home – a very different supply chain that often results in more packaging overall. In addition, unlike the brick and mortar system, the seller retains responsibility for e-commerce deliveries until it reaches the consumer’s home and the consumer inspects it."

Which is why Nova has developed several PE resins for e-commerce primary food packaging. The new VPsK914 PE grade, for example, is described as an ultra-durable sealant resin that is tough enough for granola and bone-in chicken, and can even replace plastomers in some applications. Another new grade, called SPsK919, is commonly used in heavy duty sacks and has the stiffness-toughness balance, creep resistance, and sealant properties for heavier food e-commerce packages.

Nova has also designed recyclable film structures that have the properties required for food e-commerce. The company’s PE and expandable styrenics businesses also have been working on a conceptual design for the insulating vessels used to ship weekly meal kit subscriptions.

"Meal kit delivery companies face a huge challenge in keeping fresh foods at their proper temperature until the consumer unpacks the order at home,” said Bob Stoffa, Nova’s expandable styrenics sales leader. “Many people who’ve tried one of these services has a story about a delayed or damaged vessel, or arriving home late, only to find their weekly order has spoiled ingredients. Customized vessel design can greatly reduce this problem, and a reusable vessel has tremendous sustainability benefits as well."
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