Biesterfeld expands collaboration with ExxonMobil

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Biesterfeld Polybass S.p.A. is expanding its long-standing collaboration with Exxon­Mobil Chemical by commencing distribution of Vistalon EPDM rubber in Italy, as per GV.

The two companies have been working together for 33 years. Biesterfeld Performance Rubber currently distributes Vistalon EPDM in Germany, Austria, Benelux, France, Central Europe, Brazil, the former CIS States, and Switzerland.

As MRC reported earlier, in December 2016, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) received an order for supply of systems to support a large-scale polyethylene production train for ExxonMobil's Beaumont polyethylene (PE) plant. The new production train is slated to be completed in 2019, and will produce 650,000 tons of PE per year.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mexican national oil company Pemex is currently processing about 9 percent more crude oil at its domestic refineries than it did in 2017, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Trevino said, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Trevino told reporters that current processing levels stand at about 834 Mbpd, which compares to crude processing of about 767 Mbpd last year, according to Pemex.

The executive, who took the reins of the state-run company in November, said he expects processing levels to reach about 900 Mbpd once maintenance plans at two facilities are completed.

Trevino said almost all plants at Pemex’s Ciudad Madero refinery have completed scheduled maintenance, while maintenance at its Minatitlan refinery has experienced some delays.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Negotiations over prices of European polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for April shipments to the CIS countries began last week. Amid the rise in ethylene prices and upcoming shutdowns for maintenance, European producers raised their export prices this month, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

The April contract price of ethylene was agreed up by EUR5/tonne from March, which led to an increase of, at least, EUR5/tonne, in PVC production costs. Thus, European producers announced an increase of EUR5-10/tonne in export prices for shipments to the CIS markets.

Demand for PVC was still quite weak from the main consumers because of long winter. At the same time, European producers have not boosted their sales in this direction for the past months. A number of outages for turnarounds are still ahead, some producers deliberately restricted their exports to the CIS countries.

Negotiations over April shipments of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) to the CIS markets were held in the range of EUR755-815/tonne FCA, whereas deals were done in the range of EUR750-805/tonne FCA a month earlier.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Private equity firm HIG Capital is merging pigments suppliers Dominion Colour Corp. and Lansco Colors, as per Plasticsnews.

Both Toronto-based Dominion and Lansco of Pearl River, N.Y., sell into the plastics, coatings and specialty ink industries, officials said in an April 9 news release. "Each of us brings our own complementary strengths," Lansco President and CEO Donald Greenwald said in the release. "By combining to create a broader global pigment provider, we will offer a range of organic and inorganic pigments, dispersions and preparations that will be unmatched in the industry."

Greenwald and the Lansco management team will remain in place after the merger. Lansco was founded in 1926 as Landers-Segal Color Co. The firm serves 600 customers, primarily in the United States.

DCC was founded in 1946 and has more than 400 customers in 70 countries. The firm operates plants in Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as technical sales offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Miami-based HIG is majority owner of both DCC and Lansco. It acquired a majority stake in DCC in late 2016. HIG has more than USD23 billion of equity capital under management.

HIG's plastics-related holdings also include Valtris Specialty Chemicals of Independence, Ohio. Valtris is the former polymer additives business of Ferro Corp. which HIG bought for USD154 million cash in 2014.

HIG also owns Cornerstone Chemical, a producer of melamine thermoset resins and of plastic feedstock acrylonitrile in Waggaman, La., and Plastic Fabricating Co., a maker of plastic composite parts for the aerospace market in Wichita, Kan.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has started up a new production line for its high-temperature resistant thermoplastic Ultrason (polyarylsulfone) at its site in Yeosu, Korea, said the producer on its site.

With the new line the global annual capacity for Ultrason will increase by 6,000 metric tons to 24,000 metric tons, serving the growing market demand worldwide. The plant in Yeosu was opened in 2014 as the first Ultrason plant in Asia. Ultrason is the tradename for BASF’s product range of polyethersulfone (Ultrason E), polysulfone (Ultrason S), and polyphenylsulfone (Ultrason P). Latest innovations include the optimized Ultrason Dimension, a highly filled polyethersulfone known for its extraordinary dimensional stability and excellent flow properties.

"This capacity expansion will strengthen our competitive position and drive the global versatility of our polyarylsulfone business," said Giorgio Greening, head of BASF’s global business unit Styrenic Foams and Specialty Polymers. "The expanded production enables us to accompany our customers’ growth at a high technical level and with the optimum product portfolio."

BASF produces Ultrason in Ludwigshafen, Germany and in Yeosu, Korea. Both locations are designed to produce the entire product range of Ultrason S, E and P, and provide BASF with the flexibility to optimize supply capabilities to customers around the world. "With the new line we will continue to reliably serve customers and industry partners with high-quality material. Especially customers in Asia will benefit from fast response and proximity," said Olivier Ubrich, head of global business management Specialty Polymers. "With increasing urbanization and the growing need for clean water management, Ultrason is the ideal material for filter membranes thus contributing to the desalination and purification in water treatment."

Ultrason is widely used in the electronics, automotive and aerospace industries for the production of heat-resistant, lightweight components. The thermoplastic can withstand temperatures up to 220 C without altering its properties, and possesses outstanding chemical stability. For example, it enables the compact design of the new headlight reflector in the Hyundai ix35, owing to its superior temperature resistance. The high-performance material is employed in membranes for water filtration and medical devices, in hot water and food contact parts e.g. for espresso machines or microwave-proof dishes as well as in premium household appliances. It complies with the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the European regulations for food contact applications. Ultrason is also used in the production of carbon fiber composite materials.

We remind that, as MRC wrote before, in February 2018, BASF and Solvay signed an agreement for the sale of Solvay’s integrated poly­amide (PA) business to BASF.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF generated sales of EUR64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS).
MRC