BASF and Huafon sign strategic cooperation agreement

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF and Huafon Group Co., Ltd. have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to extend their partnership with initiatives to develop the polyurethane, bio-fiber and spandex markets in China, as per GV.

The two companies will work together in the areas of technical exchange, market development, and quality raw material supply.

According to the agreement, BASF and Huafon will jointly promote the growth of the polyurethane market in China, especially in the Western region. Additionally, BASF will develop speciality fibre and bio-content fibre for high-end apparel products with Huafon. In the field of spandex, the two companies will strengthen their cooperation in spandex technology, intermediate products and industrial digitalisation. The companies will also work together to optimise their raw material resources.

"At BASF we innovate to make our customers more successful. This includes providing the right solutions and support to help our customers grow their business," said Sanjeev Gandhi, member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE, responsible for the Asia Pacific region.

You Xiaoping, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Huafon, said: "One key to Huafon’s success is partnering with the world’s leading chemical company, BASF. With this strategic cooperation, Huafon has reached another milestone in becoming an innovative, sustainable and global company."

The two partners’ business relationship stretches back more than two decades. In May 2006, Huafon received the first batch of polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) delivered from BASF’s production site in Caojing. In 2007, Huafon was recognised as BASF’s strategic partner for the spandex business, the first such agreement by BASF with a customer in China. Since 2006, BASF has helped Huafon transform from a private family business into a leading public company, especially through support in the areas of environment, health and safety performance.

As MRC wrote previously, in November 2016, BASF announced that within the next five years, the company plans to invest globally more than EUR200 million in its plastic additives business, approximately half of which in Asia, focusing on capacity expansions and operational excellence. Plastic additives improve product properties such as scratch resistance or light stability, and optimize plastics manufacturing processes. As the leading global supplier of plastic additives with manufacturing assets in all regions, BASF is a major partner to the plastics industry.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF 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.
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Sabic launches new formable hard-coated LEXAN MARGARD FHC sheet for glazing applications

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sabic, a global leader in the chemical industry, has introduced LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet, the latest addition to the company’s expanding automotive glazing portfolio, as per the company's press release.

This advanced new technology is engineered to comply with the stringent visibility, strength and abrasion resistance requirements of ECE R43 (Regulation No. 43 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations). It features a tough polycarbonate (PC) base with exceptional optical quality, combined with a unique, formable hard coating that is pre-cured sufficiently to allow processing like regular PC sheet. In addition to ECE R43 compliance, LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet can enable customers to avoid post-coating operations, and gives automotive OEMs and tiers a fresh new option for creating simple, curved glazing designs.

"Market analysts, such as Grand View Research in the United States, predict strong growth in automotive glazing, propelled by technological advancements in materials such as polycarbonate and continued demand for increasingly lightweight components - particularly in electric vehicles," said Peter Chedd, segment leader, Glazing Functional Forms for Sabic.

LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet’s proprietary silicone-based formable hard coating uses dual-cure (thermal/thermal) technology. The coating is pre-cured to the point that it can be easily handled and fabricated like any regular PC sheet, but it maintains enough flexibility to be formed within specified limits. Following forming, using any of a variety of methods (drape forming, high-pressure forming, thermoforming, etc.), the coating requires post-curing for three hours at 130C to optimize abrasion resistance and meet ECE R43 requirements. The advanced coating technology ensures excellent adhesion under exposure to temperature cycling, water and humidity.

LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet also offers superior mechanical properties, including outstanding impact strength, as well as high optical quality. It features crystal-clear transparency with low ripple and distortion, including an extremely low number of optical defects. This advanced new product is also resistant to common chemicals, weathering and ultraviolet (UV) light.

Primary applications are moderately shaped glazing components for lower-production vehicles, where LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet can be more cost effective than injection molding. Additionally, LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet is a highly versatile product that can be used for non-automotive glazing, such as machine guards, cabin glazing for heavy equipment and many other typically formed and post-coated applications today.

LEXAN MARGARD FHC10 sheet is initially available globally in 3-5 mm gauges. Sabic plans to make thicker gauges available at a later date.

As MRC wrote earlier, in November 2017, plastics-maker Sabic announced it had developed new materials for customers producing LED automotive lighting parts. LEXAN HF4010SR resin was one of the new offerings. This polycarbonate (PC) material can make it possible for customers to develop complex headlight bezels with enhanced aesthetics. Sabic has also added new grades to its existing LEXAN XHT resin line, which can offer improved flow at high temperatures compared to other high-heat polycarbonate materials available today.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the worldпїЅs market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
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Repi establishes new subsidiary in Thailand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On 1 May 2018, Repi has established the new subsidiary Repi Thai Co. Ltd in Thailand, which will take over the existing business in the ASEAN region both in the Polyurethanes and in the Thermoplastics business units, as per GV.

According to Repi, this is another step for the company to expand market presence in Asia and Bangkok with a strategic location to serve the surrounding countries. The new unit will provide commercial support and technical service to all clients in the region as well as fast colour-development capabilities to serve customers just-in-time.

The Repi Group is a family-owned corporation, founded in 1973. From the headquarters in North Italy it has been growing over the decades opening facilities in the US, Russia, UK, Thailand and establishing commercial relationships worldwide. The Group’s activity focuses on two main business units, Polyurethanes and Thermoplastics, which offer products and services to industries with different requirements and metrics.

The Polyurethanes BU serves mainly the automotive, building and construction and footwear industries, while the Thermoplastics BU has its core business in the rigid packaging field (preforms, bottles, PET sheets for thermoforming, caps, etc.) followed by industrial applications both in injection moulded parts and extrusion such as the furniture industry.
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Braskem expands strategy for the future of renewable chemicals

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem, the largest thermoplastics resins producer in the Americas and the worldwide leader in bio-polymers, has announced its expanded focus on the research, development and commercialization of chemicals and materials sourced from renewable feedstocks, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Braskem started a new operation in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials.

The activities will include biotechnology and material science R&D, business and market development as well as technology scouting for key strategic partnerships.

Gustavo Sergi, Braskem Renewable Chemicals Business Director, stated, "Renewable chemistry will lead the next wave of development in chemicals and polymers. Our announcement today reinforces Braskem's position at the forefront of this movement. As we look forward, by developing and leading the next wave of renewable chemicals and polymers, we are bringing our customers new and innovative choices."

"The operation in Boston will complement the metabolic engineering capabilities that we have in our Renewable Chemistry Research Center in Campinas (Brazil) as well as our material science competencies present in our R&D centers in Triunfo (Brazil) and Pittsburgh (USA). In addition, this location positions Braskem in a strategic ecosystem that will enable us to leverage key partnerships for research and market development," explains Mateus Schreiner Garcez Lopes, Braskem Head of Innovation in Renewable Technologies.

To lead the R&D initiatives in Boston the company has appointed Dr. Daniel P. MacEachran as new Head of Metabolic Engineering. Dr. MacEachran joins Braskem from Greenlight Biosciences, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company focused on the sustainable production of chemicals, having most recently served as Director of Applications Research & Development. He also served as a Visiting Scientist and Post-Doctoral Researcher to the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As MRC informed previously, in October 2017, Petrobras’ minority stakes in Braskem and Deten Quimica was excluded from Petrobras’s divestment program, according to a government decree published in Brazil’s Official Gazette. The decree prevents Petrobras from immediately selling its minority stake in Braskem, which had been announced this year. A new decree will be required to release the stock sale.

Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
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ExxonMobil announces greenhouse gas reduction measures

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil has announced greenhouse gas reduction measures that are expected to lead to significant improvements in emissions performance by 2020, including a 15 percent decrease in methane emissions and a 25 percent reduction in flaring, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company also announced its intention to improve its industry-leading energy efficiency in refining and chemical manufacturing facilities.

ExxonMobil invests in lower-emission energy solutions such as cogeneration, flare reduction, energy efficiency, biofuels, carbon capture and storage and other technologies. ExxonMobil has spent more than USD9 billion on lower-emission energy solutions since 2000.

"We have a longstanding commitment to improve efficiency and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions," said Darren W. Woods, chairman and chief executive officer. "Today’s announcement builds on that commitment and will help further drive improvements in our business."

ExxonMobil is undertaking a number of initiatives to significantly reduce methane emissions. XTO Energy’s leak-detection-and-repair efforts and operational improvements at U.S. production and midstream sites have reduced estimated methane emissions across ExxonMobil operations by 2 percent in the past year. Combined with additional measures outside the U.S. focused on the most significant sources of methane, ExxonMobil expects to achieve a 15 percent reduction of methane emissions by 2020 compared with 2016.

ExxonMobil is one of eight global energy companies that supports guiding principles on methane reduction. The principles focus on continually reducing methane emissions, advancing strong performance across gas value chains, improving accuracy of methane emissions data and advocating sound policies and regulations on methane emissions. ExxonMobil is a founding member of the API’s Environmental Partnership, which is focused initially on reducing methane and volatile organic compound emissions.

Efforts associated with oil and gas production and processing are expected to lower natural gas flaring across ExxonMobil operations by about 25 percent by 2020 compared with 2016. The most significant reductions are expected to occur in operations in West Africa and include use of third-party infrastructure.

ExxonMobil is a charter member of the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Public-Private Partnership, which is committed to developing commercial opportunities to reduce flaring. The partnership is comprised of oil-producing countries, international and state-owned oil companies and the World Bank.

Further greenhouse-gas emissions reduction efforts will target ExxonMobil’s global refining and chemicals manufacturing network with the goal of improving existing industry-leading energy efficiency performance.

ExxonMobil is the most energy efficient refining company in the U.S. and internationally. The company has achieved a 10 percent improvement in energy efficiency across its global refining operations following an effort launched in 2000. ExxonMobil refining operations ranked in the first quartile for energy efficiency in every Solomon Refining Industry Survey over the past decade. Advanced efficiency technologies and techniques have helped ExxonMobil’s chemical business reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions intensity by nearly 7 percent since 2013.

ExxonMobil remains committed to mitigating emissions from its operations and helping consumers reduce their emissions, including through efficient fuels, lubricants and lightweight plastics.

ExxonMobil continues to support research that leads to technology breakthroughs and participates in constructive dialogue on policy options.

As MRC informed before, in November 2016, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced it received a contract from ExxonMobil Chemical Company to provide engineering, design and construction management services as part of a new 650 kTa polyethylene facility to be located at ExxonMobil’s Beaumont polyethylene plant.

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.
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