Next-generation catalyst achieves high activity and selectivity at styrene monomer production facility

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced the successful performance of its StyroMax UL3 ethylbenzene dehydrogenation catalyst at the styrene monomer production facility of Shandong Yuhuang Chemical (Group) Company, as per Hydrocarbonprocessig.

Located in Heze City, Shandong Province, China, the facility began start-up of the catalyst in March 2018, and already reports highly satisfactory results, with increased yields and greater production efficiency.

"Over the past ten months, the catalyst has demonstrated outstanding results," said Mr. Yandong Zhang, General Manager of Shandong Heze Yuhuang Chemical Co. Ltd. "The productivity of our styrene monomer reached 120% of designed capacity within 3 months of start-up. We achieved nameplate capacity much more quickly than any other catalyst, and we attribute this success to the performance of StyroMax UL3, as well as the engineering support provided by Clariant Catalysts for optimal operational performance."

The Shandong Yuhuang styrene monomer production unit has improved productivity by 50 kilotons/year, which represents a value of approximately USD13 million. Furthermore, the catalyst achieved this favorable performance at a stable steam-to-oil ratio as low as 1.1 by weight, thereby providing additional savings of around USD2.5 million from reduced steam consumption. As StyroMax UL3 is expected to continue its strong performance, Shandong Yuhuang anticipates a total savings of more than USD15 million annually.

Founded in 1986, Shandong Yuhuang has developed from a small private plant into a large, privately-owned company with 5 production locations, 15 subsidiaries, and more than 5000 employees. The company’s main products include styrene, gasoline, diesel, MTBE, DME, isobutylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene, among others. As a quickly-growing manufacturer of chemicals and plastics, Shandong Yuhuang is continually looking at innovative solutions to drive down costs.

Introduced in 2016, StyroMax UL3 was developed to reduce process expenses for styrene producers operating at ultra-low steam-to-oil ratios. Whereas previous catalysts could offer either high activity or selectivity at such conditions, StyroMax UL3 is the first catalyst to offer both. Its activity increases styrene monomer yields, while its improved selectivity minimizes the formation of by-products, such as toluene and benzene, which are typically less valuable than styrene monomer. Due to its suitability for ultra-low steam-to-oil ratio operation (approx. 1.0 by weight ratio), the catalyst reduces steam consumption, thus enabling a far more sustainable and economical means of styrene production.

In addition, Clariant Catalysts also offers its customers dedicated engineering support. This includes start-up services when the plant is first placed online, and subsequent assistance to maintain optimum operation performance of catalysts, as well as onsite troubleshooting services when required.

“We are honored to partner with Shandong Yuhuang as an industrial reference in China for StyroMax UL3 and are delighted that the results match both our high expectations. Besides the economic advantages presented by the catalyst, we are pleased that our technical service support is another key factor customers choose to work with us," Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President and General Manager Business Unit Catalysts at Clariant said.

As MRC reported earlier, in March 2017, Clariant announced that it had been awarded a contract by Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology Co. Ltd. to develop a new propane dehydrogenation unit in cooperation with CB&I. The project includes the license and engineering design of the unit, which is to be built in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay announces that its subsidiary Solvay Finance SA will exercise its first call option on its EUR700 million hybrid bond after having notified the Luxembourg Stock Exchange where the bond is listed, said the company.

This perpetual deeply subordinated bond, bearing an annual interest rate of 4.199%, is treated as equity under IFRS rules. Its repayment is due on May 12, 2019 at the end of the first 5.5 years.

Announcement follows the successful issuance of EUR300 million perpetual hybrid bond with a coupon of 4.25% on December 4, 2018. As a result, the overall quantum of hybrid bonds in Solvay's balance sheet will decrease from EUR2.5 billion end of December 2018 to EUR1.8 billion after the exercise of the call option, leading to a further reduction in financial charges.

"These steps reflect the ongoing focus on value creation through an efficient and cost effective capital structure and are an integral part of a prudent, investment grade, funding strategy," said Karim Hajjar, Solvay's Chief Financial Officer.

Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. Solvay innovates and partners with customers worldwide in many diverse end-markets. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Its lightweighting materials promote cleaner mobility, its formulations optimize the use of resources, and its performance chemicals improve air and water quality.
Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with around 27,000 employees in 62 countries. Net sales were EUR10.3 billion in 2018, with 90% from activities where Solvay ranks among the world's top 3 leaders, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 22%.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- As the global demand for pentaerythritol (Penta) keeps growing, Perstorp is increasing the effective annual Penta production capacity at its Bruchhausen/Arnsberg plant in Germany by 12.5%, as per the company's press release.

The Penta polyols are widely used in resins for coatings in the building & construction and steel works industry, from architectural wood to marine paints.

"Our plant has successfully obtained the ISCC PLUS International Sustainability Carbon Certification, an important milestone in Perstorp’s ambitious Pro-Environment quest to become Finite Material Neutral. The expansion work at Site Bruchhausen started in June 2018 and is well on track for completion in May," confirms Ulrika Andersson, EVP Business Area Specialty Polyols & Solutions at Perstorp. "The added capacity and ISCC certification of Site Bruchhausen as well as introducing Voxtar production in Bruchhausen will significantly extend the security of supply of Voxtar ensuring a continued security to meet our customers increased demand of Pro-Environment Polyols", Ulrika concludes. Together with the company’s Stenungsund and Perstorp sites in Sweden, Bruchhausen is now a part of Perstorp’s strategic shift from fossil to renewable raw materials and energy. The independent third-party ISCC certified products comes with a Proof of Sustainability document which states the products contribution to sustainable sourcing according to the certified mass balance system.

"With Voxtar, back in 2010, we were the industry’s first supplier to launch a renewable Penta," says Jan Secher, President and CEO at Perstorp. "In 2018, our Pro-Environment Polyols was honored with a Frost & Sullivan European Bio-Based Materials Product Leadership Award. This and the recent ISCC certification of our Bruchhausen site and the addition of three new Pro-Environment families as well as full suite of Services underscores our committed support for advancing the circular economy by shifting towards raw materials derived from renewable and waste sources."

As MRC informed earlier, in December 2017, Perstorp launched world first portfolio of renewable polyols. Thus, Perstorp announced world’s first portfolio of renewable alternatives to the essential polyols Pentaerythritol (Penta), Trimethylolpropane (TMP), and Neopentyl glycol (Neo).

Perstorp is one of the world leaders in various sectors of the specialty chemicals market, it's pioneer in formalin chemistry, plastics and surface materials. Perstorp was founded in 1881 and is controlled by PAI partners,a major European private equity company. The company has around 1,500 employees in with 22 production plants in Europe, Asia and North America.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), the international program designed to prevent plastic pellets, flakes, and powder from being lost from factory floors and winding up in lakes and oceans, is being successfully embraced by European plastics processors, a new study shows, as per Canplastics.

Following the release of its first Operation Clean Sweep report in 2017, industry association PlasticsEurope made the OCS program a top priority in 2018, setting new targets for its members as part of its Plastics 2030 Voluntary Commitment.

"The number of OCS signatories doubled in Europe in 2018, reaching up to more than 500 companies handling plastics pellets,” Karl-H. Foerster, PlasticsEurope’s executive director, said in a statement. “More than 98% of the total European plastics production have now signed up to OCS."

PlasticsEurope is also strengthening its collaboration with the entire plastics value chain. The group announced that 250 new companies signed the pledge in 2018.

"The plastics industry remains fully committed to implementing solutions to end plastic waste in the environment. Working with the value chain for the implementation of OCS is an essential part of our 2030 Voluntary Commitment. Our aim is to drive best practices in pellet management and strive towards zero pellet loss,” Foerster said, “PlasticsEurope’s objectives for 2019 are to actively contribute to global industry efforts. Together with the plastics value chain, its aim is to develop an OCS certification scheme and continue to support the implementation of the OCS program as a way to deliver its voluntary commitment."

Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) is a stewardship program of the U.S.-based Plastics Industry Association and the American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Division. The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the Canadian licensee of OCS and promotes the program to the Canadian plastics value chain.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell announced that Lianyungang Petrochemical Co., a subsidiary of Zhejiang Satellite, has selected its Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (ACP) technology for a new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) facility to be built in China, as per Apic-online.

The plant, which will be located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, will have a production capacity of 400,000 t/y of HDPE. Value of the license and a schedule for the project were not given.

"The market demands high-performance HDPE and LyondellBasell's multi-modal technology effectively meets these needs," noted Zhejiang Satellite Vice President Lu Wei Wei.

"Selecting LyondellBasell's low-pressure slurry process in our petrochemical complex will enable us to produce high-quality products reliably and economically."

As MRC wrote previously, in September 2016, LyondellBasell selected its La Porte, Texas, manufacturing complex as the site for a new high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant. The plant will be the first commercial plant to employ LyondellBasell's new proprietary Hyperzone PE technology and will have an annual capacity of 1.1 billion pounds (500,000 metric tons). Construction began in early 2017 with start-up planned for 2019.

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies. The company manufactures products at 57 sites in 18 countries. LyondellBasell products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive parts, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
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