LyondellBasell to license Hostalen ACP to Lianyungang for Chinese HDPE unit

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In 1979, Evonik launched the thermoplastic elastomer polyether block amide (PEBA) under the brand name VESTAMID E from its largest global production site in the Marl Chemical Park, said the company.

Whether in sports equipment, hydraulic pressure lines in trucks, medical devices or 3D printed high-tech parts, Evonik’s polyamide 12 elastomers kept finding their way into new demanding applications over the past four decades. Right from the beginning, the high-performance polymer has stood out for its excellent low-temperature impact resistance, chemical resistance, high elasticity and good resilience. It was easy to process, dye or over-mold. From the beginning, the thermoplastic material offered a uniquely balanced property profile that enabled design-free implementation of demanding applications.

Performance and design are key attributes for the sports industry. The PA 12 elastomer molding compounds of Evonik quickly became the material of choice for items such as athletic shoes, ski, touring and hiking boots or later, decorative protective films for skis and snowboards.

Ski or hiking boots made of PEBA have remained lightweight, waterproof and wear-resistant to this day. They retain their flexibility even in cold conditions. Thanks to its excellent mechanical properties, the high-performance material can efficiently determine the wall thickness of shoes, which allows for optimizing production costs.

As MRC informed earlier, in June 2018, Linde Group and the specialty chemicals company Evonik Industries have concluded an exclusive cooperation agreement on the use of membranes for natural gas processing.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Canadian auto purchases fell by 2.5% year-over-year (y/y) in March for a thirteenth straight month of year-on-year declines off near-record-high sales levels in early-2018, a new report from Scotiabank said, as per Canplastics.

On a month-on-month basis, sales rose for the third consecutive time with a 0.9% gain to 1.97 million units sold on a seasonally adjusted annualised rate (saar) basis, Scotiabank’s latest Auto News Flash said.

"Following a sharp dip in sales in the final quarter of 2018, vehicle deliveries in Canada have rebounded in recent months,” the report said. “However, purchases should settle on a more stable downward trajectory toward a medium-term sales total of around 1.90 million units sold off 2017’s record of 2.04 million units as the Canadian economy aligns itself to its long-run potential. We forecast that auto sales in Canada will fall to 1.93 million units delivered in 2019."

In the U.S., meanwhile, auto sales rose by 5.9% m/m to 17.5 million saar units sold, handily beating the median analyst’s forecast of 16.8 million units sold. Despite the month-on-month climb, vehicle purchases fell by 2.2% y/y in March for a third straight month of year-on-year declines, Scotiabank said.

"Sales for the first quarter contracted by 3.4% quarter-over-quarter to a still-strong three-month average of 16.90 million saar units – their softest quarterly performance since Q2-2017 – owing to temporary factors, such as particularly adverse weather and the federal government shutdown, as well as the more persistent effect of rising prices on new vehicles and reduced dealer incentives,” Scotiabank said. “While the U.S. economic expansion is set to slow in 2019 and 2020, solid employment growth and sturdy household finances should continue to support strong, albeit plateauing, auto sales of about 16.7 million units in each year."

As MRC informed earlier, world vehicle sales fell in 2018, a new report from Scotiabank said, owing mainly to a sharp contraction in auto purchases in China in the second half of the year amid a Government-led crackdown on non-bank lending – but despite posting a decline relative to 2017, the Canadian auto market posted its second best year on record in 2018.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A blast and fire at a chemical plant near Houston killed one person on Tuesday and injured two others, in an incident involving a highly flammable gas, officials said, less than a month after a similar fire in the region that burned for days, reported Reuters.

The fire at a plant operated by KMCO LLC in Crosby, Texas, northeast of Houston, led officials to temporarily order residents and schoolchildren within a mile of the plant to stay inside.

The order was lifted after the US Environmental Protection Agency detected no threat of contamination, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

"Our understanding is that there are no active readings in the area, either in the air or on the ground," Gonzalez told a news conference.

It was the second fire at a Houston-area chemical plant in less than three weeks. On March 17, a blaze erupted at a Mitsui unit Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) plant in Deer Park, burning for three days and destroying 11 tanks holding thousands of barrels of gasoline and other fuels.

The Mitsui plant fire led officials to close schools in Houston suburbs for several days because air-quality monitors detected elevated levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.

Deer Park, the suburb of Houston where last month’s fire broke out, is about 20 miles (30 km) south of Crosby, scene of the latest chemical fire.

The fire on Tuesday began when a transfer line ignited near a tank with Isobutylene, which quickly caught fire, Gonzalez said. Isobutylene is used to make isooctane, a component of aviation fuel.

A victim was declared dead at the scene and two people with injuries were airlifted to a hospital, officials said. Their conditions were not immediately known.

In a statement, KMCO apologized to residents in the vicinity of the fire and said the well-being of people in the area was its top priority.

KMCO manufactures chemicals and provides services for chemical companies worldwide.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik and Halchemix Canada are pleased to announce the launch of a strategic partnership for the promotion of Evonik’s rumen-protected methionine product Mepron® in the Canadian market, as per the company's press release.

The agreement will see Halchemix become the exclusive distributor of Mepron® in Canada. The product is a superior methionine source that helps to boost milk production and reduce feed costs for the dairy industry.

Ken O'Halloran, Evonik’s Regional Vice President, North America, said: "Halchemix is well established in the Canadian market as a provider of well-researched feed additives, making them an ideal partner. Their products include amino acids, phytase, enzymes, and a dairy product line that includes rumen protected lysine and DCAD products."

The use of Mepron makes it easy to balance the ration for amino acids. This results in better herd health thanks to improved liver function, lower inflammation and less oxidative stress; higher dry matter intake followed by higher energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield; higher profitability (Income Over Feed Costs); lower nitrogen emissions and higher weaning weights of calves.

As MRC reported earlier, Evonik Industries AG combined its isophorone chemistry and epoxy curing agents business in the new Crosslinkers Business Line effective July 1, 2017. The newly formed Business Line, headed by Min Chong, is part of the Resource Efficiency Segment

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-oriented innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2018, the enterprise generated sales of €15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of EUR2.6 billion.

MRC