Braskem America launches green recycled PP

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and leading producer of biopolymers in the world, formally launched its new I'm green TM Recycled polypropylene (PP) in the United States, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The roll-out of Braskem's new I'm green TM Recycled polypropylene represents one of the first new offerings under the expanded I'm green TM product portfolio. Braskem recently announced the expansion of its I'm green TM brand to encompass the company's full range of circular economy products as part its commitment to help transform the plastics chain from a linear economy into a Circular Economy, a concept where materials are used, disposed of and then recycled in a circular way. The I'm green TM master brand now includes Braskem's product developments in bio-based resins, post-consumer-recycled (PCR) resins, as well as mixed bio-based plastics and PCR solutions.

Mark Nikolich, Braskem America CEO, commented, "In launching Braskem America's first ever 100% post-consumer recycled product, we are working closely with our partners to create innovative new solutions to promote the Circular Economy. Today, our new I'm green TM Recycled polypropylene utilizes plastic destined for landfills to produce new alternative materials for manufacturing. This will create improved sustainable solutions for clients, consumers and the environment."

Feedstock for Braskem's new I'm green TM Recycled PP is derived from polypropylene twine typically used for hay bales in the agricultural sector, which would otherwise be directed to landfills after use. In redirecting these polypropylene twine waste streams from landfills, the twine is reused as a raw material offering a circular source of feedstock with consistent material characteristics. The twine is processed, dyed black for product color uniformity, and then tested for purity and quality. The resulting sustainably focused homopolymer polypropylene pellets are well suited for use in compounding and packaging applications including uses in automotive, housewares and consumer goods. I'm green TM Recycled polypropylene has properties similar or as good as virgin PP.

With a global vision focused on the future, Braskem works every day to improve people's lives by creating sustainable solutions in chemicals and plastics through innovation. Today's announcement directly supports Braskem's overall vision that 100% of plastic packaging be reused, recycled or recovered by 2040.

We remind that, as MRC informed before, Braskem is no longer pursuing a petrochemical project, which would have included an ethane cracker, in West Virginia. And the company is seeking to sell the land that would have housed the cracker. The project, announced in 2013, had been on Braskem's back burner for several years.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the PP consumption in the Russian market was 909,260 tonnes in January-August 2019, up by 10% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.

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).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lotte Chemical has halted operations at its high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit owing power failure, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in South Korea informed that the unit was taken off-stream on October 17, 2019. It is expected to remain shut for around one week.

Located in Yeosu, South Korea, the No. 3 HDPE unit has a production capacity of 150,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote previously, Lotte Chemical has shut down its Deasan cracker for maintenance turnaround. A Polymerupdate source in South Korea informed that the company started maintenance at the cracker on October 14, 2019. The cracker is expected to resume production on November 10, 2019. Located at Daesan in South Korea, currently the cracker has an ethylene capacity of 1.1 million mt/year and propylene capacity of 540,000 mt/year.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, August imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) into Russia reached a record high since 2014 and exceeded 35,900 tonnes. Overall imports of this polyethylene (PE) totalled 232,400 tonnes in January-August 2019.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Henkel is making a strategic investment in recycling start-up Saperatec, said the company.

The startup company has developed an innovative, patented technology that among others allows the separation and recycling of flexible packaging that contains aluminum foil. The two companies have already been involved in a technical collaboration for over two years, with the aim of developing and enhancing a range of customized recyclable adhesive solutions. With this strategic investment in Saperatec, the Adhesive Technologies business unit is confirming its dedication to sustainability: Henkel aims to provide its industrial customers with comprehensive and efficient recycling solutions for flexible packaging especially in the food industry.

The two companies have already been involved in a technical collaboration for more than two years to develop a range of customised recyclable adhesive solutions.

Sapertac – founded in 2011 in Bielefeld, Germany – has developed a patented technology to separate and recycle flexible packaging that contains aluminium foil.

The technology separates individual layers of composite material – such as polyethylene, (PE) aluminium and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – which are then sorted after the separation process and reintroduced into the value chain as single-origin materials, suitable for a wide range of applications.

This has been carried out at the pilot facility since 2014, and now the company is starting to build its first production plant in Europe after closing the fund-raising round. It has not been specified how much Henkel has invested, nor where the site of the plant will be.

Henkel are also partnering with Borealis and plastics solutions company Borouge to develop flexible packaging solutions for detergents containing both virgin polyethylene (PE) and high amounts of post-consumer recyclate (PCR) in efforts to increase sustainability.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,436,390 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased.

Henkel operates in three business units, including laundry and home care, beauty care and adhesive technologies.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Liquide signs new long term contract with Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI) to build, own and operate a new nitrogen unit in the growing chemical basin of Karabatan, close to the Atyrau refinery, said the company.

Air Liquide Munay Tech Gases will invest 15 million euros in a new unit to supply up to 8,000 Nm3/h nitrogen to the new 500,000 ton per year polypropylene plant under construction by KPI in the first Integrated Gas-Chemical Complex Construction Project in Atyrau region, aiming at becoming a world-class petrochemical basin.

Air Liquide Munay Tech Gases, a company jointly owned by Air Liquide (75%) and KazMunayGaz, the Kazakhstan national oil & gas company (25%), has been successfully supplying for over one year hydrogen to the Pavlodar Oil and Chemistry Refinery, an affiliate of KazMunayGaz.

This new project, planned to be operational by the second quarter of 2021, marks the second milestone in the development of the Group in Kazakhstan.

"We are delighted to participate in this project and to be part of what is an important development for this new promising chemical basin. Air Liquide will bring its technological know-how and expertise to contribute to the modernization of the industry in the country. This important milestone also illustrates the strengthening of our joint-venture with KazMunayGaz and the continuing growth of our activities in Kazakhstan," Francois Jackow, Executive Vice-President and a member of the Executive Committee supervising industrial activities in Europe said.

As MRC informed earlier, Air Liquide in 2018 signed a new long-term agreement with LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies, to supply oxygen to LyondellBasell’s new large-scale petrochemical plant which will be constructed in Channelview, Texas. LyondellBasell’s new propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol plant (PO/TBA), is expected to be the largest of its kind plant in the world when completed.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,436,390 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, the PP consumption in the Russian market was 909,260 tonnes in January-August 2019, up by 10% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, declared a quarterly cash dividend of USD0.62 per share on its common stock, payable November 7, 2019, as per the company's press release.

The dividend is payable to stockholders of record as of October 28, 2019.

As MRC informed earlier, Celanese Corporation has been progressing in restarting on-site production units after experiencing an emergency incident on Saturday, September 21, at its Clear Lake facility in Pasadena, Texas. The Fairway Methanol unit has restarted and has been approaching full operating rates. The acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) production units are planned for restart at reduced rates during October, with full operating rates expected for all production units at Clear Lake within the fourth quarter of 2019.

We remind that Celanese Corporation experienced an emergency incident at approximately 12:00 noon Central time on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Celanese Clear Lake facility in Pasadena, Texas.

According to MRC's DataScope report, July EVA imports to Russia increased by 4% year on year to 3,490 tonnes from 3,350 tonnes in July 2018, and overall imports of this grade of ethylene copolymer into the Russian Federation decreased in January-July 2019 by 14, 3% year on year to 22,440 tonnes (26,170 tonnes in the first seven months of 2018).

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,700 employees worldwide and had 2018 net sales of USD7.2 billion.
MRC