Shandong Chanbroad to restart No. 1 propylene plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals, is in plans to bring on-stream its No.1 propylene unit following a turnaround, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that, the company is likely to resume operations at the plant by early-June, 2020. The plant was shut on March 25, 2020 and was supposed to remain under maintenance for about two weeks.

Located at Shandong province of China, the No. 1 plant has a production capacity of 125,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, in September 2018, LyondellBasell announced that Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co. Ltd., (Shandong Chambroad), had selected the LyondellBasell Hostalen "Advance Cascade Process" (Hostalen ACP) technology. The low-pressure slurry process technology will be used for a 350KTA high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit to be built in their petrochemical complex in Binzhou city, Shandong province, P.R. China.

Propylene is the main feedstock for producing polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co.,Ltd is founded in 1988,whose predecessor is Boxing lubricating oil factory.After more than 20 years of trails and hardships,Chambroad has now developed into a large-scale private petrochamical enterprise intergrating petroleum refining and chemical industry. Besides, Chambroad has successively been awarded "one of top 500 manufacturing enterprise of China" and "one of top 500 chemical enterprise of China".
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's output of chemical products rose in April 2020 by 2.4% year on year. Thus, production of basic chemicals increased year on year by 5.6% in the first four months of 2020, according to Rosstat's data.

According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the output in January-April.

Last month's ethylene production decreased to 350,800 tonnes from 383,400 tonnes in March, Kazanorgsintez reduced its output of monomer because of a scheduled maintenance at some of its production capacities. Overall ethylene output exceeded 1,400,000 tonnes in January-April 2020, compared to 1,100,000 tonnes a year earlier.

Production of benzene was 110,000 tonnes in April 2020, compared to 133,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of this product reached 505,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 1.7% year on year.

April production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) was 101,000 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) versus 110,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of caustic soda totalled 431,000 tonnes in the first four months of 2020, up by 0.8% year on year.

2,055,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers (in terms of 100% nutrients) were produced in April 2020 versus 2,195,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall, Russian plants produced slightly less than 8,100,000 tonnes of fertilizers in January-April 2020, up by 1.6% year on year.

Last month's production of polymers in primary form fell to 775,000 tonnes from 883,000 tonnes in March partially because of a scheduled shutdown for maintenance at SIBUR Tobolsk. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 3,300,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 17.4% year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's output of products from polymers grew in April 2020 by 11.2% year on year due to quarantine restrictions. However, this figure increased by 3.4% year on year in the first four months of 2020, reported MRC analysts.

According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, April production of unreinforced and non-combined films decreased to 107,000 tonnes from 110,400 tonnes a month earlier. Output of films products grew in the first four months of 2020 by 12.5% year on year to 402,800 tonnes.

Last month's production of non-porous boards, sheets and films dropped to 32,800 tonnes from 34,200 tonnes in March. Thus, overall output of these products reached 127,400 tonnes in January-April 2020, up by 5.7% year on year.

April production of porous boards, sheets and films was 20,200 tonnes, down by 1.6% month on month. Overall output of these products reached 84,500 tonnes in the first four months of 2020, compared to 80,000 tonnes a year earlier.

April production of plastic bottles and flasks grew to 2,06 bn items from 1,796 bn items a month earlier. Overall output of these plastic products totalled 6,961,000,000 units over the stated period, compared to 6,731,000,000 units a year earlier.

Last month's production of polymer pipes, hoses and fittings was 52,800 tonnes versus 53,900 tonnes in March.
Overall output of these products was 193,700 tonnes in January-April 2020, up by 21.2% year on year.

April production of sacks and bags from ethylene polymers reached 2,419,000,000 units, compared to 2,277,000,000 units a month earlier. Overall output of these plastic products totalled 9,130,000,000 units in the first four months of 2020, compared to 7,956,000,000 units a year earlier.

Last month's production of linoleum and floor coverings was 6,700,000 square metres, compared to 11,900,000 square metres in March. Overall output of these products totalled 40,000,000 square metres over the stated period versus 41,700,000 square metres a year earlier.

April production of plastic windows and door blocks reached 1,521,000 square metres and 64,300 square metres, respectively, versus 1,814,000 square metres and 68,400 square metres a month earlier. Overall output of these plastic products totalled 7,045,000 square metres and 261,800,000 square metres, respectively, compared to 5,841,000 square metres and 266,400 square metres a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow developed and commercialized a new formulated post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic resin designed for collation shrink film applications in Asia Pacific, said the company.

The new resin is designed with 40 percent PCR content which creates a film with performance comparable to those made with virgin resins. The product, XUS 60921.01, is made with recycled plastics collected domestically within China through Dow’s strategic recycling partners and is made at Dow’s external manufacturing site in Nanjing, China.

"This new resin is helping to make a circular economy for plastics a reality, all without compromising on the performance that brand owners and consumers require,” said Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president, Dow. “As a material science company, we have the responsibility to bring these products to market to prevent plastics from becoming waste in the environment."

The growing demand for e-commerce will require durable, efficient packaging that can protect products throughout their supply chains while producing minimal waste for consumers. Dow’s new formulated PCR resin can provide brands and consumers with comparable performance to collation shrink film made with virgin resins to ensure products are delivered safely while also reducing the amount of plastic waste ending up in our environment.

The resin is designed to be used as 100 percent of the core layer of collation shrink applications and will enable the development of film with 13 – 24 percent recycled content. The new formulated PCR resin also reduces carbon dioxide and energy footprints helping converters, brand owners and retailers meet their sustainability goals, while also giving a new end-of-life to plastics that otherwise would have become waste.

"Developing new end markets for plastic waste will help incentivize collection and recycling, enabling more recycled products to be developed while reducing the amount of plastics entering our environment,” said Suny Markose, Asia Pacific commercial recycling director for Dow.

The new offering is part of Dow’s comprehensive strategy to develop a circular economy for plastics by focusing on integrating recycled content into product offerings.

As MRC informed earlier, in mid-May 2020, USA based Dow Chemical announced plans to shut three polyethylene (PE) plants in the USA and Argentina to avoid piling inventories amid sluggish global demand conditions due to the COVID-19 related lockdown.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene (PS), polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) made at SIBUR-Khimprom in Perm has been certified under the European Pharmacopoeia standards for the medical and pharmacological industries, said the company.

The corresponding certificate allowed SIBUR to expand into the segment of medical compounds abroad. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and enormous rise in demand for disposable protective medical items and equipment, many processors have switched from technical compounds to medical ones.

For instance, a Serbian company that is also a customer of SIBUR started producing medical compounds for surgical masks to be used by hospital staff treating coronavirus patients. The mask body is made from a medical compound based on SIBUR's PVC and DOTP. Such masks come with a replaceable filter and can be used up to five times. In May, they have been shipped to the UK, Croatia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Romania.

An Eastern European company has set up one of its production lines to make medical compounds using SIBUR’s DOTP. Following successful tests in a customer laboratory, the compound is now being supplied to ventilator mask manufacturers in Western Europe.

In Russia, DOTP is a popular product that has been replacing the previously-used DOP plasticiser thanks to its superior medical properties, such as zero phthalate content, low volatility, and absence of smell. For example, it is used to make plastic containers for transfusion of blood and its components. The Russian-made medical compound and items based on it have been certified by the country's Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare (Roszdravnadzor), which attests to the high quality of SIBUR's DOTP plasticiser. Medical items produced in Russia using this plasticiser have gained incredible traction, especially amid the pandemic. SIBUR plans to promote the use of DOTP in medical items, building on its European success.

As MRC informed earlier, SIBUR Holdinghas shut its polyethylene (PE) plants for a planned maintenance since 23 May 2020. Based in Russia, the turnaround includes both old and new PE plants of SIBUR which consists of Tomskneftekhim with 270,000 tons/year of low density polyethylene (LDPE) unit, as well as ZapSibNeftekhim with a 700,000 tons/year high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit and 800,000 tons/year linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE)/HDPE swing plant. All PE plants are expected to remain off-stream for about 20 days.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

SIBUR is the largest integrated petrochemicals company in Russia. The Group sells its petrochemical products on the Russian and international markets in two business segments: Olefins & Polyolefins (polypropylene, polyethylene, BOPP films, etc.) Plastics, Elastomers & Intermediates (synthetic rubbers, EPS, PET, etc.). SIBUR’s petrochemicals business utilises mainly own feedstock, which is produced by the Midstream segment using by-products purchased from oil and gas companies. More than 26,000 employees working in SIBUR contribute to the success of customers engaged in the chemical, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), automotive, construction, energy and other industries in 80 countries worldwide. In 2018, SIBUR reported revenue of USD 9.1 billion and adjusted EBITDA of USD 3.3 billion.
MRC