BASF to expand mobile emissions catalyst capacity in India

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF is expanding its mobile emissions catalysts at Chennai in India to meet domestic customer demand, said the company.

BASF Catalysts India Pvt Ltd will expand its mobile emissions catalysts production plant in Chennai, India. This double-digit million Euro investment will nearly double the company’s catalysts production capacity for the heavy-duty on- and off-road segment. The completion of the expansion is planned in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The "double-digit million Euro" investment via BASF Catalysts India will nearly double the company’s catalysts production capacity for the heavy-duty on- and off-road segment in India, it said in a statement.

The expansion is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022, the company said.

BASF’s Chennai catalysts site produces automotive emissions catalyst solutions for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and motorcycles. "This investment will further boost BASF’s capabilities to support increasingly stringent requirements with the implementation of stricter emission regulations," it added.

As per MRC, BASF and the Fabbri group of companies developed biodegradable films for food packaging.
Based on ecovio, a certified biodegradable material from BASF, the Fabbri Group produces Nature Fresh, a highly transparent stretch film. This product is the first certified biodegradable film for foodstuffs, combining optimal breathability, long shelf life, high transparency and excellent mechanical properties for automatic packaging.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and a leading global supplier of high quality polyamide and polyamide intermediates for films and monofilaments.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wanhua Chemical, a global leader in the production and marketing of polyurethanes, petrochemicals and fine chemicals, has received the inaugural “Excellence Award” from Axalta, according to GV.

The Excellence Award is given to suppliers, who exhibit progressively exceptional overall quality, service, technology and total capacity performance for three consecutive years or longer. The Excellence Award winner also demonstrates an exceptional commitment to helping Axalta achieve its strategic initiatives.

Wanhua has previously won the supplier of the year awards in 2017, 2018, 2019, making 2020 the fourth consecutive year.

Wanhua Chemical said it focuses on customers’ needs and is committed to supplying premium products and value-added services to meet the growing industry demand. In the challenging year of 2020, both production and supply have been seriously affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 and several force majeures in upstream industries. Wanhua Chemical responded quickly and ensured the continuous supply of downstream customers to the greatest extent possible.

“We are very proud to have been recognised with the Supplier of the Year award for the fourth year in a row”, said Dr. Howard Ding, Sales Director of Wanhua Fine Chemicals. “Over the years, the cooperation between Wanhua and Axalta has expanded to cover all key global markets and a growing number of product categories. This award only motivates us to develop new products and solutions. Wanhua is dedicated to pursuing innovation while creating benefits for the society”.

As MRC informed earlier, in April, 2021, Wanhua Chemical, a major petrochemical producer in China, announced plans to build a new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in Fujian Province, southern China, adding to the PDH plant it operates at Yantai, eastern China. The new plant will be built within the Fujian Jiangyin economic zone, near the city of Fuqing. According to sources, the plant is expected to be completed in 2023.

Besdies, in January, 2020 Wanhua Chemical Group disclosed plans for a second ethylene cracker project at its Yantai, China, site with local government officials. The project will include a 1.2-million metric tons/year (MMt/y) ethylene unit; pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation; aromatics extraction; and production facilities for butadiene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene (PE) plastomers and elastomers, polypropylene (PP), and other derivatives. Timing and other details were not disclosed. The second ethylene project will use naphtha and C4s as feedstock.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo) has recently started the commercial production of a new plant to produce LUCANT, a series of hydrocarbon-based synthetic fluid, at its Ichihara Works in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, according to MarketScreener.

With this new plant coming on top of an existing plant at Iwakuni-Ohtake Works, Mitsui Chemicals' production capacity for LUCANT is now set to increase, allowing the company to comfortably keep up with the strong global demand for the product. Further, by moving to a two-base system spread across Iwakuni-Ohtake Works and Ichihara Works, Mitsui Chemicals aims to bolster its business continuity planning for LUCANT.

Mitsui Chemicals' LUCANT is a high-performance hydrocarbon-based synthetic oil - the world's first such product to be offered commercially. In addition to its viscosity being largely resistant to temperature changes, the material has a number of other noteworthy properties, including excellent shear stability and thermochemical stability.

These characteristics see LUCANT finding use as a viscosity modifier in applications that require very high quality - such as gear oil for automotive drivelines, as well as industrial lubricants and greases. The product has been approved for use by prominent automakers and lubricant manufacturers.

Amid an era of heightening needs for eco-friendly products, LUCANT is expected to meet with rising global demand as a product able to help achieve improved fuel efficiency and longer operating life.

Mitsui Chemicals has a strategic partnership with The Lubrizol Corporation's Additives Segment (Segment President:Tom Curtis ) which acts as a major producer of lubricant additive packages. Going forward, both Mitsui Chemicals and Lubrizol intend to further expand and grow the LUCANT business in the lubricant market.

Further, as its own independent initiative, Mitsui Chemicals intends to tackle market development and application development for the expanded use of LUCANT as a functional liquid polymer, including applications as a modifier for elastomers and engineering plastics.

As MRC reported earlier, in May, 2021, Neste, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. and Toyota Tsusho Corp. announced they are joining forces to enable Japan’s first industrial-scale production of renewable plastics and chemicals from 100% bio-based hydrocarbons.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software driving digital transformation and sustainability, has formed a new alliance with Wood, the global consulting and engineering company, to accelerate digital transformation of industries such as power, energy, chemicals and mining with the launch of a new solution called Connected Build, a key part of Wood’s Digital Twin offering, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Wood has standardized its use of AVEVA Enterprise Resource Management as a key component of the Connected Build offering to its industrial clients globally.

Connected Build optimizes project delivery while improving collaboration on new build projects and facilitating the digital modernization of existing plants and refurbishments. The new solution capitalizes on design efficiencies to deliver the build accurately the first time, unlocking sustainability and value benefits while ensuring worker safety. As part of Wood’s vision for operational excellence, leveraging technology to standardize and optimize delivery is key to achieving efficiencies and to meet sustainability targets.

The new Connected Build solution is a key part of Wood’s Engineering Digital Twin strategy by sharing project status and materials availability data in real-time with all stakeholders, optimizing project execution through benefits such as improved labor productivity, reduced material waste and costs, shortened project cycles and improved yield. When applied to the engineering and build phases, the Connected Build approach results in rapid and seamless project handover, while shortening time to production and improving digital resiliency for Wood’s clients.

Initial deployments of Wood’s Connected Build Digital Twin has set a new benchmark for digital engineering, boosting safety, and improving overall asset performance while delivering savings on the total cost of the project and an additional saving in operations and maintenance.

AVEVA and Wood share a significant history of innovation. Wood has previously integrated its own Go-Technology commissioning solution into its use of the AVEVA Engineering Design software suite. To support the rapid acceleration of their Connected Build offering, Wood has standardized AVEVA Enterprise Resource Management to provide a single, coordinated platform approach across all stages of a project, from design and materials procurement to construction, advanced work packaging, commissioning and completions.

Going forward, the two organizations will remain strategically aligned with a laser focus on delivering maximum value for shared clients through continuous technology improvements and developments.

As MRC reported previously, in May 2021, Maire Tecnimont Group, through its subsidiary Tecnimont, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AVEVA to create new digital predictive and prescriptive maintenance services that drive enhanced business outcomes.

We remind that Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. has recently announced that its subsidiaries Tecnimont S.p.A. and Mumbai-based Tecnimont Private Limited were awarded an EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning) Lump Sum contract by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), for the implementation of a new paraxylene (PX) plant and the relevant offsites facilities. The plant will be located in Paradip, in the State of Odisha, in Eastern India. The overall value of the contract is about USD450 million.

PX is a feedstock for the production of purified terephthalic acid (PTA). PTA is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which, in its turn, is used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles, films, packaging containers, in the textile and food industries.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PET consumption reached 64,750 tonnes in March 2021, which corresponds to the last year's figure (64,520 tonnes). Overall estimated PET consumption in Russia decreased by 5% year on year to 182,300 tonnes in January-March, 2021.

AVEVA is a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability. By connecting the power of information and artificial intelligence with human insight, AVEVA enables teams to use their data to unlock new value. We call this Performance Intelligence. AVEVA’s comprehensive portfolio enables more than 20,000 industrial enterprises to engineer smarter, operate better and drive sustainable efficiency. AVEVA supports customers through a trusted ecosystem that includes 5,500 partners and 5,700 certified developers around the world. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with over 6,500 employees and 90 offices in over 40 countries.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dr. Vinod Purayath has joined Avient, formerly PolyOne, as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, according to GV.

A business leader with a technical, entrepreneurial mindset, Dr. Purayath has achieved global success in materials development, with a particular emphasis on semiconductor and digital memory applications. At SanDisk Corporation, he held technical and engineering leadership positions over an eight-year period, building and leading a global team of engineers. Dr. Purayath later joined Applied Materials, as the technology leader for its new Selective Removal Products business, and most recently served as Vice President, Process Technology for SunRise Memory.

Dr. Purayath's academic credentials are extensive, including a PhD in Quantum Engineering and Science Systems, University of Tokyo; a Master's of Business Administration, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); a Master's Degree in Materials Science in Engineering, PSG College of Technology; and a Bachelor's of Science in Physics, Bharathiar University. A continual and passionate innovator, Dr. Purayath has been named as an inventor in more than 150 patents.

As MRC reported previously, in January 2021, Avient Corporation announced the official opening of its new CycleWorks facility in Pogliano, Italy. The new lab and plant will conduct chemistry testing and evaluations to help customers meet the challenge of plastics recycling and advance the goal of a circular economy. The demonstration plant mimics real-world recycling conditions in a research environment, said Avient.

On 1 July 2020, PolyOne and Clariant Masterbatches joined together as Avient, a company focused on specialised and sustainable material solutions with projected 2020 pro forma revenues of approximately USD 3.7 billion. Avient has approximately 9,100 employees and is certified ACC Responsible Care and a founding member of the AEPW.
MRC