MOSCOW (MRC) -- W. R. Grace & Co. (Grace) announced that its UNIPOL PP technology licensee, Braskem, has successfully completed one year of commercial production at its newest, world-class 450 KTA PP production line in La Porte, Texas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
Grace provided state-of-the-art PP design technology and innovations to meet Braskem’s need to manufacture a wide breadth of PP products for its customers. The La Porte commercial production line has the capability to produce a full range of homopolymer, random copolymer, and impact copolymer products. In accordance with Grace and Braskem's shared commitment to sustainability, the plant was also designed with a focus on key ecological markers such as air emissions, water usage, energy efficiency, and waste reduction.
Grace provided pre-commissioning and start-up support to ensure the safe and efficient commissioning of the first reactor. Subsequently, Braskem was able to go straight into commercial production with the first reactor and received continued support to ensure smooth start-up of the second reactor for impact copolymer production.
In addition to using Grace’s UNIPOL PP Process Technology and advanced catalyst systems, Braskem’s investment in the UNIPOL UNIPPAC Process Control Software, provides Braskem with a truly customized solution for control and optimization of the plant.
We remind that Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem's 450,000 mt/year PP plant in LaPorte, Texas, along the Houston Ship Channel completed its initial commercial production, as per the company's statement as of Sept. 10. "The launch of commercial production at our new world-class PP production line in La Porte clearly affirms Braskem's position as the North American polypropylene market leader," Braskem America CEO Mark Nikolich said in a statement. With a USD750 million investment, the new PP plant's construction started in October 2017 and was completed in June, 2020.
Braskem operates five other US PP plants in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with a cumulative capacity of 1.57 million mt/year that the company acquired. The new plant in La Porte, Texas, is Braskem America's first PP new build.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.
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