Aekyung commences mass production of eco-friendly plasticizers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Aekyung Chemical, an affiliate of South Korea's Aekyung Group, has begun mass-producing eco-friendly plasticizers derived from recycled waste plastics, marking a first in South Korea, said Kedglobal.

The company succeeded in developing the plasticizers and built specialized production facilities. As an essential additive for softening polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics, the eco-friendly alternative has the potential to lower carbon emissions compared to traditional petrochemical-based production methods.

Aekyung Chemical's product has received the international "ISCC PLUS" certification, recognizing its contribution to a circular economy in the entire production process.

"Our eco-friendly plasticizer offers a sustainable solution for addressing climate change in the widespread use of PVC materials in daily life," the company said.

We remind, Aekyung Chemical plans to expand its surfactant plant in Vietnam, with the aim of targeting global markets in Southeast Asia. The expansion of the plant, operated by the company's subsidiary AK VINA, will include the addition of high-value-added production lines for eco-friendly, low-stimulus, and natural surfactants.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo has added a new grade to its Magnum ABS family. Complementing the bio formulations of the material made with 60 and 80 percent bio-attributed content made available in late 2022, the company has now launched a version with 95 percent mass-balanced renewably sourced content, said Sustainableplastics.

“As customers focus on sustainable solutions, Trinseo continues to invest in technologies that offer an alternative to materials based on traditional feedstocks,” said Romulo Bouzas, product manager, Copolymers EMEA. Equivalent to their fossil-based counterparts with identical physical properties, Trinseo’s bio ABS materials can serve as drop in replacements and can be used with existing tooling and equipment under the same processing conditions, requiring no adjustments.

During polymerisation, fossil-based polymers are combined with renewable raw materials - an approach that has now enabled the creation of the new Magnum Bio ABS resin with 95 percent bio-attributed content, based on the ISCC mass balance approach. As a result, the material offers a 92% lower product carbon footprint (PCF). In the Bio 60 and Bio 80 formulations, fewer feedstocks are replaced, and the PCF reduction is 58% and 77% respectively.

Trinseo’s family of bio-attributed ABS are part of the new Trinseo CO2NET portfolio established earlier this year. These products all undergo a Product Carbon Footprint Assessment, a systematic cradle-to-gate analysis of the product’s potential environmental impact and ensures that their carbon footprint can be gauged correctly. Materials qualifying for the CO2NET product portfolio are required to generate at least 50% fewer carbon emissions compared to their fossil-derived counterparts, with the goal of lowering emissions to net zero carbon. The company’s Tyril CO2NET bio SAN also belongs to the portfolio, which, said Trinseo will continue to expand in the future.

We remind, Trinseo reported a Q4 net loss of USD365.3m largely because of a pre-tax, non-cash goodwill impairment charge of USD297m related to its PMMA business and Aristech Surfaces reporting units. The company saw Q4 sales fall by almost 25% compared with the same quarter a year go while costs fell at a slower pace. The following table shows the company's Q4 financial performance. Figures are in millions of dollars.

Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, partners with companies to bring ideas to life in an imaginative, smart and sustainably focused manner by combining its premier expertise, forward-looking innovations and best-in-class materials to unlock value for companies and consumers.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow reported a net loss of USD73m for the first quarter (Q1) on a slump in volumes and sales prices in key segments and important geographies, said the company.

Net sales for the largest US chemical company were down 22% at USD11,851m reflecting, Dow said, declines in all its operating segments driven by lower macroeconomic activity.

Sales were flat sequentially, however, with sales gains in performance products and plastics packaging products offsetting a decline in sales of more durable products and those for industry and for infrastructure. Lower consumer demand hit Dow’s Plastics & Packaging segment hard in the first quarter particularly outside the US and Canada, and lower polyethylene (PE) margins hit earnings.

Lower demand from industrial customers, from building and construction and for consumer durables, impacted Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure sales. Performance Materials & Coating segment sales were down also.Dow said its group-wide sale volumes were down 11% compared with the year earlier period led by a 15% decline in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) but were up 2% sequentially.

Prices in local currencies were down 10% year on year and 4% sequentially “with declines in all operating segments and regions due to industry supply additions amidst continued soft global economic conditions”.

Operating earnings before interest and tax, at USD708m, were down USD1.7bn year on year due to lower local prices and the fact that operating rates had been reduced to match market dynamics.

We remind, Dow announced it has selected Linde as its industrial gas partner for the supply of clean hydrogen and nitrogen for its proposed net-zero carbon emissions integrated ethylene cracker and derivatives site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada.


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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a settlement with Evonik Corporation that will reduce emissions of ethylene oxide and other hazardous air pollutants by 5.6 tons per year from a facility in Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, said the agency.

The alleged violations were found as a result of a special monitoring and enforcement effort by officials from EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) following EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s visit to the area during his Journey to Justice tour.

The inspections took place in April 2022 as part of the Pollution Accountability Team, an innovative air monitoring project developed by EPA enforcement teams based on concerns of area residents. The initiative combined high-tech air pollution monitoring and real-time physical inspections. EPA’s ASPECT airplane collected emissions data from facilities while EPA’s Geospatial Monitoring of Air Pollution, or GMAP, vehicle monitored pollution levels at facility fencelines and adjacent neighborhoods. Teams of inspectors from EPA and LDEQ were available to follow up with on-the-spot, unannounced inspections at specific facilities if monitoring results indicated elevated emissions.

Evonik has already replaced their scrubber with a more efficient flare, which will destroy 98% of emissions routed to it. Evonik will also install a thermal oxidizer and be required to operate it with a minimum destruction efficiency of 99.9% as demonstrated by a required initial performance test. Evonik will also implement an enhanced leak detection and repair program, which will help minimize fugitive emissions of ethylene oxide and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The corrective actions will reduce hazardous air pollutant emissions by about 5.6 tons per year, including 2.16 tons of ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide is a hazardous organic pollutant and VOC that can cause cancer in humans. VOCs can contribute to the formation of ozone, or smog, which can result in health problems such as asthma, lung infections, bronchitis, and cancer.

As part of the settlement, Evonik agreed to perform a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to further reduce facility-wide emissions. They will spend a minimum of USD335,000 to design, install, and operate a Vapor Recovery System to capture VOCs which are currently permitted for release to the atmosphere while trucks load and unload. The captured VOCs will be routed to the new thermal oxidizer/flare system. The SEP will be fully operational no later than December 31, 2026 and is expected to reduce VOC emissions by an additional 2.6 tons per year. Additionally, Evonik must pay a civil penalty of USD75,000 to resolve the alleged violations at the facility.

We remind, Evonik is doubling its global capacity for VESTAMID E, polyether block amide (PEBA), with a twofold approach including a major expansion of its production plant at the Multi-User-Site (MUSC) in Shanghai and an optimization project at its production facility in Marl, Germany, said the company. Construction at the Shanghai site starts in Fall 2023 and will increase the company’s ability for the polymerization of PEBA, a key step in producing the raw material, which is highly demanded by the global, athletic footwear market.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant announces the grand opening of its new CATOFIN catalyst production site in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China, with an investment of SFR 80 M, said the company.

Investing in innovations such as CATOFIN is a core element of Clariant's new purpose-led strategy, as expressed in the statement 'Greater chemistry, between people and planet.' Beyond that, the site serves to increase the already expanding footprint in China, adding on to the existing nearby catalyst plants in Jinshan and catalyst R&D centre within the One Clariant Campus in Shanghai. It is a state-of-the-art plant with digitalized operations which are essential to be able continue making high quality catalyst while boosting productivity rates.

CATOFIN is a catalyst for propane dehydrogenation (PDH), which is used in the production of olefins such as propylene. Thanks to its excellent reliability and productivity, CATOFIN delivers superior annual production output, resulting in increased overall profitability for propylene producers.

Additionally, Clariant developed a speciality material called Heat Generating Material (HGM), which reduces the energy consumption of the CATOFIN technology by up to one-third, further highlighting the advantages of this exceptionally reliable, high-yield catalyst solution.

We remind, Clariant, a focused, sustainable, and innovative specialty chemical company, announced the completion of the divestment of its North American Land Oil business to Dorf Ketal, a specialty chemicals manufacturer and service provider headquartered in India, for USD 14.5 million on 31 March 2023. Clariant’s North American Land Oil business is a provider of chemical technologies and services to the North American oil and gas industry and generated sales of USD 115 million in 2022.

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