AkzoNobel supplies bio-rosin to KIA Motors for its new EV

AkzoNobel supplies bio-based paint to KIA Motors for the inside of its new EV9 electric SUV, said cjmpany.

It is the first time the vehicle manufacturer has specified an interior bio-based coating. Two kinds of bio-rosin (rosin is a solid form of resin) have been used to create the product, one extracted from rapeseed, the other from pine rosin.

The paint can be found on the EV9's interior door switch panels, with AkzoNobel also supplying coatings for the rest of the interior. As well as obtaining 100% colour master approval, the bio-based paint being used on the EV9 also meets all of KIA Motors' requirements for both chemical and physical resistance (against suncream, air freshener, heat and scratches, for example).

We remind, AkzoNobel's net income surged to €189m in the third quarter, supported by a rebound in gross margins in both its core decorative paints and performance coatings businesses, said the company. Q3 revenue 4% down on unfavorable exchange rates. Decorative paints Q3 revenue down 3%, operating income up by 53%. Performance coatings Q3 revenue down 5%, operating income more than doubles to €245m from €98m in the same period of last year.

mrchub.com

Air Products announced it will build, own and operate a state-of-the-art carbon capture and carbon dioxide (CO2) treatment facility at its existing hydrogen production plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, said the company.

The facility is expected to be on-stream in 2026, and the resulting "blue" hydrogen product to serve ExxonMobil’s (Esso) Rotterdam refinery and additional customers via Air Products' hydrogen pipeline network system. This will be the largest blue hydrogen plant in Europe once operational.

The carbon capture retrofit will capture CO2 from Air Products' existing hydrogen plant and ExxonMobil’s Rotterdam refinery. The plant will be connected to the Porthos system, a consortium developing the first large-scale CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands which recently reached final investment decision approval. Along with CO2 from other industry in the port of Rotterdam, the captured CO2 will be transported to depleted gas fields in the North Sea, approximately 20 kilometers off the coast, where it will be permanently stored at a depth of more than three kilometers beneath the seabed.

Porthos allows Air Products to more than halve its CO2 emissions in the port of Rotterdam. This represents a substantial step for reducing Air Products’ direct emissions in the short term and contributes to meeting the Dutch National Climate Agreement targets. At the same time, Air Products is working hard to further decarbonise its own activities and those of its customers by realising plans to make green hydrogen available from imported renewable energy in the port of Rotterdam.

The project is being undertaken as part of long-term agreements with ExxonMobil and the Dutch State. Blue hydrogen from Air Products’ hydrogen production plant will help customers in industry and mobility transition, whilst also creating and retaining jobs in an important industrial area.

We remind, Air Products announced its commitment to provide its advanced main cryogenic heat exchanger (MCHE) technology for the PETRONAS LNG Complex located in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. The replacements are part of an extension program being implemented to extend the life and continue the superior performance and high reliability of the MLNG Dua LNG facility in Bintulu. This will be the second and third MCHE replacements provided by Air Products at this facility, after the original units completed almost three decades of reliable service. The first MCHE replacement was installed in June 2022 in-house by PETRONAS and successfully started up in the fall of 2022 and operating reliably ever since.

mrchub.com

RadiciGroup has launched a new industrial facility in Suzhou, China, said the company.

The project has been designed to raise the manufacturing capacity of technopolymers by 100% and significantly bolster its Asian position.

The new EUR 35 M facility is built over a total space of 36,000-sq-m, of which around 50% is intended for manufacturing and research and development, while the rest is reserved for rooms meetings, offices, green areas, car parks and common spaces.

The project has a present workforce of about 120 people.

We remind, RadiciGroup inaugurates new production plant in India. It is the first industrial site owned by RadiciGroup in India, employing over 100 collaborators and situated in the municipality of Halol in the federal state of Gujarat, said the company.

mrc.ru

DuPont announced that on 1 Nov 2023 it will complete its previously announced sale of an 80.1% ownership interest in the Delrin acetal homopolymer (H-POM) business to an affiliate of TJC LP (TJC) in a transaction valuing the business at $1.8 bn, said the company.

At close, DuPont will receive pre-tax cash proceeds of approximately $1.28 bn which includes certain customary transaction adjustments, a note receivable of $350 M, and will retain a 19.9% non-controlling common equity interest in the Delrin business.

We remind, DuPont de Nemours Inc. closed the sale of its USD1.75 billion acquisition of medical device manufacturer Spectrum Plastics Group, the company announced. DuPont bought the manufacturer from private equity firm AEA Investors, which acquired Spectrum in 2018.

mrchub.com

LyondellBasell, the world’s largest licensor of polyolefin technologies, announced that Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) has selected LyondellBasell’s Hostalen “Advanced Cascade Process” (Hostalen ACP) technology for a new 200 kiloton per year (KTA) high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant, said the company.

The new facility will be built in Panipat, India. “This new license award by IOCL represents the second Hostalen ACP process technology line to be built at Panipat. This is a clear demonstration of the confidence of our customers in our capability, and their trust in our technology” said Neil Nadalin, Senior Director Global Licensing and Services at LyondellBasell. Nadalin added: “The well-known Hostalen ACP resins from LyondellBasell’s low-pressure slurry HDPE process are much appreciated in India, as our technology enables operators to reliably and economically produce resins the Indian market demands“.

The Hostalen ACP process technology manufactures high performance, multi-modal HDPE resins with an industry-leading stiffness/toughness balance, impact resistance, high stress cracking resistance and processing advantages used in pressure pipe, film, blow molding and caps & closure applications.

The Hostalen ACP plant will commence operations using Avant Z501 and Avant Z509-1 catalysts to produce a full range of multi-modal HDPE products. New licensees can take advantage of LyondellBasell’s in-house expertise of continuous production improvement, sustainable product development and catalyst knowhow, by optionally joining our Technical Service program.

We remind, LyondellBasell acquired its 50% share from De Paauw Sustainable Resources (DPSR) CEO Roy de Paauw and ING Corporate Investments, said the company. DPSR is a plastics waste recycling company based out of the Netherlands. The Dutch plastic recycling firm engages in the procurement, processing, and trade of post-consumer and post-industrial plastic packaging waste.

mrchub.com