Mingca Packaging and ExxonMobil introduce innovative double bubble polyethylene-based shrink film solution

Shantou Mingca Packaging Co Ltd and ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Research & Development Co., Ltd (ExxonMobil) announced an innovative double bubble Polyethylene-based Shrink Film solution, the next generation of Polyolefin Shrink Film, created using ultra-low density Exceed XP performance polyethylene, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

PEF can be used to package products in a variety of shapes, such as electronics, household and personal care products, medicines, food, books and magazines, plastic utensils, and toys.

The solution's polyethylene-based structure can help converters create packaging that can be more easily mechanically recycled1 than conventional POF solutions. The recyclability of the film structure has been third party validated and certified by TUV Rheinland2.

PEF shrink film can help provide exceptional "shelf appeal" to products, making them look attractive to consumers. In addition, the PEF solution can provide a snug-fit with small and soft corners, further increasing appearance aesthetics.

It can shrink more than 70 percent upon heating and can help enable excellent shrink performance at lower temperatures.

Thanks to its low-temperature shrinkage capability, the new PEF solution can offer potential cost savings due to the shrink tunnel consuming less energy than what is needed with conventional POF solutions3. With haze as low as 2.8 percent and gloss up to 86 GU, the Exceed™ XP-based PEF offers excellent optical properties.

Exceed™ XP performance polyethylene can help to deliver outstanding softness (1% secant modulus as low as 374 MPa), with tensile strength at MD/TD as high as 100 MPa.

Similar to POF, the new PEF shrink film can be produced using double bubble technology. Converters can typically switch from their current POF formulation to the next generation conveniently with only a few adjustments to their existing POF production line, while brand owners can adopt the new solution without upgrades or changes to their packaging lines.

We remind, QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil are on track to commence LNG production at their Golden Pass LNG export terminal, situated on the US Gulf Coast near Sabine Pass, Texas, during the first half of 2025. QatarEnergy, a state-owned entity, holds a substantial 70 percent stake in the Golden Pass project, which boasts a capacity exceeding 18 million metric tons per annum (mtpa). Notably, QatarEnergy will offload 70 percent of the terminal's capacity. In parallel, ExxonMobil, a prominent US-based energy firm, possesses a 30 percent share in the venture.

mrchub.com

PetroChina's net profit rose 8.3% last year off record levels in 2022, as strong growth in natural gas sales and its marketing segment offset lower realised oil prices, said Reuters.

PetroChina's net profit amounted to 161.1 billion yuan($22.34 billion) in 2023, versus 148.7 billion in 2022, while revenue fell 7.0% to 3,239 billion yuan, the firm said in a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday.

Operating profit for the natural gas segment more than tripled to 43.0 billion yuan from around 13.0 billion yuan, while operating profit in the marketing segment rose 66.7% on the previous year. The average realised price for crude oil fell by 16.8% compared to 2022 levels.

The national energy giant produced 937.1 million barrels of crude oil last year, or 2.57 million barrels per day, up 3.4% over the previous year (906.2 mln bbl). Natural gas output was up 5.5% at 4,932.4 billion cubic feet (bcf).

Refinery crude throughput rose 15.3% to 1,398.8 million barrels, or 3.83 million barrels per day, reversing the previous year's 1% decline due to a strong recovery in gasoline and aviation fuel demand as China dropped pandemic curbs.

PetroChina recorded a 17.3% increase in domestic sales of gasoline, diesel and kerosene combined, with domestic kerosene sales surging by 82.1% on 2022. The group's chemical new materials output increased 60.0% on last year.
The refining segment "seized the favourable opportunity of market recovery" and "improved the proportion of featured refined products and high-end chemical products," the statement said.

PetroChina forecasts this year's crude oil output to fall by 3% to 909.2 million barrels. Natural gas output is expected to increase by 4% to 5,142.6 bcf. It also aimed for a 0.3% growth in refinery output this year.

We remind, Petrochina Guangxi has entered into a license agreement with Grace to use its Unipol PP technology for its new 400 kilotons per annum single reactor line in China. With this move, Petrochina Guangxi aims to deliver higher value PP products to the local market. Grace has announced the signing of a new license with Petrochina Guangxi to develop a 400-kilotons per annum single reactor line using its Unipol PP technology.

mrchub.com

Dow has formulated a breakthrough option of polyolefin elastomers (POE) based artificial leather - a solution to address the automotive industry’s need to shift towards increasingly animal-free product alternatives to leather, said the company.

The POE alternative leather option has been commercialized by HIUV Materials Technology, a China-based partner and qualified by an electric car manufacturer in their auto seatings application.

Key benefits of Dow’s POE leather option include:

An ultra-soft tactility with better color stability, empowering designers with more flexibility on the choice of color, especially light colors.
Good aging and low temperature resistance, meeting the strict requirements of the automotive industry.
Elimination of hazardous chemicals, plasticizers, and heavy-metals materials.
Low volatile organic compounds (VOC) and odor.
25% to 40% lighter weight than PVC leather due to lower density.
“With Dow’s long-standing expertise in materials science, we are thrilled to bring this high-performance animal-free leather option to market.” said Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president of Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “We look forward to more value-chain collaborations with forward-looking brands to discover new possibilities for our POE leather option in the automotive market and beyond.”

Beyond automotive, this innovative option can be applied in other applications including sporting goods, furniture, and fashion and accessories, fulfilling brand owners’ requirements for a new option that meets the stringent demand for product appearance and customer experience with cost-effective positioning.

For more information about innovative, cutting-edge solutions that keep the world moving, visit MobilityScience™ | Dow Inc.

We remind, Dow Inc. said it plans to build a world-scale carbonate solvents plant on the US Gulf Coast, using captured carbon dioxide from ethylene oxide (EO) production. The plant will serve customers in the lithium-ion battery sector, in which carbonate solvents are used a component in electrolytes.

Dow is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023.

mrchub.com

Dow Inc. said it plans to build a world-scale carbonate solvents plant on the US Gulf Coast, using captured carbon dioxide from ethylene oxide (EO) production, said the company.

The plant will serve customers in the lithium-ion battery sector, in which carbonate solvents are used a component in electrolytes.

The project “is supported by agreements with customers, including leading EV original equipment manufacturers and electrolyte manufacturers,” Dow said. The facility will produce carbonate solvents by capturing over 90% of carbon dioxide emissions from the EO manufacturing process, Dow added.

Dow is also working with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to negotiate an award for the project from the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED).

“The support from the DOE is a critical enabler of this project, localizing the supply of low-carbon value-added products to help enable the clean energy transition while advancing the decarbonization of our own operations,” said Brendy Lange, business vice president/industrial solutions at Dow.

We remind, Dow's project to build a new ethylene and derivatives complex at its site in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, has received local approval due to its focus on carbon-neutral production.

mrchub.com

Eastman announced significant progress towards its leadership in the circular economy, said the company.

Selected by the Department of Energy as one of 33 companies for award negotiations to support Eastman’s second U.S. molecular recycling facility. Eastman’s second U.S. molecular recycling project has been selected by the Department of Energy (DOE) to begin award negotiations for up to USD375 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP). The DOE announcement led to Eastman announcing the intent to build a second U.S. molecular recycling facility at its location in Longview, Texas.

The company selected the Longview site due to synergies with existing infrastructure and operations, favorable energy supply and footprint, and access to western and central U.S. feedstock pools. The location also provides enough space for onsite renewable energy. The investment includes operations that will prepare mixed plastic waste for processing, Eastman’s next-generation molecular recycling unit to depolymerize waste, and a polymer facility to create virgin-quality materials for packaging and textiles. The Longview molecular recycling facility will have the capacity to recycle approximately 110,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste.

The investment is expected to bring over 200 full-time, high-paying jobs to the Longview community in addition to approximately 1,000 temporary construction jobs during site development and building of the facility. Eastman has operated in the Longview community for over 70 years and currently has over 1,500 team members at the location.

“We are excited to build our second U.S. world-scale molecular recycling facility at our existing site in Texas,” said Mark Costa, Board Chair and CEO. “The plant will remove significant waste from the region, enable true circularity and set a new benchmark for decarbonization. We have decades of history successfully operating in Longview, and this will be a great investment for the local community.”

We remind, Eastman has selected Meade-King Robinson & Co. Ltd. (MKR) as the exclusive distributor of Synergex™ multifunctional amine additives in several countries in Western and Eastern Europe. Synergex boosts performance and extends the life of metalworking fluids.

mrchub.com