Bayer to build facility for eco-friendly chlorine production

April 1 (Bayer MaterialScience) -- Bayer MaterialScience has signed a contract with plant engineering company Uhde to build a new plant for chlorine production based on common salt. The plant, which will have an annual capacity of 20,000 metric tons and be built at Chempark Krefeld-Uerdingen in Germany, is scheduled to start operating in the first half of 2011.

It will be the first time that chlorine has been produced on an industrial scale using the innovative oxygen depolarized cathode specially developed by Bayer MaterialScience in electrolysis cells from UHDENORA. Electricity consumption will be up to 30 percent lower than in standard membrane technology, resulting in an indirect reduction of up to 10,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.

Bayer MaterialScience and Uhde initiated the project in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University, Clausthal University of Technology and Dortmund University. Funding has been obtained from the BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) under the FONA (Research for Sustainability) program. FONA supports initiatives for improved energy efficiency and higher raw material productivity. The projects receiving funding actively help counter the impact of climate change.

MRC

MRC Reference

The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PS - 0.7% (ABS - 7.2%).

Annual sales growth in Russia over the last 5 years:
PS - (-10%).

Polymers processing technologies:
injection molding.


Calculated HDPE consumption in Russia has increased on 11%

MOSCOW (MRC) - Calculated HDPE consumption in Russia in January - February 2010 has increased on 11% (to 122,85 KT) in comparing with the similar month last year - this is reported in MRC's Monthly report.

In February on Russian HDPE market low level of purchase activity was observed. As a result, material supply surplus was marked almost in all the kinds of HDPE. The production of polymer has increased on 13% in present year.

Kazanorgsyntez has essentially increased its production (on 14%). At the end of March Salavatnefteorgsyntez launched HDPE production. Material production of moulded grade SNOLEN НС7260 formed about 200 T.

The demand for pipe-grade HDPE stayed low. In February import supplies into this sector formed 3,32 KT. Energization of purchase activity in this sector should be expected no earlier than at the beginning of April. At the same time some companies started to increase imports of pipe-grade material from Asia in February already. So, pipe-grade HDPE supplies from South Korea have increased on 48% in comparing with January.

MRC

More information about PE market is presented in company's Monthly reports.

BASF to raise prices for styrenic copolymers in Europe

April 1 (BASF) -- BASF will be raising prices for different plastics in its styrenic copolymer product range in Europe and in all regions supplied from Europe, effective April 1, 2010, or as contracts allow. The price increases amount to 200 Euro per metric ton for Terluran (ABS), 175 Euro per metric ton for Styrolux (SBC) and 150 Euro per metric ton for Luran (SAN). This measure is due to the significant rise in the cost of all relevant raw materials.

MRCMRC Reference

BASF. The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PS - 9.1% (GPPS - 5.9%, ABS - 11.4%, EPS - 10.6%).

Annual sales growth in Russia over the 5 years:
PS - 15%.

Imports by polymers processing technologies:
foaming;
injection molding.

Shanghai Petrochemical to produce 950,000 tonnes of ethylene in 2010

April 1 (yarnsandfibers) -- Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited, said Tuesday that its ethylene output is to reach 950,000 tonnes in 2010, but the company did not give details of its ethylene production in 2009.

The company said its capital expenses would touch 2 billion yuan in 2010, compared with 2.1 billion yuan in 2009. Shanghai Petrochemical announced its 2009 annual report during the weekend that its net profit hit 1.591 billion yuan in the past year, down 74.5 percent year on year according to international accounting standards.

The company's crude oil throughput reached 8.758 million tonnes in 2009, down 5.20 percent over the previous year, while product oil (gasoline, diesel and kerosene) output declined 11.16 percent year on year. Shanghai Petrochemical is a flagship petrochemical muscle of Sinopec, China's largest oil refiner.

MRC


SABIC develops advanced PP catalyst

April 1 (adsalecprj) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), the world's sixth largest petrochemical company, has developed a more advanced technology for the manufacture of polypropylene. This is a fourth generation catalyst which can be used in several vital applications, the most important of which are packaging, carpets, piping, and automotive parts.

This catalyst is a technological breakthrough, being the first of its kind developed in the Gulf and Middle East. Experiments conducted by SABIC at its plants Saudi Arabia and Europe confirm the catalyst's ability to provide impressive results, making it superior to other catalysts currently used in the same area. This discovery will contribute to increased productivity, enhanced quality and new product development. It opens many windows for possible future application.

The new catalyst has been applied commercially in the SABIC affiliate, Saudi European Petrochemical Company (IBN ZAHR), and has demonstrated superiority over the previously used catalyst. By using the catalyst, production reached nearly 30,000 tons of polypropylene as at end of March 2010. This quantity was sold to local and international markets.

MRC

MRC Reference

Sabic. The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PE - 0.2%;
PP - 0.4%;
PS - 0.2%.

Annual sales growth in Russia over the last 5 years:
PE - 33%;
PP - 62%.