Plastics remain the best choice to protect a product

(PlasticsToday) -- Paperboard and plastics continue to joust for supremacy as packaging materials for electronic devices and small appliances. A recent plastics development for consumer electronics packaging is the new Sconapor N grades of expandable polystyrene (EPS) being marketed by styrenics supplier Styron.


Styron has been producing EPS under the brand name Sconapor since 1996 at its facility in Schkopau, Germany. These EPS beads were initially developed for thermal and acoustic insulation purposes, but the supplier has optimized them for plastics packaging, with the result this new Sconapor N series, with four grades currently available: N-438, N-338, N-238 and ?N-138A EPS. The four grades have different bead sizes that can translate into different packaging foam densities.


These EPS grades are marketed to processors seeking non-flame-retardant EPS for consumer electronics and appliances packaging. The Schkopau facility is especially convenient for those manufacturers of these devices who have established operations in Central and Eastern Europe.


MRC

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. to expand its PGP fractionation facility

(Plastemart) -- Enterprise Products Partners L.P. plans to expand its polymer grade propylene (PGP) fractionation facility at the partnership's Mont Belvieu, Texas complex, which will add on an annual basis, approximately 7,500 bpd (500 mln lbs) of incremental PGP production. The expansion is expected to be in service in Q1-2013. When completed, the expansion would increase Enterprise's net capacity to produce PGP at its Mont Belvieu facility by more than 10% from 73,000 bpd (approx 4.9 bln lbs pa) to roughly 80,500 bpd (5.4 bln lbs pa).


To produce PGP, which is approximately 99.5 percent pure propylene, Enterprise fractionates refinery grade propylene (RGP), which is approximately 60 percent to 65 percent propylene, with the remainder being propane and butane. PGP is used in the production of plastic consumer products, coatings, pharmaceuticals, detergents and solvents.


MRC

SABIC Innovative Plastics found benefits of Lexan PC glazing

(SABIC) -- At the VDI conference SABIC Innovative Plastics has announced compelling new findings on the benefits of Lexan polycarbonate (PC) glazing. Lexan PC automotive glazing has already established itself as a weight reducing technology that can result in lower fuel consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Now, advanced computer analyses of the thermal insulation benefits of Lexan PC automotive glazing have quantified the material's potential to reduce the load on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems based on the significantly lower thermal conductivity of PC vs. glass. The new findings underscore the value of using Lexan PC glazing to help drive improved efficiency for conventional, hybrid and electric vehicles. The findings come from the research and development team of Exatec, LLC, SABIC Innovative Plastics' dedicated automotive glazing subsidiary.


MRC

Ticona to nearly double manufacturing capacity for its Celstran LFRT

(Automotive Newswire) -- Ticona, the engineering polymers unit of Celanese, Florence, Ky., announced today that it plans to nearly double manufacturing capacity for its Celstran long fiber reinforced thermoplastic (LFRT) at Nanjing, China.


Ticona produces LFRT at the Celanese Nanjing Integrated Chemical Complex that has grown to become the company's largest integrated chemical facility in China.


The LFRT plant came on stream in 2008 with a nameplate capacity of 5ю000 m. tons/yr. and by the end of this year Ticona plans to nearly double that capacity to meet growing demand.


MRC

The value of Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports to China is the highest in 15 months

(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports to China reached 1.75 billion Saudi riyals (USD 467 mln) in March, up 34 percent from a year earlier, according to data posted today on the Department of Statistics and Information's website. The value of non-oil exports to China increased as prices for petrochemicals benefited from high oil prices, as well as the introduction of new products.


China, Singapore and India accounted for one-quarter of Saudi non-oil exports in March, the department's data showed. Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports by value increased by 33 percent to Singapore and by 5.8 percent to India.


Petrochemical exports made up 34 percent of non-oil exports from Saudi Arabia in March, while exports of plastics such as Polyethylene terephthalate comprised 33 percent, the data showed. Polyethylene terephthalate is used to make plastic bottles.


China was the largest importer of Saudi petrochemicals and plastics in 2010 in terms of volume, according to the Department of Statistics and Information. China imported 5.9 million tons of non-oil exports in 2010 from Saudi Arabia, mainly comprised of petrochemicals and plastics.


MRC