Dow officially opened polyolefin elastomers plant in Thailand

(Dow) -- The Dow Chemical Company announced today that its new world-scale specialty elastomers plant in Thailand is targeted to begin commercial operation on June 1, 2011, after a successful startup. A project of the SCG-Dow joint venture, the new manufacturing operation will add dedicated capacity to meet growing worldwide customer demand for a full range of elastomer products.


With this new plant Dow continues to offer solutions that create value for our customers while taking full advantage of current and future growth. A global leader in elastomers innovation, Dow is committed to offering the most technologically advanced plastomers and elastomers in the world.


The opening of the plant in Rayong Province, Thailand, is further illustration of Dow's investment in downstream performance businesses. The facility will increase Dow's global capacity for polyolefin elastomers to over 800 kilometric tons, or nearly 2 billion pounds.


Dow Elastomers produces a wide range of high-quality flexible plastics and adhesives. ENGAGE Polyolefin Elastomers offer a distinct combination of flexibility and toughness, making them a material of choice for a wide variety of applications, including automotive thermoplastic applications.


MRC

SABIC expanded industry's broadest polycarbonate portfolio

(SABIC) -- At Chinaplas 2011 the Innovative Plastics strategic business unit of SABIC today announced the addition of SABIC PC resin to its already expansive polycarbonate (PC) offering, reaffirming the company's polycarbonate industry leadership. The new transparent PC resin features the same outstanding product quality that customers have come to expect from Innovative Plastics and is targeted for high-volume extrusion, custom compounding, general purpose and optical-quality applications. The material is manufactured at SABIC's Saudi Kayan PC facility in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia and will be used to supply the fast growing Asia market, as well as the Middle East and Europe. This new product will enable Innovative Plastics to provide customers with the broader range of PC resins they require for steady business growth and expansion.


MRC

Lanxess renamed its Basic chemicals business unit

(Lanxess) -- The Lanxess specialty chemicals company has given its Basic Chemicals business unit a new name: Advanced Industrial Intermediates (AII). The new name establishes a direct link to the product portfolio, which includes advanced intermediates for numerous branches of industry, and it emphasizes the unit's applied know-how in manufacturing and supply. Furthermore, the name underlines the business unit's association with the LANXESS Advanced Intermediates segment, which generated sales of over EUR 1.3 billion in fiscal 2010.


MRC

Bayer presents its Sustainable Development Report for 2010

(Bayer) -- Bayer is presenting its Sustainable Development Report for 2010 and strengthening its commitment to sustainability. Over 72 pages, the newly published report documents the progress made in the key areas of climate protection, health care provision and nutrition for a growing world population and further achievements made by the Group in the field of sustainability.


Bayer is looking to cut specific greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2020 compared to 2005. The energy-intensive subgroup Bayer MaterialScience will be making a particularly significant contribution to achieving this goal, increasing its reduction target from 25 to 40%.


Innovations are the key to success for Bayer as an inventor company. The commitment to innovation is underpinned by the planned investment in the future, with Bayer looking to invest EUR 15 billion in research and development and capital expenditures by 2013.


MRC

EU group unveils sustainability proposals

(ICIS) -- Members of an EU research group have unveiled new proposals for partnerships between Europe's chemicals industry and the public sector that promote sustainability, the group said on Tuesday.


Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem), a group of stakeholders in the chemicals industry founded by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and EuropaBio, unveiled the proposals at a meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.


The partnerships are designed to bring together both private and public actors at the EU, national and regional levels to tackle such challenges as climate change and energy security.


The first partnership proposal, ⌠resource efficiency, aims to use a demonstration plant to find ways of reducing C02 emissions by 50% and increasing the use of renewable feedstocks by 20% beyond 2020.


The second proposal, ⌠water-efficient Europe, would reduce competition between the public and private sectors for scarce water resources.


The third proposal, ⌠smart cities, would improve energy conservation and the renovation of urban housing stock, said SusChem officials.


The final proposal, ⌠raw materials for a modern society, would research new materials and methods for improving recycling to tackle the scarcity of resources.


MRC