Borealis PP aids BMW's low weight dashboard innovation

(Borealis) -- Borealis' Nepol≥ GB215HP, a tailor-made long glass fibre polypropylene (LGF-PP), is the material success behind BMW's development of up to 20% lighter, single material dashboard carrier solution for its latest 7 Series models. The lightweight carrier supports BMW's drive to simplify production and lower costs while improving its vehicles' fuel efficiency and environmentally-friendly profile.

Nepol GB215HP from Borealis, one of leading providers of chemical and innovative plastic solutions, is the only LGF-PP compatible with BMW's automated integral foam injection technology, known as SGI. SGI enables BMW to produce lightweight parts which exhibit the same performance profile as compact material and heavier parts.

BMW's choice of Borealis' 20% LGF-PP grade to replace its previous two-component dashboard construction has secured a number of advantages in addition to weight reduction.

MRCMRC Reference

Borealis. The share in the Russian market in 2008:

polyethylene - 4.1% (including HDPE - 4.7%, LLDPE в─⌠ 8.7%);
polypropylene в─⌠ 3.2% (PP-impact - 7.5%).

Annual sales growth in Russia over the last 5 years:
polyethylene - 11%;
polypropylene в─⌠ 6%.

Leader in polymers processing technologies:
extrusion coating;
cable extrusion;
injection molding.


Conoco withdraws from a 400,000 bpd Saudi refinery project due to reduced downstream

(plastemart) -- USA's third largest oil company ConocoPhillips has pulled out of a new plant with Saudi Aramco in the Middle East. The chief reason behind the withdrawal is its strategy to reduce its refinery operations on demand erosion by the global economic slowdown. The two partners had plans to build a 400,000 bpd refinery in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. Yanbu accounts for just under a quarter of Saudi plans to add around 1.7 mln bpd refining capacity, as per Reuters. Conoco, like other major oil refiners, has seen profits shrink at its plants producing gasoline and diesel fuel from crude oil. The US oil major decided that the project was not consistent with its current strategy to reduce downstream footprint. Conoco sold its stake in a Canadian oil sands project to Sinopec for US$4.65 bln as part of its program to sell US$10 bln in assets to help reduce its heavy debt burden. Since Conoco is looking to make upstream 85% of its business, they will benefit from the cancelled project. Aramco plans to go ahead with the plant despite Conoco's withdrawal.

mrcpalst.com


Lackluster demand keeps PVC prices down in Asia

(Plastemart) -- PVC deals are settling with rollovers to slight decreases in Asia when compared with the previous month despite higher ethylene feedstock costs and firmer prices in China's domestic PVC market, as per Chemorbis. Players pointed to relatively weak demand as the main factor weighing down on prices, with many sellers complaining of not being able to sell their normal monthly allocations this month.


In China, May offers for mainstream Asian origins and for American cargoes were announced last week with rollovers from sellers' initial April offer levels and slight increases from the April done deal level. Sellers attributed their stable pricing strategies to poor demand, with many adding that they were not able to sell their normal monthly quantities in China for April. This week, a major Taiwanese producer reported to have concluded deals for around 10,000 tons of material for May at prices stable to US$20/ton lower than their initial offers for the month. The producer is still negotiating with some of their customers looking for larger discounts. The domestic PVC market has gained some ground over the past week in China, with prices rising around CNY50-100/ton (US$7-15/ton) and sellers reporting that they are seeing better demand from downstream buyers these days. However, some of this pick up in demand for domestic cargoes could be the result of import substitution, as the prevailing import prices carry premiums of around US$150/ton when compared with the current domestic prices after customs and anti-dumping duties are taken into consideration.

In Southeast Asia, May import offers have yet to be announced as players in Thailand have only returned to the market following last week's New Year holidays. Thai producers had concluded their April business prior to the holidays at prices US$15-30/ton below their March done deal levels, as producers were willing to accept relatively lower prices in April to be able to conclude their monthly business prior to the holidays. The week-long holiday period in Thailand has also resulted in slower than normal PVC consumption in the region. In local markets, April business is settling with rollovers to slight decreases from the March done deal levels. In Thailand, producers reported concluding their April business at prices THB1000-1500/ton (US$31-47/ton) lower than their March done deal levels, with sellers commenting that they were willing to give more discounts than usual for April as the mid-April holidays resulted in a shorter trading month. Producers in Indonesia and Vietnam reported settling their April business with discounts of US$20-40/ton from their March done deal levels, with producers in these countries complaining of comparatively slow domestic demand and weaker demand from export markets in the Mediterranean owing to higher freight costs. In Malaysia, the done deal levels reported in the past two weeks stand around MYR70-150/ton (US$22-47/ton) lower than the early April offers announced in the country, with some converters in the country commenting that their PVC consumption is down around 20% for the month of April.

MRC

Sasol to augment ethylene production by 48,000 tons

(plastemart) -- Sasol's board of directors has approved construction of a R1.9 bln ethylene purification unit at its Sasol Polymers plant to come on stream by mid-2013. The company will augment ethylene production by about 48,000 tons by 2015. The ethylene would be used in the manufacturing of polyethylene that is currently imported into the country.

MRC

High-Purity Elastomers from Teknor Speed Regulatory Compliance of Speech Therapy Devices

(omnexus) -- LUGOFF, SC, USA -- A supplier of tools to aid in speech therapy has switched from conventional thermoplastic elastomers to Medalist╝ medical elastomers from Teknor Apex Company, citing advantages in compound selection, blending, molding, and resistance to chewing and other rugged treatment.

ARK Therapeutic Services, Inc is a company that designs, manufactures, and distributes speech and occupational therapy tools and other healthcare products. Many of its devices are for use only by professional therapists or trained caregivers to help correct sensory oral motor problems by stimulating muscles that correlate with specific movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, etc. ARK Therapeutic Services now uses Medalist elastomers for the soft tips of oral probes, a complete line of chew tools, and the Z-Vibe╝ vibratory tool. Non-speech applications of Medalist elastomers include lids for the Sip-Tip╝ liquid feeding cup and the E-Z Eye Med╝ dispenser for eye medicine.

MRC