SABIC presents new multi-resin

(Sabic) -- SABIC Innovative Plastics' expansive portfolio of high-performance, lightweight resins is helping airline industry customers soar. The company's ability to provide "one-stop shopping" enabled LSG Sky Chefs and Norduyn to create a new line of ultra-light in-flight trolleys that can help reduce aircraft fuel consumption and emissions. LSG Sky Chefs is the world's largest provider of in-flight services. Norduyn is a designer and manufacturer of innovative galley and cabin product solutions for commercial aviation.

The trolleys, launched at the Aircraft Interiors Expo held from May 18 to 20 in Hamburg, Germany, will be on display at SABIC Innovative Plastics' stand and also at Norduyn's and LSG Sky Chefs' stands - feature UV-resistant Ultem resin for the extrusion profiles and door latch, and tough Noryl resin for the frame and other components.

Jointly designed by LSG Sky Chefs and Norduyn, the new full- and half-size trolleys utilize Noryl resin in the frame and critical components to replace metal, thereby slashing weight by up to 40% and reducing the number of parts by a third. This high-tech engineered plastic also provides outstanding non-halogenated flame retardance and enhanced safety with industry-leading flame/smoke/toxicity (FST) performance meeting Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 25.853 requirements. Noryl resin was also selected for its good hydrostability and low density and for its proven track record in a wide and growing range of important aircraft applications.

MRCMRC 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%.

(Plasteurope) -- French chemical producer Arkema said it was ⌠pleased with the performance of its Industrial Chemicals and Performance Polymer business segments in the first quarter of 2010. The two segments, which together account for 80% of sales, each generated an EBITDA margin of 14.5%. The Vinyls segment continued to lag behind, with a negative margin of 3%. Altogether, turnover of the French company rose by nearly 20% to EUR 1.3 bn, although volumes were still below pre-crisis levels. EBITDA more than doubled to EUR 137m from EUR 57m.

Sales of Performance Products, including PA and PDVF, rose by 15% to EUR 372m. This was thanks largely to a rebound in volumes on the back of increased demand from the automotive sector and the Asian market. Arkema pointed also to a ⌠growing contribution of products targeting new industries, including solar photovoltaics. The segment's EBITDA more than tripled to EUR 54m from EUR 17m, as unit margins held up well against higher raw materials costs.

By contrast, sales of the Vinyls segment rose by 5.4% to EUR 271m. The EBITDA loss widened to EUR 8m from EUR 2m a year earlier, but the company noted that this was an improvement against the fourth quarter of 2009, when the loss stood at EUR 18m. The negative price effect ⌠corresponds essentially to the halving of caustic soda prices against the 2009 quarter, Arkema added.

Industrial Chemicals including PMMA increased its sales by 30% to EUR 661m, with nearly half the improvement due to consolidation of acrylics assets acquired from Dow Chemical. EBITDA improved by nearly 32% to EUR 96m, and unit margins for acrylic acid solidified against Q4 2009 despite higher propylene costs.

MRCMRC Reference

Arkema.

The share in the Russian market in 2008:

PVC - 0.2%;

EVA - 1.1%.

Annual sales growth in Russia, during the recent 5 years:

PVC - 69%;

PE - 121%.

Imports by polymers processing technologies:

coating;

cable extrusion.

(Polimerica) -- The group, headquartered in Qatar, has informed the Italian government that it is no longer interested in the purchase of Vinyls Italia, a major PVC manufacturer under bankruptcy proceedings. This nullifies months of negotiations and a "quasi-agreement" reached just days ago in Rome with ENI, the petrochemical group, top management.

One step from signature, after months of negotiations with the ENI group to purchase the plants in the chlorine-soda supply chain along with Vinyls Italia CVM and PVC, in a letter to the Ministry of Economic Development, Ramco stated to be no longer interested in the operation, referring the presumed difficulties encountered during negotiations.

Failure of the negotiations appears to be due to a lack of agreement on the purchase price of the Vinyls Italia business (yet expressly listed in the tender) and the salt works held by the ENI group, as well as to the lack of authorization for a quay within the Porto Marghera petrochemical industrial park.

MRC

OTTAWA (Marketwire) -- The Competition Bureau announced today that Solvay Chemicals Inc. has been fined $2.5 million by the Federal Court after the company pleaded guilty to criminal charges for fixing the price of hydrogen peroxide sold in Canada.

The Bureau's investigation revealed that Solvay Chemicals Inc. conspired with competitors to fix the price of hydrogen peroxide in Canada between July 1998 and December 1999. Solvay's total sales of hydrogen peroxide in Canada during this time period were approximately $15 million. Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical oxidant and bleaching agent used mostly in the pulp and paper industry. It is also used in the environmental, chemical, textile and food processing industries.

"Price-fixing is a crime that deprives consumers and businesses of lower prices and product choice,"said Melanie Aitken, Commissioner of Competition. "Eliminating illegal cartels continues to be a top priority for the Bureau."

MRC

(plastemart) -- Saudi Arabia-based Al-Waha Petrochemical Co's 450,000 tpa polypropylene (PP) unit was taken offline this week owing to a technical issue at the Al Jubail site. The facility had only recently come back on stream following scheduled maintenance. Cause of the shutdown is unknown.

MRC