Germany's DimeLika Plast to distribute Italian compounds

(Plasteurope) -- As part of its cooperation with Italian compounder Plastigreen, Germany's DimeLika Plast has started distributing the former's compounds in German-speaking Europe. The grades are manufactured by Plastigreen's P&G Specialities division on a specially equipped compounding line. DimeLike Plast says this latest agreement is a ⌠sensible and logical extension of its activities, both with a view to the group's portfolio as well as in relation to the recent cooperation with Italian precision injection moulder Cattini Engineering Plastics.

At the same time, the new agreement also strengthens DimeLika Plast's position as a supplier of sophisticated plastics products. The main focus of Plastigreen's portfolio is on compounds based on linear and branched out PPS. Aside from the usual properties - reinforcement through glassfibre and/or minerals, impact-resistant and coloured products - the Italian player's also offers self-lubricating and low-friction compounds (⌠Lubrix) as well as antistatic (⌠Statix) or conductive (⌠Kondex) products. In addition, the Parabiago-based group also supplies compounds with a combination of properties, including reinforced and impact-modified characteristics, as well as specialty compounds developed and optimised for specific applications.

MRC

(Reuters) - Findings of the second major investigation by the government into the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, may press BP into putting over USD 30 billion on the table to quickly settle its outstanding legal headaches.

The joint Coast Guard and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement probe into the Macondo well blow-out which led to the death of 11 men and the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, put most of the blame on BP.

The report, released on Wednesday, was even more damning of BP's behavior than the Presidential panel's findings, which were issued in January and February. Both reports also highlighted mistakes made by BP's contractors, driller Transocean and cement specialist Halliburton.

The investigations have not left London-based BP eager to face the Department of Justice or civil claimants in court.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Officials at Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. have initiated another major capital upgrade at its location in Greer, South Carolina. The USD 20 mln project will increase capacity as well as provide enhanced capability to produce innovative new products.

⌠The projects at the Greer facility will be completed in late 2012, said Dennis Trice, President and CEO at Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. This project comes on top of the multi-million dollar project announced in 2010 to roll out the Reprocess Sustainable Liner Program; the industry's first closed loop recycling process for silicone coated polyester liners. Mitsubishi has already invested over USD 200 million at its Greer facility over the past 10 years. These new projects continue to reinforce our dedication to the industry.

Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. is an American affiliate of Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. and offers a wide array of polyester films for existing markets such as industrial labels and liners, flexible packaging, and also for many of today's new emerging markets in energy and electronics. Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. has additional polyester film assets in Germany, Japan and Indonesia as well as a new plant under construction in China.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Moldtek Packaging Ltd., leading Indian rigid plastic packaging company, has finalized expansion plans, at an investment outlay of Rs 40 crore (approx USD 9 mln). The plans include two new manufacturing facilities in India by 2012: one in Pune with an initial capacity of 3,000 tpa to be expanded to 4,000 tpa. The second facility is planned in North India with a capacity to produce 2,000 tpa. To finance these projects, the company has no plans to go in for fresh borrowings.


MRC

(MRC) -- In Russia production of polypropylene (PP) decreased by 10% to 52.6 KT in August from the previous month. The total volume of PP production over the eight months made 452 KT, according to MRC ScanPlast.

Scheduled maintenance stops of Tomskneftechem and Ufaorgsyntez capacities, as well as Stavrolen's unscheduled stop in August resulted in decreased PP total output in Russia. On the whole, over the eight months, the total PP production in Russia increased by 10% year on year.

Production growth this year to a large extent has resulted from reduction of maintenance period. Neftekhimia (Kapotnya) and Ufaorgsyntez limited maintenance duration on several days.

Along with the production growth Russian producers expand the range of PP grades. Tomskneftechem (Sibur) is a leader in this field. Over eight months the company released more than 20 new grades of polymer. Tomskneftechem aims to expand its PP range to 69 grades. In August Ufaorgsyntez released a new grade- PP 01370 with high melt flow index. In the current year there were also some changes in the types of PP production. Oversupplies of PP-homo in the Russian market, in particular, raffia, made some Russian producers increase propylene copolymer output. On the back of it propylene copolymer output grew by 38% year on year. The largest increase showed block propylene copolymers production.

Taking into account 2011 data, nearly 20% growth of PP production is expected. Commissioning of new facilities will also contribute to this. In Q4 a new PP production unit is launching in Poliom (Omsk) with 180 KT capacities. The new production is expected to work at full capacity by mid-2012. It is planned to organize several plants nearby to manufacture packaging, utensils, building materials. About 40% of Omsk production PP is going to be exported.

mrcplast.com