Heliodyne chose insulating Basotect parts from BASF

(BASF) -- BASF's Basotect melamine foam is in use for insulating the Gobi line of solar flat plate collectors by Heliodyne, Richmond, California, one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of solar collectors in the US. The Gobi line is Heliodyne's flagship product that has continuously been refined and optimized for over 30 years.


Heliodyne chose insulating Basotect parts, custom cut by the thermal and acoustic composite manufacturer Polymer Technologies of Newark, Delaware, over other foam materials as the insulation to line the back and the sides of their collectors. The BASF foam shows excellent insulation capabilities as well as long-term, high temperature resistance.


Because the foam is lightweight, flexible and free of fibers, it is easier to store and assemble than other insulation materials. While other materials may off-gas at higher temperatures, Basotect releases practically no substances that could fog the gas and block solar radiation. The BASF material can also be easily shaped. Polymer Technologies is able to manufacture parts that are customized to fit perfectly during assembly.


MRC

(PlasticsToday) -- One of Asia's leading suppliers of polyethylene and petrochemicals, Thailand's PTT Chemical, is investing $150 million in NatureWorks, the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based supplier of the Ingeo brand of polylactic acid-based bioplastics. NatureWorks has been actively searching for a site in Asia for a new facility and now also announced that Thailand is the preferred location for its next Ingeo manufacturing facility. Steve Davies, global director for marketing and public relations at NatureWorks, told PlasticsToday that when the deal finalizes, PTT Chemical will hold a 50% stake in the company, splitting ownership with agricultural giant, Cargill.

MRC

(ICIS) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday it has cut its growth forecasts for Asia on the back of deteriorating financial conditions in the eurozone and a possible slowdown in the US. ⌠Risks for the Asia and Pacific region are decidedly tilted to the downside, the IMF said in a report, adding that an escalation of the debt crisis in the eurozone and a more severe slowdown in the US will have clear macroeconomic and financial spillovers to Asia.

The economic growth in Asia has moderated since the second quarter of 2011, mainly because of a weakening of external demand, according to the IMF.

Asia's economic growth is based on exports to Europe and the US. Any slowdown in the buying activities of the two continents results in lower exports.

Growth in Asia is forecast to average at 6.3% in 2011 and rise to 6.7% in 2012, according to the IMF. However, this is lower than the April 2011 IMF forecast of about 7% for both years.
While domestic demand remains strong, Asia has ⌠clearly not decoupled from advanced economies, the IMF said.

However, a pullback in demand from Europe and the US could help control runaway commodity prices such as oil and essential food items, said Song Seng Wun, regional research head at Malaysian stock broking firm CIMB-GK Securities.


MRC

(DSM) -- DSM Engineering Plastics and RESINEX have entered into a distribution agreement, to join forces in the market development and sales of DSM Engineering Plastics resins in Switzerland.

The move, which is effective from 1 October 2011, is designed to strengthen the position of DSM Engineering Plastics in the Swiss marketplace, where DSM already has an ongoing partnership with Ter Hell. As such, this move is in line with DSM's strategy to deliver value for existing and new customers world-wide.

According to Anna Mojana, Distribution Manager, DSM Engineering Plastics, this joint approach will facilitate further growth of DSM Engineering Plastics in the key Swiss marketplace: ⌠This agreement will make DSM's range of world class products more easily available throughout Switzerland, using the RESINEX well-established distribution network. All products will be fully supported by DSM's outstanding technical support and application development programs, where necessary.

MRC

(PlasticsToday) -- Japan's DIC Corp. (Tokyo, Japan) is targeting a full-fledged entry into the European market for polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins through the start-up of a compounding operation in Vienna, Austria by early 2013. In order to establish a presence in the European market prior to this., DIC acquired the PPS compounding business of Solvay in September this year.

The 14 million Euro ($18.7 million) Vienna plant will have an initial capacity of 6,000 tonnes/year, expandable to 10,000 tonnes/year. A key focus for its output will be metal substitution in the automotive sector.

DIC pegs the European market for PPS at 15,000 tonnes annually, or about half that of the Japanese market. It forecasts the European market to grow at 6-8% per annum in coming years and the company wants to capture a 20% share . DIC estimated global demand for PPS compounds for the year ended March 2011 at 73,000 tonnes while globally, the market is growing at 8% per annum.

DIC's European initiative is the latest in a series of investments to consolidate its position as the world's leading supplier of PPS compounds.

MRC