SABIC latest polypropylenes to run on high performance injection moulding processes

(Sabic) -- Visitors to this year's Fakuma plastics exhibition will have an opportunity to see several of SABIC's latest polypropylenes running on different injection moulding machines of its machine manufacturing partners, producing thin-walled packaging and medical components. The grades presented at Fakuma are supplied on a global scale from our facilities in Europe, Saudi Arabia and Asia.


SABIC's new grade for thin-wall injection moulded packaging, SABIC PP Flowpact FPC 100, will have its public premier at the show. Stork Plastics Machinery B.V., the Dutch specialist in high-speed injection moulding machines, will use it to make margarine tubs with 0.45-mm wall thicknesses in a four-cavity mould installed on a Stork E 2500-850 full-electric machine with a 2500-kN electric clamp unit.


KrausMaffei will be running SABIC QR673K, part of the SABIC PP Qrystal grade family, at their stand. The material has state-of-the-art part aesthetics and a broad processing window which enables lower processing temperatures, thus reducing energy consumption and cycle times.


SABIC PP Flowpact FPC 100 will also be used by ARBURG GmbH + Co KG, to make in-mould labelled 1.2-litre pails. A two-cavity mould will be running on an Arburg Allrounder 720 H with a clamp force of 3200 kN.


MRC

Sahara Petrochemicals Company signed a bridge loan agreement with Riyad Bank

(Arabian oil and gas) -- Sahara Petrochemicals Company has signed a bridge loan agreement with Riyad Bank with the value up to $267m, te company said in a statement. ⌠This value will be used to finance the new projects that are currently under implementation, and future projects of the company, the company said in a statement.


The company said that it will repay this loan to Riyad Bank after completion of the company's capital increase/Rights Issue and from the future earnings of the Company with maximum period of 12 months.


The company has recently signed MoU with Chemanol for new Neopentyl glycol (NPG) project. According to the MoU, Chemanol will provide formaldehyde, the necessary feedstock for this product. SAHARA also signed a heads of agreements with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and Sojitz Corporation from Japan to provide the necessary technology to develop and build the NPG plant, with a total cost of $125.3m.


Sahara Petrochemicals produces mainly polypropylene and polyethylene through its subsidiaries Al Waha and Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene Company.


MRC

In China demand for prilled and powdered polypropylene has been slowing

(ICIS) -- China's demand for prilled and powdered polypropylene (PP) has been slowing, with the full-year import volumes of the polymer expected to fall while its domestic production will have a moderate increase, industry sources said on Tuesday.


Consumption of the material from downstream industries weakened significantly amid a domestic credit crunch, as China continues with its monetary tightening policy to tame inflation, they said.
China's demand for PP resins is estimated to grow by 5.7% this year to 16m tonnes, just about a third of the 15.6% growth recorded last year, according to Chemease, an ICIS service in China.
The country consumed 15.2m tonnes of PP in 2010, of which 4.8m tonnes or about 32% were imported, data from Chemease showed. This year, Chemease expects China to take in 3% less PP from abroad at 4.66m tonnes.


Meanwhile, China's PP output is estimated to rise by 10% to 11.4m tonnes this year, slowing from a 28% increase in output last year at 10.3m tonnes, according to Chemease. Of the total PP output in 2010, China exported 940,000 tonnes, the data showed.


MRC

Sabic announced financial results for the third quarter of 2011

(Arabian oil and gas) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) announced on October 17, 2011 at a press conference held at its headquarters in Riyadh, its financial results for the third quarter of 2011. SABIC achieved US$2.186 billion (8.2 billion Saudi Riyals) in net profit for the 3Q2011. These are another record result in the history of the company, for this quarter ended on 30 September, 2011. The company's nine month profit jumped 52% year on year, reaching $6.39bn compared to $4.29bn during the same period 2010.


During the press conference, Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, emphasized that SABIC has achieved positive results in the third quarter and maintained its pace of growth based on the reliability of its performance and sound operations. This has been achieved thanks to the efforts of SABIC employees and recent programs that have transformed SABIC into an integrated global company.


Al-Mady also attributed the positive results to increased production and sales, as well as to the reduced cost of funding. He also gave credit to the diversity of SABIC's markets, and its strong presence in global production hubs, especially in the markets of developing economies such as China, India and Saudi Arabia. In these markets, it has maintained its competitive position and continued to succeed and grow.


MRC

Ultradur High Gloss B4570 is one of new engineering resins from BASF

(BASF) -- The new Ultradur High Gloss B4570 is one of the numerous new engineering resins from BASF making their appearance at the trade fair FAKUMA 2011 being held in October in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Compared to existing polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) grades: for headlight bezels, this material offers not only high gloss. It is specifically characterized by its extremely low outgassing at temperatures up to 160╟C over an extended period of time. Like related resins in the Ultradur family, the new material can be metallized without difficulty and is immediately available in Europe and Asia.


When standard PBT grades that outgas at high temperatures are used for reflectors or bezels of especially hot headlights, fogging of the lens may result and reduce the light output of the headlight. On the one hand, automobile headlights have now become design elements with complex aesthetic forms. At the same time, the space in which the headlight must fit has become smaller. Both effects can lead to rising temperatures, which cause outgassing of the bezel material. The substances released during outgassing condense on the clear headlight lens and cause fogging. With the new Ultradur High Gloss, hardly any outgassing can be detected even at very high temperatures.


The material expands the PBT product line for headlights from BASF, which to date consisted of Ultradur B4520 for standard applications, Ultradur B4560 with optimized release characteristics and Ultradur S4090 with especially good flow properties and a minimal tendency to warp.

MRC