China's Zhongjia Huachen to start its EPS unit in Feb 2012

(chemmonitor) -- Zhongjia Huachen Energy Co., Limited (China) schedules its new 120,000 tons/year expandable polystyrene unit start in February 2012.


The facility is located at PingHu, eastern province of Zhejiang, China.The facility construction was accomplish in Nov 2011.

The company intends to start the plant in February as the post-holiday expandable polystyrene (EPS) market demand recovers.


Zhongjia Huachen Energy will purchase feedstock styrene monomer from the local market having no upstream unit of its own.

MRC

Russian EuroChem pays close attention to environmental activities

(eurochem) -- EuroChem, one of the world's top ten agrochemical companies, announced today that the Northwestern Federal District Centre of Laboratory Analysis and Technical Metrology has completed the testing of effluent samples taken at its Phosphorit phosphate plant in Northwest Russia. The results and conclusions of the testing confirm Phosphorit's internal laboratory results and effectively rule out any direct link between the plant's activity and the increases in the phosphorous levels of the Luga River and Baltic Sea.


The tests were performed following the publication of Finnish news reports in January reporting on the possible contamination of the Baltic Sea by industrial wastewater in which EuroChem's Phosphorit plant was mentioned as a potential source of phosphorous contamination. On January 25, in accordance with its environmental accountability policy, EuroChem welcomed delegations of Finnish and Russian environmental organizations, community leaders, as well as Saint Petersburg and Helsinki media outlets at its Phosphorit plant to openly conduct the sampling and testing of surface runoffs.



The conclusions of these tests highlighted the absence of any link between the activity of the Phosphorit facility and the reported increases in phosphorous concentration in the Luga River and Baltic Sea. Representatives of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) in Russia concurred with these findings.

To push the dialogue further, EuroChem has invited representatives of Finnish and Russian environmental agencies and regulatory bodies to the Phosphorit plant on February 7 to develop a program to evaluate and, if necessary, address the region's environmental situation.

Since acquiring the Phosphorit facility in 2002, EuroChem has proceeded with investments of USD 43 million in environmental protection measures in the area. These investments significantly improved the region's environmental indicators with a recorded threefold decline in atmospheric emissions and a reduction in effluent volumes by a factor of 7.5. EuroChem is currently implementing its strategic environmental protection program which runs through 2015 and encompasses the overhaul of the wastewater treatment facility and further measures to reduce industrial discharges to the Luga River Basin.

EuroChem is a top ten agrochemical company globally by nutrient capacity, producing primarily nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, as well as certain organic synthesis products and iron ore.

MRC

INEOS to improve ethylene production capacity

(Fibre2fashion) -- INEOS, the leading petrochemical firm in US, intends to enhance the ethylene production capacity of its Texas based Chocolate Bayou facility by 6.5 percent, next year, Richard
Longden, Group Communications Manager of the company, has said.


The company plans to enhance its ethane cracking capacity and to develop infrastructure facilities associated with the complex. For the purpose, the company has already obtained requisite permits for engineering and construction works.


By end of next year, the project is seen to add an extra 115,000 tons per year (tpy) capacity to the Chocolate Bayou complex's existing capacity.

Presently, the company operates two crackers at Chocolate Bayou, which have a combined capacity of 1.792 million tpy.


Besides its Chocolate Bayou facility, the company also has a high density polyethylene (HDPE) facility at La Porte, Texas, which has a capacity of 950,000 tpy. It also operates another HDPE plant at Cedar Bayou, Texas,in association with Chevron- Phillips Chemical.

Last December, INEOS said it had shortlisted three locations on the US Gulf Coast as preferred locations for its proposed 500,000 tpy ethylene oxide (EO) and derivatives facility. It said it would select a location from Chocolate Bayou, Plaquemine, Louisiana, Battleground and La Porte.


MRC

Axel introduces process aid for modified polymers

(axel) -- Axel Plastics Research Laboratories Inc. has a new proprietary process aid for processing polybutylene terephthalate and PBT resin blends. "Axel's goal has been to offer a process aid additive that will offer improved flow of PBT and PBT resin blends," notes Axel product manager Nancy Teufel in a news release.


"We now have that with MoldWiz INT-35PHT, which allows more flexibility in the incorporation of filler types and loading levels, as well as an easier cavity fill and release performance for those same resins."
Tests on a polycarbonate/PBT blend show the product can decrease resin viscosity, reduce fluctuations in torque and boost output by as much as 100 percent, the Woodside, N.Y., firm claims. Tests were done at loading levels of 0.3 to 1 percent and showed no sacrifice in physical properties of molded parts.


MoldWiz INT-35PHT, a blend of modified polymers, organic fatty amides and glycerides, is a free-flowing powder or 100 percent active pellet.


MRC

Mitsui Chemicals to enhance PP capacity in Thailand

(chemmonitor) -- The Japan-headquartered maker Mitsui Chemicals decided to enhance polypropylene production at its Thailand site. The capacity will be increased by 18,000 tonnes per year. It will move up to 0.14 million tonnes per year. The firm is to construct a new line for this purpose.

The line will initiate activity in July-September of the existing year. The rise is targeted to satisfying the demand from a downstream automotive materials sector. The company will build a new storage unit, as well.

The Mitsui Chemicals Group has targeted intensification and expansion of polypropylene production in seven major world markets (Japan, United States, Mexico, Europe, Thailand, China, and India). The production augmentation in the Thailand will reinforce the Company's already world top class production capability for automotive material use polypropylene.


MRC