Bayer CO2 project is among best ideas for the future

(plastech) -- A Bayer project for using the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as a component for plastics is among Germany's most promising ideas for the future.

The ⌠Dream Production research initiative is one of the award winners in this year's ⌠365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas competition. A pilot plant at Bayer's Leverkusen site is one of the ⌠Selected Landmarks 2012. The CO2 supplied by the power generation industry is to be used for the production of high-quality foams, replacing a portion of the petroleum usually used as a raw material.


Each year this competition under the patronage of the German President honors 365 ideas and projects that make a sustainable contribution to Germany's future viability. It has been held each year since 2006 and is sponsored in part by the ⌠Germany - Land of Ideas initiative. The winners chosen by a panel representing science, industry, politics and the media are considered ⌠indicators of Germany's strong culture of innovation and a reflection of important future trends.

This year there were more than 2,000 applications for the award, which is presented in six categories. Dream Production won in the category Science.

The pilot plant at Chempark Leverkusen has been using CO2 from an RWE lignite-fired power plant in Niederau?em outside of Cologne to produce a chemical used for the production of the high-grade plastic polyurethane. Industrial production of the CO2-based precursor is scheduled to begin in 2015. Polyurethane is used in many areas of our daily lives, including for mattresses, furniture, automotive components and to insulate buildings and refrigerators.
MRC

New phenolic resin production site to open in Nanjing

(siigroup) -- SI Group (Schenectady, NY) announces that it will invest USD30 million to build an additional phenolic resin manufacturing site in the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park, NCIP. The new site will have an initial capacity of 30,000 mt/year and the potential for expansion to reach 70,000 mt/year.

The facility is set to commence operation in May 2013, and will produce phenolic resins in lump, pastille, liquid, and powder forms to serve the rubber, abrasive, friction, impregnation, and refractory markets. This particular location was selected taking into account SI Group customer needs and business processes. Nanjing Chemical Industry Park provides world class infrastructure, a skilled workforce, outstanding logistics and access to raw materials.

Recently the company announced the opening of a state of the art modern rubber and industrial phenolic resin application laboratory at its Songjiang plant. The overall investments in this modern lab total an approximate USD1,5 million.

The facility stands as the global standard for research and development of resin products and further enhances SI Group's position as an industry technology and innovation leader. Also at its Songjiang location, SI Group invested USD3 million for a cutting-edge waste water treatment plant. The construction of the new resin facility in Nanjing and the company's plan to further expand resin production capacity in 2012 are in step with SI Group's accelerating growth strategy for the China market.

SI Group is a family-owned company founded in 1906 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York. A leading global developer and manufacturer of phenolic resins, alkylphenolic resins, alkylated phenols and other chemical intermediates, SI Group operates 20 facilities in 12 countries around the world.

MRC

Sinopec hikes ex-works butadiene prices for second time in 3 days

(chemnet) -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corp or Sinopec has raised its ex-works prices for butadiene for the second time this week, this time by 8% in the eastern, northern and southern provinces.

Its subsidiaries in East China, Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical and Zhenhai Refining & Chemical, are now offering butadiene at Yuan 27,000/mt, or about USD 3,590/mt on an import parity basis, up Yuan 2,000/mt, or 8% from Yuan 25,000/mt on Tuesday.

In South China, Guangzhou Petrochemical and Maoming Petrochemical are selling butadiene at Yuan 27,500/mt, up Yuan 2,000/mt or nearly 8% from Yuan 25,500/mt on Monday.

In North China, Sinopec Sabic Tianjin is also selling butadiene at Yuan 27,500/mt, up Yuan 2,000/mt from Yuan 25,500/mt on Monday.

Sinopec on Tuesday had raised its ex-works prices for butadiene in East China by more than 6%, and on Monday raised its prices in South and North China by Yuan 1,500/mt to Yuan 25,500/mt.

Butadiene supply is tight in China, an end-user said, and looming turnarounds at domestic and overseas plants are expected to further restrict supply.

Sinopec Maoming's No. 1 facility plans to shut its naphtha-fed steam cracker in southwestern Guangdong province February 13-25. The cracker can make 380,000 mt/year of ethylene and supplies crude C4 feedstock to a 50,000 mt/year butadiene extraction unit, which will operate at an undisclosed reduced rate due to the shutdown.

In South Korea, Honam Petrochemical plans to shut its naphtha-fed steam cracker at Yeosu March 1-April 15 for 45 days. Honam's cracker supplies crude C-4 feedstock to a 130,000 mt/year butadiene plant, which will also be shut.

Also in South Korea, YNCC's No. 2 naphtha-fed steam cracker at Yeosu will be shut for an estimated 30 days from March 20. The cracker supplies feedstock to a 220,000 mt/year butadiene plant at Yeosu that is owned by YNCC.


MRC

China: new caprolactam project set to go on stream in 2015

(chemmonitor) -- Financial Bureau of Liaocheng provided a subsidy for the China-based company Luxi Chemical Group for the caprolactam (capro) project. The subsidy totals CNY 68.8 (USD 11) million.


The project will be located in Shandong province and will be able to produce 200,000 tonnes of capro annually.

Shandong Liaocheng Luxi Chemical Sale Co., Ltd., a large-scale state-owned chemical group, is located in Liaocheng City. Group has 11 subsidiary companies, with assets of RMB6.49 billion, more than 11,000 employees, and annual turnover over RMB 10 billion. The annual output is synthetic ammonia 1 million tons, methanol 400,000 tonnes, urea 1.6 million tonnes, compound fertilizer 2 million tons, DAP 200,000 tons, sulphuric acid 1 million tons, hydrochloric acid 250,000 tonnes, caustic soda 300,000 tonnes, liquified chlorine 80,000 tonnes, and benzyl chloride 100,000 tonnes.

MRC

LyondellBasell to expand BD capacity in Wesseling, Germany

(chemmonitor) -- A capacity expansion project will be commenced by LyondellBasell. The maker with headquarters in the Netherlands intends to increase butadiene (BD) production at one of its manufacturing units by 40 percent.

The producer will exercise works at its site in Wesseling (Germany). The maker targets to complete the expansion by June 2012.

As a result, BD plant situated at the locality will start generating up to 238,000 tonnes per year.

The firm does not disclose probable expenses of the project.

MRC