Elevance Renewable Sciences and Arkema to develop and produce renewable polymers

(arkema) -- Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc. and Arkema announced today a global partnership for the development and production of renewable specialty polymers.

Elevance is providing novel, differentiated, functionalized renewable starting materials, including the company's 9-decenoic methyl ester, from their bio refineries.

Arkema has a long and well-established background in the field of bio-based specialty polymers. By combining their expertise, both companies will work on the development of a range of specialty bio-based polymers based on Elevance specialty methyl ester intermediate.

"Arkema's position as producer of high-performing bio-sourced technical polymers is a natural fit for our unique specialty chemicals," said Andy Shafer, executive vice president of sales and market development for Elevance. "We are pleased to be partnering with them in this important market for both of us".

"Our partnership with Elevance offers Arkema the strategic opportunity to expand our current feedstocks for biosourced raw materials and to strengthen our leading position on the fast-growing bio-sourced polymer market with increased capacities for our customers globally," said Jean-Luc Dubois, Scientific Director, for Arkema.

MRC

(bbc) -- An explosion at a chemical factory in northern China has killed at least 13 people, state officials said. Part of the plant was flattened by the blast and witnesses said houses within a 2km diameter had windows smashed. Police believe the blast, which left another 43 people injured, may have been caused by chemicals.

The blast took place at the Keeper Chemical Plant in Zhaoxian County. Cheng Weiqing, deputy head of the Shijiazhuang City Public Security Bureau which oversees Zhaoxian County, says tremors were felt in at least three villages near the plant.

He told Xinhua that the damaged factory produced farming and other chemicals, including ammonium sulphate, guanidine nitrate and nitro guanidine. A brief statement from the State Administration of Work Safety said the building where the blast took place specialised in producing guanidine nitrate.

Guanidine nitrate is a oxidising agent that is used as high energy fuel for space rockets. It is harmful to human health if inhaled.

MRC

(bloomberg) -- Elementis Plc (ELM), the world's largest maker of hectorite-clay additives used in cosmetics, plans to increase investment and pump USD15 million into U.S. expansion over the next two years, Finance Director Brian Taylorson said.

Capital expenditure will rise to USD20 million to USD25 million in 2012, from USD14 million last year, Taylorson said. Elementis, which reported record profit today, is budgeting for a similar level of investment in 2013, he said.
The maker of paint and chromium, based in London, is in the early stages of a new expansion program in the U.S. to capture market share for additives used in water-based paints, Taylorson said in a phone interview today. Elementis is focusing on higher-margin chemicals used in lubricants and coatings in industries spanning oil-drilling and aerospace, while running its chromium business for cash.

"Our priority is to see if we can reinvest excess cash," Taylorson said. Pretax profit before one-time items gained 40 percent to USD134.5 million. Revenue climbed 9 percent to USD760.5 million.

MRC

(bayer) -- The Bayer Group had a very successful year in 2011 both strategically and operationally, posting record levels of sales and EBIT.

"We achieved the Group targets that we raised after the first quarter," said Bayer CEO Dr. Marijn Dekkers at the Financial News Conference in Leverkusen on Tuesday. The company also made good progress toward further innovation and expanding its activities in emerging markets. For 2012 Dekkers predicted a slight improvement in underlying earnings despite an economic situation marked by uncertainty.

Sales of the Bayer Group rose by 4.1 percent in 2011, to EUR 36,528 million (2010: EUR 35,088 million). Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects (Fx & portfolio adj.), sales were up by 5.5 percent. "Thus we exceeded the record set in 2010," Dekkers said. Sales in the emerging markets rose by 9.0 percent on a currency-adjusted (Fx adj.) basis, contributing disproportionately to the expansion in business. The operating result (EBIT) advanced by a substantial 52.0 percent to EUR 4,149 million (2010: EUR 2,730 million).

MRC

(plastemart) -- The European Commission plans to review continuation of anti-dumping duties for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin coming to the European Union from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand, according to the Official Journal of the European Union.

Anti-dumping measures on PET resin coming from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan have been in place since November 27, 2000, with an expiry review announced in 2005 and a continuation of the anti-dumping dumping published on Febuary 27, 2007 for a five year period. European buyers of PET resin could possibly benefit with a wider choice of imports if the anti-dumping duties do expire.

The anti-dumping measures currently in force for these were scheduled to expire on Tuesday, February 28, five years after the definitive measures came in to force in 2007. On November 25, 2011, the PET committee of Plastics Europe requested an expiry review.

"The applicant has provided evidence that should the measures be allowed to lapse, the current import level of the product under review is likely to increase due to the existence of unused capacity in the countries concerned," the EC wrote.

Current anti-dumping rates vary from country to country and are different for specific producers. For example, in India, anti-dumping rates to bring PET resin into the European Union are from Eur87.50-200.90/mt, while in Malaysia, the anti-dumping rates range from Eur36-160.10/mt.

MRC