Chemtura to resolve liabilities at contaminated american sites

(plastemart) -- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Justice Department, and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York have announced that Chemtura Corporation has agreed to resolve its liabilities at contaminated sites across the U.S. for approximately US$26 million. The agreement settles Chemtura's environmental liabilities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund), and for violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

MRC

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cereplast,Inc., a leading manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, compostable and sustainable plastics, announced today that it has entered into a multi-million dollar contract with RI.ME. Masterbatch S.r.l., based in Mozzate (CO), Italy, to supply bioplastic resins for use in its masterbatch process for adding colorant to bulk, uncolored resins. The new agreement supports RI.ME.'s commitment to offering its customers sustainable, environmental solutions in the design and production of masterbatches.

MRC

(prw) -- DSM has licensed its Dyneema-brand high-performance polyethylene fibre for protective suits used in hydro demolition and water blasting.

The licence was granted to protective equipment specialist TST Sweden of Kinna, Sweden. The multilayer suits are made of several layers of flexible fabric, with inner layers of Dyneema in between outer layers of a nylon fabric. The suit is made to withstand exposure to high-pressure water jets.

The suits can be tailored for different levels of water-jet work. Competing suits are made from interlinked rigid panels in a monolayer structure and can't be adjusted, DSM officials said in a recent news release. TST Sweden developed the suits in collaboration with research institute Swerea Group of Pitea, Sweden.

MRC

(PlasticsToday) -- Plastics supplier LyondellBasell, just a few months out of Chapter 11 protection, is moving ahead with strategic growth, adding another 320,000 tonnes of HDPE capacity in Europe. Output from the plant is even better than current bi-modal materials, claims the company.

The supplier reports the new plant, in Munchsmunster, Germany, uses its Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (ACP) for production of the high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This new plant joins current LyondellBasell plastics plants in Frankfurt and Wesseling, Germany, and a joint venture in Plock, Poland, as all using the Hostalen ACP technology. The new plant has 65 full-time employees.

According to the supplier, Hostalen ACP technology surpasses standard bimodal HDPE performance by producing resins with an advanced toughness/stiffness balance, superior impact resistance, and a higher stress-crack resistance. Typical customer applications include thin-wall packaging, caps and closures, large blow molding and textiles for packaging.

MRCMRC Reference

LyondellBasell. The share in the Russian market in 2008:
PE - 1.4% (including HDPE - 2.5%, LDPE - 0.3%);
PP - 4.1% (including block-copolymers - 9.5%).

Annual sales growth in Russia, during the recent 5 years:
PE - 27%;
PP - 88%.

The leader in the following polymers processing technologies:

pipe extrusion;

film extrusion;

injection molding

(plastemart) -- Thailand's PTT and Siam Cement are optimistic of mobilizing all but one of its petrochemical projects in Map Ta Phut that have been halted as a result of the courts suspension orders on environmental concerns. Suspension is expected to be revoked on PTT's sixth gas separation plant, three projects of its affiliate PTT Chemical - a 50,000 tpa high-density polyethylene (HDPE) expansion, a 250,000 tpa HDPE expansion and a 50,000 tpa ethanolamine project. Four of Siam Cement Group's (SCG) projects are expected to join this list: a 350,000 tpa linear low density polyethytlene (LLDPE) unit, a 220,000 tpa specialty elastomers plant, a 90,000 tpa methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant and a 20,000 tpa cast sheet plant.

At present, the Thai Cabinet is assessing the list drafted by the National Environmental Board (NEB) exempting downstream petrochemical projects among those deemed harmful to the environment. A decision is expected to be reached this week.

MRC