ConocoPhilips declares polypropylene force majeure

(plastemart) -- US polypropylene maker ConocoPhillips has declared force majeure (FM) on its propylene impact copolymers deliveries in August and September. An equipment breakdown coupled with feedstock shortages has caused the supply constraints. The company anticipated it would resume normal operations sometime during September. Specific details on the equipment breakdowns were not available. The company will be unable to make up for volumes not delivered during August and September.

PP supplies continue to remain tight in USA this week with a potential for a price hike in September.

MRC

(plastemart) -- The use of UNIPOL Polypropylene (PP) Technology from Dow Basic Plastics Licensing and Catalysts continues to grow at a rapid pace in China. China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Baotou Coal Chemical Company is the latest company to start up a plant using this technology and is the first in China to manufacture PP made from coal-generated olefins. A leader among Chinese manufacturers pioneering the coal-based production of chemicals and plastics, Shenhua Baotou Coal Chemicals Company's 300,000 tpa Polypropylene facility came online earlier this month in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, The People's Republic of China. According to the company, its gasification technology converts coal into a synthesis gas (or syngas); syngas is used to produce methanol, which is transformed into olefins - a building block for producing polypropylene.

According to MRC data, Dow's share in the Russian market in 2008 was 2.5% of polyethylene (including LLDPE - 33.1%), 0.8% of polypropylene (including PP-impact - 1.1%) and 2.6% of polystyrene. Annual sales growth in Russia over the course of recent 5 years was 55% of polyethylene, 28% of polypropylene and 2% of polystyrene. Dow imports by pipe extrusion, film extrusion, sheet extrusion and foaming processing technologies.

MRC

(plastemart) -- Japan's Mitsui Chemicals has suspended operations at a naphtha cracker with 553,000 tpa ethylene capacity. The Ichihara plant in Chiba prefecture faced a problem with equipment, leading to the shutdown. A weekend start is not expected. Restart is likely to be announced early next week.

MRC

(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