INEOS ChlorVinyls announces PVC-S price increase May 2012

(ineoschlor) -- List prices for INEOS ChlorVinyls Suspension PVC grades have been increased by Euro 50 per metric tonne with immediate effect and as contracts allow.

INEOS ChlorVinyls is one of the major chlor-alkali producers in Europe, a global leader in chlorine derivatives and Europe's largest PVC manufacturer.

INEOS ChlorVinyls principal operations at Runcorn Site, Cheshire, are vital to the UK economy. The site supports an estimated 133,000 jobs directly and indirectly, making it of strategic national importance.
MRC

(chemicals-technology) -- Nation Ford Chemical, a manufacturer of specialty organic chemicals, is investing USD5.5m to expand its current operations in York County, South Carolina, US.

Nation Ford Chemical president Jay Dickson was quoted by WBTV as saying that the expansion will give the company the opportunity to add its product range and increase market share. "We appreciate the support we've received from state and local officials," Dickson added.

As part of the expansion, the company will produce a new antioxidant product to manufacture lubricants.
The expansion is scheduled to be completed by November.

Nation Ford Chemical is also planning to construct a new chemical production area on its current campus in Fort Mill, South Carolina, US.

Headquartered in US, Nation Ford Chemical produces various polymers, colorants, organic intermediates and specialty organic chemicals including pigments and solvent dyes.

MRC

(chemicals-technology) -- Rhodia, a subsidiary of Solvay, and Brazil's National Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory (CTBE) have joined forces to develop chemical routes and processes to acquire molecules of a high added value from sugarcane biomass.

The research, which will be carried out at CTBE, will focus on the development of chemical blocks now used in various applications and markets that the Solvay Group operates in, to replace non-renewable sources with biomass for the production of these substances.

CTBE research head Maria Teresa Barbosa said that the technologies will be developed on a laboratorial scale for the first two years, followed by improvements at CTBE's process development pilot plant.
Barbosa further said that the project in bio-based chemistry will also comprise computational simulations at the virtual sugarcane bio-refinery (BVC).

Rhodia will offer its proficiency in the chemical sector to develop new routes to high added-value molecules.
The Banco Nacional do Desenvolvimento Economico e Social (BNDES), Brazil's state-owned development bank, will provide USD3.7mln over three years for the project.

MRC

(Reuters) -- Norway's Yara, the world's largest nitrate fertiliser maker, reported first-quarter core results somewhat short of expectations on Friday and said it saw record European deliveries in March and "satisfactory" deliveries so far in April.


"As expected, northern hemisphere fertiliser demand is strengthening following a slow first half of the buying season," the company's chief executive, Joergen Ole Haslestad, said.

Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell to 3.94 billion Norwegian crowns (USD 687.1 million) from 4.26 billion crowns a year earlier and behind analysts' mean forecast for 4.03 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In March, the imports of expandable polystyrene to the Ukrainian market made 1,700 tonnes. Since the beginning of 2012 the companies had imported 3.800 tonnes of EPS, which 27% up year on year, according to MRC analysts.


In January-March 2012, Ukrainian companies increased the volumes of EPS supplies. In January, the volume of EPS imports was only 700 tonnes, then in February, it increased twofold, namely, 1,435 tonnes.
The significant increase in supplies of imported EPS in February resulted from the price cuts from the Asian producers to USD 1,600/tonne FOB in late 2011, when the supplies had been contracted. In April, the price of imported Asian EPS was in the range of $1,720-1,750/tonne FOB.


Chinese EPS from Loyal still prevails in the structure of supply, which made more than 1,600 tonnes of imports, or 41.6% of total deliveries in Q1 2012.

From the beginning of 2012, Ukrainian companies significantly increased the supply of Alfapor supplies by Sibur-Khimprom (Perm) production. Imports of Russian EPS made 740 tonnes or 19.1% from total deliveries in Q1. Such preference of the Perm EPS resulted from the significant difference in the price of the material. This was ensured by international agreements, under which direct imports (from the producer) of EPS from Russia are not subject to 6.5% duty.


MRC analyst Roman Lugovskoy forecasts that the positive dynamics of EPS imports to Ukraine continues in Q2, as well as the increase of the market share of Perm EPS to 25-30%.

MRC