Azelis sells thermoplastic polymers business

(tc-plastic) -- In line with its strategy to focus on specialty chemicals and ingredients, Azelis has announced the sale of the Thermoplastic Polymers Business Area within the Azelis Group to Gazechim Plastics who has acquired this business. This transfer means Gazechim Plastics is now managing in its entirety the Thermoplastic Polymers business and its employees, effective May 15th.

Gazechim Group was deemed to be the ideal partner to sell the business to, as they were looking to complement their already strong presence in thermoplastic and thermoset products, refrigerant and liquefied gases, with a leading polymers offering. With an established polymers business in France, they have a stated strong vision and strategy to develop a fully pan-European platform in polymers and are ready to invest in this area for the future growth and development of products and people. As part of the agreement, in some countries Azelis will grant services to the business to help provide a smooth transition.

Michel Dubois, Group Director Strategy and Marketing, states: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank our principals in Thermoplastic Polymers for their help and support over the last years and for their cooperation in the sale of the business. We are confident that Gazechim will remain a suitable distribution partner, committed to successfully growing a sustainable polymers business".
MRC

(plastemart) -- Partial production suspension at some units of Formosa’s Yunlin petrochemical complex due to a power failure could impact the combined sales of its four core companies. The loss is estimated at NTD9 bln (USD301 mln), as per Taipie Times.

The shutdown is also estimated to result in a loss of NTD100 mln to Nan Ya Plastics, the nation’s largest plastics maker, and to Formosa Chemicals, which produces aromatics and styrenics, but will not affect Formosa Petrochemical.MRC

(plastemart) -- Aither Chemicals LLC announced signing of a memorandum of understanding with Bayer MaterialScience to launch an "Open Season" for ethylene from a potential catalytic ethane cracker in the Kanawha Valley.

The agreement includes a non-binding "Open Season" to determine the market interest for the chemicals and plastics that would be produced by such a cracker. This could include ethylene, acetic acid, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide for sale at competitive market pricing or use in making downstream derivatives and other products such as ethylene oxide. As part of the agreement Bayer would assist in the effort to evaluate third party interest in the chemicals stated above. Several ethane suppliers have expressed interest in supplying ethane to the project.

The Open Season will run from June 22 through July 20. After the Open Season, Aither Chemicals said it will evaluate the market's response and decide on next steps by Aug. 31. The Open Season process is commonly used in the midstream energy business to determine market interest in new business opportunities.

If Aither Chemicals decides to proceed with the proposed catalytic ethane cracker, production could begin as early 2015. "The Memorandum of Understanding is a first step towards building a catalytic ethane cracker in the Kanawha Valley region and we are optimistic that the market will respond," said Leonard Dolhert, CEO of Aither Chemicals.
MRC

(specialchem4cosmetics) -- DuPont Soy Polymers announced the introduction of SoBind Harmony, a plant based and highly functional polymer for the Personal Care industry. Harmony is a unique family of products that are opaque and extremely efficient binders, thickeners and emulsion stabilizers. They were developed as a result of a growing consumer demand for a wider choice of renewable, biodegradable and sustainable ingredients, as well as the rise of ethical consumerism.

Although SoBind Harmony is protein it offers unique properties. Innovative production technology, called "Structural Peptide Architecture (SPA)" leads to a high degree of active sites on each molecule. This is why these products show superior characteristics in comparison with any hydrolyzed proteins.

Company's processes also make the Harmony family 100% aligned with all regulatory requirements, resulting in a superior sustainability profile of process & product When Natural Becomes Functional is truly the way to define this new technology, which offers the formulator non-traditional options in which to combine ingredients and a variety of opportunities for novel displacement of synthetic ingredients. SoBind™ Harmony products can be applied to a wide variety of applications to include creams, lotions, hair care, hair color, color cosmetics, gels, cleansers and so much more.

DuPont Soy Polymers is a division of Solae, LLC, a DuPont Company. They are the world leader in developing innovative soy based products that serve the global marketplace.
MRC

(yarnsandfibers) -- CBandI announced that it has been awarded a contract valued in excess of USD40 million by Nizhnekamskneftekhim OAO (NKNK) to provide front end engineering and design (FEED) services for a new ethylene plant. The work is scheduled for completion in 2013.

"We are pleased to be selected for this significant project following our successful completion of the feasibility study last year and the recent award of the technology license. We appreciate the trust and confidence shown by NKNK and look forward to continuing our relationship with them on the next phase of the project," said Philip K. Asherman, CBandI's President and CEO.

CBandI’s project scope includes FEED for a 1.0 million tonne per annum ethylene plant, a related butadiene extraction unit and a pyrotol unit, including offsites and utilities.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim is the largest independent producer of synthetic rubber and polymers in the Russian Federation, and part of TAIF group of companies. The company produces over 140 petrochemical products since 1967 and exports approximately 50% of their production to 52 countries in Europe, America and Asia.

CBandI engineers and constructs some of the world’s largest energy infrastructure projects. With premier process technology from its Lummus Technology business, proven EPC expertise, and unrivaled storage tank experience, CBandI executes projects from concept to completion.
MRC