BASF and SINOPEC are going to build a new plant in China

(BASF) -- BASF and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further strengthen their cooperation by jointly exploring the possibility of building a world-scale isononanol (INA) plant in Maoming Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, Maoming, China. The final scope of the investment will be determined following the outcome of the joint feasibility study, which is expected by the end of 2012.

Under the terms of the MoU, the two parties will evaluate the technical, commercial and economic viability of jointly owning and operating a world-scale facility for the production of INA under a 50-50 joint venture agreement.

INA is used as the feedstock for the production of next generation plasticizers, e.g. diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and non-phthalate plasticizer Hexamoll DINCH. DINP is widely used as a plasticizer in industrial applications such as automotive, wires and cables, flooring, building and construction while Hexamoll DINCH is the plasticizer of choice for sensitive applications.

"As the Chinese market continues its rapid growth with booming demand for plasticizers, the INA investment in Maoming serves the increasing demand for next generation plasticizers. After many years of successful cooperation with SINOPEC, this project builds on our strong partnership and offers an exciting opportunity for BASF in China. Maoming provides excellent integration possibilities into the refinery structure, which will contribute further to the overall environmental and economic efficiency of the project ,” said Dr. Albert Heuser, President BASF Asia Pacific.

BASF and SINOPEC jointly operate BASF-YPC Co. Ltd., a 50-50 joint venture between BASF and SINOPEC in Nanjing, China. As one of China's largest petrochemical joint ventures, the site produces a wide range of high quality chemicals for the rapidly growing Chinese market.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) is a large scale integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Sinopec is the worlds seventh biggest company by revenue.
It is one of the major petroleum companies in China. Sinopec's business includes oil and gas exploration, refining, and marketing; production and sales of petrochemicals, chemical fibers, chemical fertilizers, and other chemical products. SINOPEC is China’s largest manufacturer and supplier of major petrochemical products. It is the second largest producer of crude oil in China. Its refining capacity and ethylene capacity rank No.2 and No.4 globally.
MRC

Dow's PP process technology to be used in a new plant in China

(PlasticsEngineering) -- Inner Mongolia ChinaCoal Mengda New Energy & Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Coal Group Corp., has signed a license agreement with Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology LLC, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company for its 300 KTA polypropylene plant.

ChinaCoal Mengda will license UNIPOL Polypropylene Process Technology from Dow Licensing & Catalysts for the polypropylene plant, part of a 500 KTA engineering plastics project.

The plant is targeted to start-up in 2014 in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China, and produce homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers.

There are currently 47 operating lines worldwide using UNIPOL Polypropylene Technology from Dow Performance Plastics Licensing and Catalysts. The UNIPOL Polypropylene Process is an all gas-phase process for producing the broadest range of polypropylene resins. Resins produced by UNIPOL Polypropylene Technology from Dow account for 17 percent of global polypropylene output.

Polypropylene is a versatile plastic used in packaging, durable goods, automotive parts, non-wovens, fibers and consumer applications.

Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber. It is also a major producer of ethylene oxide, various acrylates, surfactants, and cellulose resins.
MRC

Azelis Polymers and Marubeni to cooperate in Asia

(Azelis) -- Marubeni Corporation and Azelis Polymers today announced a joint cooperation agreement to work together in Asia. Initially the cooperation will focus on China. With a large number of Japanese corporations operating production transfers into China, this growth market is of particular importance to the cooperation.

This deal is seen to considerably strengthen both parties and will help to further drive their shared ambition for rapid expansion and sustainable business development in the region.

Marubeni Corporation is a Japanese trading company, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan. The assortment of the trading goods of the company is very wide: from clothes and food to steel and chemicals.

Azelis is Europe’s leading pan–European distributor of speciality chemicals. Azelis has grown rapidly over the last decade, bringing together over 37 specialist distribution companies throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, India and China to create one streamlined organisation.
MRC

Solvay and Rhodia's compounding plant to be launched in China

(GV) -- Solvay Specialty Polymers and Rhodia Engineering Plastics have announced progress on a new EUR 21 million compounding plant, which will come on-stream in Changshu, Jiangsu province, in summer 2012, months ahead of schedule. It will serve the Chinese markets for electrical and electronics, wire and cable, automotive, consumer, and industrial applications.

In addition, Solvay is building a new EUR 120 million production plant for fluorinated polymers at its industrial site in Changshu, to meet growing demand in Asia in end-use markets such as automotive, photovoltaic, Li ion batteries, membranes for water purification, and oil and gas applications. The new plant is scheduled to be operational early 2014.

Solvay is an international chemicals and plastics company. In 2011, Solvay acquired Rhodia for approximately EUR 3.4 billion. Rhodia is one of the three sectors of activities of Solvay. Rhodia is a world leader in the development and production of specialty chemicals, and partner of major players in the automotive, electronics, flavors and fragrances, health, personal and home care markets, consumer goods and industrial markets.
MRC

SABIC increases its LGF polypropylene capacity in Belgium

(CompositesWorld) -- SABIC is expanding its Genk, Belgium, facility to increase capacity of STAMAX long glass fiber-filled polypropylene (LGFPP) following an escalating demand from automotive customers.

Last month, the company began work on a new production line – stated to open in the second half of 2013 – to increase its ability to provide a secure a reliable local supply of this high-performance material.

STAMAX composite resins are also available to customers from SABIC’s Bay St. Louis, Miss. site in the Americas, which opened in 2011. Bay St. Louis was modelled on the design and technology of the Genk plant, the largest greenfield PP compounding plant ever built in Europe. Genk also houses a Compounding Innovation Center.

SABIC is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia. It is the largest company in the Middle East.
SABIC is currently the second largest global ethylene glycol producer and is expected to become number one after the introduction of these new projects. SABIC is the third largest polyethylene manufacturer, the fourth largest polyolefins manufacturer and the fourth largest polypropylene manufacturer. It is also the world’s largest producer of mono-ethylene glycol, MTBE, granular urea, polyphenylene and polyether imide.
MRC