PE prices in Asia remain stable

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Last week, buying activity in the Asian PE market was sluggish. The absence of demand from China due to the national holidays did not result in price fluctuations, report MRC analysts.

Last week, PE prices in Asia remained intact. Decreasing oil quotations and uncertainty about the global economic outlook have considerably slashed interest in purchasing from traders from South-Eastern Asia. Many importers in this region have suspended all purchases in anticipation of a clearer price trend.

Chinese market did not work last week due to the national holidays which lasted from October 3 to 7. However, many market participants do not expect prices to rise further with the resumption of work of Chinese companies.

Last week, small deals for LDPE in the South-Eastern Asia were concluded in the range of USD1,370-1,420/tonne, CFR. Deals for HDPE were made in the range of USD1,370-1,460/tonne, CFR.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On the increased feedstock cost and low profit margin, European makers have been intending to increase their price offers by EUR40-50/tonne in October for the past two months, report MRC analysts.

The contract cost of styrene-monomer - feedstock for polystyrene production - has risen by EUR8/tonne. Most PS makers have announced a potential increase in October price offers on average by EUR40/tonne in order to make up for the growth of production costs and to increase profit margin.

Last Thursday, on 4 October, Styrolution voiced its intention to increase its price offer by EUR50/tonne for October shipments. Next day, Styrolution also reported the increase of EUR50/tonne in its press release. Total is expected to raise its price offer by the same amount; however, the company’s confirmation has not been received yet.

Producers insist that the profit margin has decreased significantly over the past two months despite high prices in the PS market. However, they understand that the current PS quotations in Europe are at a high level and the further increases may affect consumption.

Buyers have expected polystyrene prices to remain unchanged in October after an insignificant increase in the cost of styrene monomer. It is assumed that negotiations on the formation of the contract PS price in October will be difficult.
MRC

(finder) -- Slovnaft Petrochemicals has launched a new generation of transparent, high gloss, reactor made polypropylene random copolymers (PP) for low temperature processing of thin-wall rigid food packaging and storage.

The new generation grades - TATREN RM 85 82 CLEAR and TATREN RM 45 55 CLEAR - are based on the latest available technologies to offer the food packaging and household storage solutions sector a new benchmark in pure, high clarity PP.

Developed by Slovnaft Petrochemicals, s.r.o. in close cooperation with Millad NX 8000 innovator Milliken & Company, the clarifying agent was selected for its top industry performance in terms of excellent optical properties and good stiffness.

Slovnaft Petrochemicals, s.r.o., represents the Petrochemicals Division of Slovnaft Group. It produces polymers of high quality which are base materials with a broad range of uses. The geographical position of company gives it an important advantage when penetrating the quickly growing polymer markets of Central Europe.

According to MRC data, Slovnaft has not been supplying PP-random to Russia since 2008. Several years before the company's shipments to Russia had been negligible. Slovnat had mostly supplied block copolymers and homopolymers of polypropylene to the Russian market. Overall, since 2008, Slovnaft has reduced imports of polypropylene to Russia by 6.5 times.
MRC

(engel) -- Engel Austria and Cantoni have developed together a new intergrated inject2blow method which combines the injection moulding and blow moulding processes in one mould on one injection moulding machine and significantly reduces time and costs in the manufacture of cosmetic, drug, and food containers by doing so. By introducing this innovative method, the two companies have set a new standard for process integration.

The new method allows small ready-to-use containers to be manufactured in one process instead of using injection moulding first and then subjected to a second process on a blow moulding machine before they become a final product. This combination method is the first of its kind available on the market.

Other benefits of integrating the processes include lower system investment costs, a smaller system footprint, higher system availability, simpler quality control, and no maximum clamping force. The inject2blow method can be used to process a wide range of thermoplastics from polyethylene, polypropylene and polycarbonates to PET.

Engel is, as a single brand, the largest producer of injection moulding machinery worldwide and a leader in the field of injection moulding technology. Engel’s integrated systems solutions include injection moulding machinery, automation, process technology, tool design, training and service.
MRC

(finder) -- SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business has launched new next-generation LEXAN XHR 5000 sheet for aircraft window shades. This innovative product is designed to help global aerospace customers comply with increasingly stringent standards for flame-smoke-toxicity performance of interior aircraft components.

This industry-leading solution meets demanding safety requirements, also improves comfort in the cabin environment with a high-quality appearance and enhanced room-darkening properties.

As MRC reported earlier, in anticipation of the implementation of the pan-European norm for fire safety in rail interiors, the company has recently developed LEXAN H6500 sheet, a new PC/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) sheet grade and a new grade, LEXAN H6200 sheet, to help rail customers meet growing demand for enhanced sustainability and advanced thermoplastic technologies with non-chlorinated and non-brominated flame retardance that enhance the design and development of rail interior applications.

SABIC is currently the second largest global ethylene glycol producer. It is the third largest polyethylene manufacturer, the fourth largest polyolefins manufacturer and the fourth largest polypropylene manufacturer.
MRC