bpi.films continues track record of innovation with RIX12

(BPI) -- bpi.films has extended its range of pallet stretchwrap with the addition of another innovative product - Supreme RIX12. This new, highly versatile, multi-layer cast stretchfilm is aimed at customers employing semi automatic stretchwrapping machines. It allows these users to enjoy a number of advantages normally only afforded by more advanced, power pre-stretch machinery - in particular the ability to apply thinner layers of film which helps to deliver significant cost savings and a marked reduction in packaging waste.

Aside from providing impressive cost and operational benefits, the thinner nature of RIX12 also ensures a number of environmental advantages. As it takes less film by volume to wrap a pallet, less resultant packaging waste is created. Plus, this reduced waste is 100% recyclable.

Commenting on the launch of the new product, Ausra Landey, Marketing Co-ordinator at bpi.films said: ⌠Pallet stretchwrap may be a tried and tested form of transit packaging but that doesn't stop bpi.films looking for new ways of improving upon this popular media.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Total Petrochemicals expects to complete the expansion of its 100,000 tonne/year polystyrene (PS) plant at Sanshui county, southern China, in the first quarter of 2011, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

Once expanded, the facility - which produces both general purpose and high-impact grades of PS - would have a capacity of 200,000 tonnes/year.

Total Petrochemicals also operates a 95,000 tonne/year PS plant in Singapore.

PS resins are used in the packaging, utensils, toys and consumer electronics sectors.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- BASF will complete the spin-off of its styrenics business, named Styrolution, by 1 January next year, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

The introduction of Styrolution would see BASF transferring its styrenics businesses at production sites in Germany, Belgium, South Korea, India and Mexico to the new firm, BASF said.

Separate companies would also be established in other countries, for instance in the US , Italy or China , where BASF has other styrenic activities, such as marketing and sales.

BASF's styrenics business posted sales of ┬2.5bn ($3.47bn) in 2009.

⌠Through this action, we will be able to sustain and improve our global business in an environment characterized by volatile demand, high pressure on margins and intensive competition, said Martin Brudermuller, member of the board of executive directors of BASF and responsible for BASF's plastics business.

The company plans to carve out its businesses in styrene monomers (SM), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene butadiene copolymers (SBC) and other styrene-based copolymers and establish separate companies, according to BASF.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (Yansab) has achieved full output at its polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plants at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, after restarting them at the end of last week, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

The plants were taken off line on 10 September due to an outage at Yansab's 1.3m tonne/year cracker due to technical issues. The cracker was restarted on 25 September.

The unscheduled shutdown had exacerbated the tightness of PP and some grades of PE in the Middle East market in September but supply was now easing, traders and end users said.

Yansab produces 400,000 tonnes/year each of high density PE (HDPE), linear low density PE (LLDPE) and polypropylene (PP).

Yansab, a joint-stock company, is 51%-owned by petrochemical giant Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC).

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- India's Haldia Petrochemicals halted exports of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) this week due to an unscheduled shutdown at its cracker complex in West Bengal state, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

The company would likely resume shipping out the polymer products when the petrochemical complex restarts on 9 October, the source said.

⌠Currently, the company has limited inventories of PE and PP, which have to be targeted at key domestic customers, so there's no export availability, the source added.

The company's complex at Haldia, in West Bengal state, houses a cracker with a nameplate capacity of 700,000 tonnes/year of ethylene. It also includes derivative plants that produce 700,000 tonnes/year of PE and 370,000 tonnes/year of PP.

MRC