Japan's Tosoh Corp shuts Nanyo No 1 VCM line for turnaround

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Japan's Tosoh Corp shut down its 250,000 tonne/year No 1 vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) line in Nanyo, Yamaguchi prefecture, for a maintenance turnaround on 2 October, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

The shutdown was expected to last until the end of November, the source said.

The company recently restarted its 400,000 tonne/year No 3 VCM line at the same site on 1 October, after a brief shutdown that began in mid-September.

Tosoh has a total VCM capacity of 1.2m tonnes/year at the Nanyo site and is the largest producer of the product in Asia.

VCM is used extensively as a raw material for the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

MRC


Cepsa declares force majeure on San Roque PTA

ARTIMINO, Italy (ICIS) -- Cepsa Quimica has declared force majeure on purified terephthalic acid (PTA) supplies from its San Roque, Spain, plant, a company source said on Thursday.


The company source said one 150,000 tonne/year line at the plant should have come out of an isophthalic acid (PIA) campaign on 22-23 Septmeber, but was unable to do so.

The source added that Cepsa Quimica expected to be on sales allocation in October.

The plant has a total nameplate capacity of 450,000 tonnes/year, according to ICIS data.


MRC


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


Total Petchems to complete China PS unit's expansion in Q1 '11

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


BASF to complete carve-out of styrenics business by 1 Jan

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