Polenghi develops Europe's first extrusion-blow-molded bottle

(NatureWorks) -- Using a new Ingeo blend formulation, Polenghi LAS (Italy) has developed Europe's first extrusion-blow-molded biobased bottle, Polenghi LAS and NatureWorks LLC reported.

By switching from polyolefin resin to bioplastic for packaging 10 million bottles its new juice, Polenghi will conserve 1,000 barrels of oil and reduce CO2 emissions by 126 tons compared to an equivalent oil-based plastic squeeze bottle.

Polenghi's achievement demonstrates the first European commercial introduction of a low-environmental impact and renewably sourced bioplastic substitute for polyolefin resins in extrusion-blow-molding applications. This bioplastic also offers stable pricing compared to the volatility experienced in the petroleum market.

Polenghi is a family group involved in food and juices manufacturing with 4 facilities in Europe since 1976, exporting in 50 countries in the world.

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In mid September LDPE plants in Kazan and Salavat were closed for maintenance. In this connection some market players expected gap in the domestic market and as a result price rise. But the expectations were not realized. Despite the continuous reduction of Kazan and Salavat polyethylene offer there is still a sufficient number of other producers of the material. The prices have remained unchanged for a considerably long time and they are within the range of RUB57.000-60.000/mt, VAT included, FCA, for the 158th LDPE.

At the same time, September LDPE market steadiness was provided by the reduction of export shipment and considerable deliveries from Belarus. To compare - in August the total PE export was 12 000 t, in three weeks of September shipments to the external market were reduced to 1.5 thousand tons. Also early October planned shutdown of LDPE plant in Novopolotsk (Belarus) should be taken into account, this may impact the volume of deliveries to Russia.

By October LDPE external markets situation became more favorable for the Russian fabricators. Reasonably high level of prices and deficit is now in the markets of Asia and South America. Some Russian fabricators have already announced their intention to increase the PE export in October. And the projected further quotations growth in the external markets may only increase the exports appetites of the Russian manufacturers. Similar situation happened in the beginning of the year when big export shipments resulted in deficit in the internal market and as a result price rise.

A more detailed information - in Price market reports Polyethylene in Russia.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- French industrial gases producer Air Liquide said on Thursday it has signed an agreement with Russian producer RusVinyl to supply oxygen, nitrogen and compressed dry air to its new polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in Kstovo, Russia.

Air Liquide would invest, build and operate a new air separation unit with a capacity of more than 350 tonnes/day of oxygen in Kstovo, in the region of Nizhegorodskaya Oblast, the company said in a statement.

RusVinyl's new PVC plant was scheduled to start up at the end of 2012, it said.

Air Liquide would also be producing large quantities of liquid air gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, to meet the needs of industrial customers in the Nizhegorodskaya Oblast region, the company said.

⌠The Air Liquide investment amounts to ┬60m ($83.3m) - for the production facilities and for the supply chain - altogether, it added.

RusVinyl is a joint venture (JV) between Russia's chemical firm Sibur and Belgian PVC producer Solvin.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Styrene monomer (SM) producers in Thailand are considering delaying scheduled maintenance at plants to take advantage of the current strong spot prices of the material, market sources said on Thursday.

Spot prices rose above $1,250/tonne (┬900/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) China this week, up more than $100/tonne from $1,150/tonne CFR China a month ago, based on ICIS data, largely due to buoyant demand for styrenics.

Integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Complex (IRPC) was inclined to push back its planned 30-day maintenance at its 200,000 tonne/year SM facility in mid-October, said a company source.

⌠The postponement of the maintenance is currently being discussed due to strong SM and styrenics prices," the source said.

IRPC also operates a 100,000 tonne/year PS and a 100,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) units at the petrochemical complex, as well as a 30,000 tonne/year expandable polystyrene (EPS) unit.

Another producer, Siam Styrene Monomer Co (SSMC), may also delay the scheduled maintenance of its 300,000 tonne/year SM unit in Mab Ta Phut from mid-November, said market source.

SM values were enjoying a good run due to the seasonally buoyant demand for styrenic resins, particularly in China, where the manufacturing season typically lasts from August to October.

However, with the long holidays across China in recent weeks, factories were expected to continue running at high production rates possibly into November, market sources said.

MRC

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