Total Petrochemicals to expand capacity of Foshan plant in China

(China Plastic & Rubber Journal) -- Total Petrochemicals, one of the world's leading petrochemicals companies, has decided to expand the capacity of its polystyrene plant in Foshan located in the Guangdong Province of China.

The project is scheduled to be on-stream by the end of 2010 and will bring the capacity of the Foshan plant to over 200,000 ton per year.

The new capacity will enable an almost doubling of sales compared with 2008 levels. The project will reinforce Total Petrochemicals' commercial position within the fast growing Chinese markets, especially the high-end segments in the South and Central China.

Total Petrochemicals supplies polystyrene to various markets: the packaging, television, audiovisual, refrigerators, office automation, etc.


MRC

(Plastics News) -- Bonset Latin America SA, a subsidiary of Bonset America Corp, is building a new film plant near Montevideo, Uruguay.

According to an Oct. 11 news release from Bonset of Browns Summit, N.C., the Uruguayan facility will be geared toward production of high-quality heat shrinkable films.

Bonset is a subsidiary of C.I. Kasei Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based film manufacturer. Bonset is a leading supplier of co-polyester shrink film in North America, and it acquired Mitsubishi's Fusion co-polyester heat shrinkable film business on Jan. 29.

Bonset also supplies PVC, glycol-modified PET and oriented polystyrene shrink film.

MRC

HOUSTON (ICIS) -- Petrobras Energia increased Argentine polystyrene (PS) prices by an average of 3% this month amid higher feedstock costs and growing regional demand, a company source said on Tuesday.

With the increase, general purpose PS (GPPS) prices were in the range of $1,909-2,023/tonne (┬1,374-1,457/tonne) delivered (DEL), while high impact PS (HIPS) grade was at $2,023-2,162/tonne DEL, based on ICIS data.

The market in Argentina was active with increased seasonal demand brought by higher temperatures. There was also a rush to build inventories ahead of year-end activities.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- Japan's Idemitsu Kosan Co has achieved high operating rates at its styrene monomer (SM) units in Tokuyama, after successfully restarting them in early October, a company source said on Wednesday.

The 120,000 tonne/year and 220,000 tonne/year units were shut in early September for scheduled maintenance, said the source, adding that the turnaround lasted for around a month.

The company also operates a 210,000 tonne/year unit in Chiba, which is ⌠operating normally at present, the source added.

Other SM producers in Japan include Asahi Kasei Corp, Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Denka), Nippon Steel Chemical Group, Mitsubishi Chemicals Corp and Nihon Oxirane Co.

MRC

SINGAPORE (ICIS) -- South Korea's SK Energy has started the maintenance shutdown at its polyolefin facilities in Ulsan, with the restart date set on 2 November, a company source said on Wednesday.

The company's 218,000 tonne/year linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant at the site was taken off line on Tuesday, the source said.

Meanwhile, SK Energy's 183,000 tonne/year high density PE (HDPE) plant and its two polypropylene (PP) plants with a combined capacity of 376,000 tonnes/year in Ulsan were scheduled to be taken off line on 17 October, the source said.

Other major PE producers in South Korea include Honam Petrochemical and Hanwha Chemical.

MRC