Q-Chem in the process of starting up new Mesaieed HDPE

(ICIS) -- Qatar Chemicals (Q-Chem) is in the process of starting up its new 350,000 tonne/year high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant at Mesaieed, Qatar, a source close to the company said on Tuesday.

⌠We are now in start-up mode and have begun to produce some on-spec and some off-spec product, but it will take a couple of months before we begin regular exports, the source added.

The market would feel the impact of the new capacity only by end December or early January, he said.


The HDPE plant will produce mostly blow-moulding grade [and] also some HDPE 80 pipe and film grades, a second source said.


Q-Chem, a joint venture between US major Chevron Phillips Chemical and state-owned Qatar Petroleum, currently operates a 450,000 tonne/year HDPE plant at Messaieed.

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Typhoon Megi may disrupt petchem shipments from Hainan, China

(ICIS) -- Petrochemical players in Hainan, China are bracing for the onslaught of super typhoon Megi, which might halt shipping activities in the island province for a few days, industry sources said on Monday.

The typhoon was coursing through the northern part of the Philippines on Monday and was expected to head towards southern China on Tuesday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC) of China.

⌠We are requiring companies to take some measures to cope with the impending typhoon, but I think the impact on the production will be limited, said an official from Hainan Yangpu Economic Development Zone.


Hainan Refining and Chemical Co (HRCC), which operates an 8m tonne/year refinery in the island at the southern tip of China, was taking some precautionary measures for the typhoon but has no plans to cut production, said a company source.


HRCC, a subsidiary of China's state-owned petrochemical giant Sinopec, also operates a 200,000 tonne/year polypropylene plant and other chemicals plants on the island.


China BlueChemical, which has a 600,000 tonne/year methanol plant in Hainan, was not expecting any operational disruption to production, said a company source, but added the heavy rains from the typhoon may pose logistical problems in shipping out products, said a company source.


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Totally new HDPE grade from Total aimed at stretch blowmolding applications

(Plastics Today) -- Total Petrochemicals has shared some details on a new SB 1461 grade of high-density polyethylene that is formulated to run at better than 1700 bottles/cavity/hour rates, on Sidel's stretch blowmolding (SBM) machinery.

According to Total, trials with HDPE SB 1461 on different equipment from Sidel have been performed with positive results. Total says the stretch blowmolded HDPE bottles show a clear increase of rigidity in comparison to extrusion blowmolded ones. This rigidity combines with drop test resistance to allow for further down gauging, so that HDPE dairy bottles produced by SBM can be about 20% lighter than extrusion blowmolded dairy bottles currently in commercial use.


In addition, reports Total, high definition mold engraving even improves the design flexibility and bottle look.


The newly developed grade is compatible with the established HDPE recycling stream. The grade is targeted especially towards dairy and other food/beverage applications but Total says it already is working on a new HDPE grade with the necessary Environmental Stress Crack Resistance (ESCR) for household chemicals and personal care packaging.


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Growing resin distributor Hanna Prime changes name

(Plastics News) -- Resin distribution firm Hanna Prime Inc. is changing its name to Resin Resource Inc. on Nov. 1, near the end of a year when the Arlington, Texas-based firm bounced back from the recent economic slowdown.


Hanna Prime's 2010 sales are expected to be up 40-45 percent vs. 2009, President Chris Allen said in an Oct. 18 phone interview. The firm has seen solid recovery in consumer goods, furniture, aerospace, healthcare and other markets, he explained.


Hanna Prime opened its doors in 2000 and now has 15 employees and annual sales of around $20 million. The firm now offers resins and compounds from 14 suppliers, including LyondellBasell Industries and LG Chem Ltd.

Moving ahead, Allen said the firm would like to add commodity grades of polyethylene and polystyrene, as well as a nylon resin, to its product mix.


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AkzoNobel adds design studio and lab

(Plastics News) -- AkzoNobel Specialty Plastics has completed the first phase of the expansion of the Americas region headquarters for its Soliant business unit in Lancaster.

The project included renovating 20,000-square-feet of space for a new design studio, product development lab and additional offices for customer support.

The design studio will work with AkzoNobel's Foresee Color Trend and Design Group near Antwerp, Belgium. The lab, meanwhile, will support the design studio with product samples, research & development, and added capability for producing performance coatings.

AkzoNobel offers decorative finishing technologies including liquid performance coatings, Soliant-brand paint film and bright film (chrome alternatives), digital image printing systems, metallics, pearls, tricoats and 3D effects.


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