Rajoo announces collaborations with Bausano and Hosokawa Alpine

(Plastics Today) -- Indian-based blown-film and sheet-extrusion supplier, Rajoo Engineers Ltd. (Rajkot) has expanded its geographic and technology reach with the announcement of collaborative agreements with Italian pipe/profile extruder supplier Bausano & Figli S.p.a (Rivarolo Canavese) and German film extruder technology supplier Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft (Augsburg).


Rajoo and Bausano will form Rajoo Bausano Extrusion Pvt. Ltd., with operations to commence in 2011, supplying pipe and profile lines, including wood plastic composite technology, in India, Africa, and South Asia from Rajkot.


Rajoo and Hosokawa Alpine have agreed to cooperate on international marketing, production, and procurement, as well as in joint product development in their shared blown-film technology offerings.


MRC


Constar appoints two executives

(Plastics News) -- PET blow molder Constar International Inc. on Oct. 25 named George Caplea executive vice president of global business development, and announced that Joseph Bione of Whitehall Group LLC, will be consulting with the company as acting executive vice president of operations.

Both report directly to Grant Beard, the Philadelphia-based company's president and CEO.


Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, Constar International is among the world's leading suppliers of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic containers. A pioneer in the PET bottle business, Constar began manufacturing plastic bottles in the 1960's.


Now Constar continues to be an innovator in developing PET technology that gives customers new options for more sustainable packaging that meet retailer, consumer and cost objectives.


MRC


US foams market set to expand, says research

(PRW) -- According to a new technical market research report from Wellesley, Massachusetts-BCC Research, the US market for polymeric foams will amount to an estimated 7.6bn pounds in 2010, but is expected to increase to nearly 8.6bn pounds in 2015, giving a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5%.

Polystyrene foams are projected to increase from an estimated 2.2bn pounds in 2010 to 2.5bn pounds in 2015, for a CAGR of 2.1%.


PVC foams are expected to increase from 638m pounds in 2010 to 725m pounds in 2015, for a CAGR of 2.6%.


In addition to mature, continuing markets for plastic foams, BCC notes newer developments such as cross-linked polyolefin foam in leisure and sports goods, and foamed PVC in house construction elements, windows and doors.


The consultancy attributes motivation for the latest work on foams made from biopolymers and biodegradable polymers to efforts directed to reducing US dependency on petroleum and natural gas, the feedstocks for the plastics that are currently foamed.


MRC

Brussels urges anti-dumping duties on Chinese PET kept

(PRW) -- The European Commission is to recommend that existing antidumping duties of Euro EUR184/tonne are maintained on Chinese exports into the European Union (EU) of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).


Officials told PRW that a formal document proposing the move had been drafted and would be tabled by the Commission imminently, with the EU Council of Ministers being asked to approve the move by 17 November.

This is the date that the duties - which have been in place since 2004 - are scheduled to expire. But following a detailed expiry review, the Commission has decided to recommended their reimposition. They cover PET having a viscosity number of 78 ml/g or higher.


MRC


Pegas spins out nonwovens in the Czech Republic

(PRW) -- Luxembourg-based Pegas Nonwovens has set up a subsidiary company aimed at pursuing longer-term foreign expansion opportunities. The group announced the new firm, Pegas Nonwovens International, will be headquartered in the Czech Republic where it has polyethylene and polypropylene nonwovens production operations in Znojmo and Bucovice.


Pegas said the new offshoot will monitor investment opportunities outside the Czech Republic ⌠which could lead to the acquisition or opening of production facilities in other territories. Formed on 18 October, the firm has an initial registered capital of ┬8,130, it added.


MRC