Ningxia Yinglite to resume production at PVC plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China's Ningxia Yinglite Chemical has restarted its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant restarted on August 21, 2013. It was shut for a maintenance turnaround.

Located in Shizuishan, Ningxia province, China, the plant has a production capacity of 275,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, Tianjin LG Dagu Chemical shut down an ethylene-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant for maintenance turnaround on August 20, 2013. It is expected to remain off-stream for around one week. Located in Tianjin, China, the plant has a production capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

Besides, we remind that, Shintech, one of the major polyvinyl chlorice (PVC) producer in the US, will spend USD500 mln to expand plant capacity by 10% in Plaquemine and Addis. Shin-Etsu said its Plaquemine plant is running at capacity and expansion is needed to meet growing worldwide demand for PVC. The expansion will eliminate production bottlenecks. Shin-Etsu will pay for the project using its own money, planning completion in 2015.

Upon completion of expansion, Shintech will increase its polyvinyl chloride capacity by 300,000 tpa, its vinyl chloride monomer capacity by 300,000 tpa and its caustic soda capacity by 200,000 tpa. About 75-80% of the work will take place at the larger Plaquemine plant and 20-25% will be done at Addis.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Linde Group was awarded a contract to build the world’s largest carbon dioxide (CO2) purification and liquefaction plant for Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will be located at Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia.

The plant will be designed to compress and purify around 1,500 tpd of raw carbon dioxide coming from two nearby ethylene glycol plants. The purified gaseous CO2 will be pipelined through the piping corridor of the Royal Commission of Jubail to three SABIC-affiliated companies for enhanced methanol and urea production.

In total, an estimated 500,000 tpy of CO2 emissions will be saved.

The plant will also be capable of producing 200 tpd of liquid CO2 with food-grade quality, which will be stored and thereafter supplied by truck to the beverage and food industry.

Linde Engineering Dresden will be responsible for the concept and basic engineering, front-end engineering design (FEED) and detailed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the facility.

Work is slated to be completed on a fast-track schedule, the companies said, with mechanical completion set to be achieved in 2015.

The plant is the first carbon capture and utilization (CCU) project of this size to be realized in Saudi Arabia.

We remind that, as MRC informed earlier, in late May 2013, SABIC, Saudi Arabia's petrochemical major, opened a new engineering thermoplastics compounding facility and a polypropylene compounding plant at its manufacturing facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Sabic is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia. Sabic is currently the second largest global ethylene glycol producer, the third largest polyethylene manufacturer, the fourth largest polyolefins manufacturer and the fourth largest polypropylene manufacturer.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lawmakers reversed course Thursday and backed a contract with South African energy company Sasol Ltd. to build a multibillion-dollar fuel plant in southwest Louisiana in exchange for USD257 million in state incentives over a decade, said Thenewstribune.

The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget agreed to the contract without objection, a week after delaying a vote on the project because committee members said they had too little information about the potential costs to the state budget.

On Thursday, lawmakers said they had received the details they sought from Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration to be able to analyze the project and determine the fuel plant would be an economic boon to the state.

Sasol will spend at least USD14.5 billion to build a complex near Lake Charles that will turn natural gas into chemicals, diesel and other fuels. The company expects to create 1,272 new jobs at the facility.

Jindal's economic development secretary, Stephen Moret, cited an LSU economic study that said the project is expected to generate USD873 million in state taxes over 15 years and billions of dollars in new business sales and household earnings over the same time.

State incentives include millions of dollars in tax breaks, a USD20 million worker training facility and a USD115 million payment to the company for land and infrastructure that will be left to a future governor's administration and lawmakers to fund.

As MRC wrote before, INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA and Sasol has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the intent to form a joint venture to manufacture high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Sasol Limited is an integrated energy and chemical company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It develops and commercialises technologies, including synthetic fuels technologies, and produces different liquid fuels, chemicals and electricity.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Swiss company Clariant introduces new PA 6.6 compounds for injection moulding, said Plasteurope.

Parts machined from bar stock, such as the bushings, left, can be expensive. By injection moulding Clariant MoS2 lubricated PA 6.6 to near-finished shape prior to machining, processors can make the same parts (right) in less time and with minimal material waste.

Injection moulding grades of molybdenum disulphide-filled PA 6.6 compounds are now available from Swiss speciality chemicals producer Clariant. The company said the materials have been developed for applications requiring toughness, high compressive strength and lubricity.

"Renol" 6642 MoS2 lubricated PA 6.6 compound has a tensile strength at yield of 11,500 psi and breaks at 40% tensile elongation. Its properties make it an alternative in metal replacement for applications such as bushings. By injection moulding the material, processors eliminate scrap almost entirely and cut manufacturing times by 75% or more, Clariant said.

For applications requiring tight tolerances, parts can be moulded and then machined to finished dimensions with minimal material waste and improved cycle times.

As MRC wrote before, Clariant announced that it has signed a long-term supply contract with OMV. From 2015, the Austrian oil and gas company will supply Clariant’s site in Gendorf (Germany) with ethylene. This agreement will enable Clariant to source most of its requirements for this important basic chemical in southern Bavaria.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In August Evonik Acrylics Africa (EEA) is to begin producing extruded PLEXIGLAS sheets in Elandsfontein, Johannesburg, according to the company's press release.

With an initial number of 20 employees and a new extrusion facility, some several thousand metric tons of semi-finished material will be produced per year for the African market. The products, which are manufactured in accordance with international quality standards, include standard formats as well as special sizes.

"Over the past years we have continuously expanded the visibility of the PLEXIGLAS brand in Southern Africa with the aim of becoming the market leader in this region," explains Holger Morhart, Business Director of Evonik Acrylics Africa.

In May 2012, to this end, Evonik entered into a joint venture with the South African plastics processor Ampaglas Plastics Group, one of the largest manufacturers of extruded plastics in Southern Africa. Since then, the partners have further expanded the distribution network under the name Evonik Acrylics Africa. Production will begin now in August at the plant in Elandsfontein.

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, in June 2013, Evonik has launched a new generation of PVC plasticizers under the ELATUR product brand. With this strategic portfolio expansion, Evonik is consistently developing its range of sustainable plasticizers. Plasticizers from Evonik are primarily used in the plastics, automotive, and construction industry.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2012, the company generated sales of around EUR13.6 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.6 billion. The international rating agency Moody's has upgraded the credit rating of the German speciality chemicals group Evonik Industries AG from Baa3 with a positive outlook to Baa2 with a positive outlook.
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