Borealis presents first pilot projects to enhance the use of recycled polyolefins

(Plastemart) -- Borealis has presented its first pilot projects to enhance the use of recycled polyolefins at K 2010. The project highlights a shopping cart and shopping basket made from a combination of recycled polypropylene (PP) with Borealis' enhanced polypropylene (PP) grades for recycling, achieving the same superior material characteristics while significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the applications.

The development of the company's first pro-recyclates grades PP4R 500 and PP4R 100 is another milestone in Borealis' strategy to investigate different options to support the recycling of its advanced polyolefins solutions. The shopping carts are made of a combination of 67% high impact PP4R 500 PP and 33% recycled PP material.

The shopping baskets are made of 75% recycled PP and 25% PP4R 100. Both grades are enhanced grades developed by Borealis to meet the requirements for use in a combination with recycled material.

The environmental benefits of both pilot applications are significant. The use of recycled PP delivers a 15% improvement in the carbon footprint of the shopping cart and a 30% decrease for the shopping basket. Both pilots were manufactured with the support of. In both cases the recycled PP material was produced from mixed PP post-consumer waste.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Dow, the world's second-biggest chemical maker, said it's ⌠bullish on the outlook for plastics because of rising demand for packaging and wire coatings and falling energy costs at its US plants.

The profit margin for Dow's plastics business will stay near this year's level in 2011 before rising further, as per Chief Executive Officer Andrew Liveris. New ethylene and polyethylene plants in the Middle East and Asia haven't started as quickly as predicted by some industry consultants and delays will continue, Liveris said.

Even if excess capacity does materialize, older plants in Europe and Asia will shut, keeping supply tight. Liveris, who tried unsuccessfully to sell a 50% stake in Dow's basic-plastics unit in 2008, said he's no longer considering such a deal. The plastics business has led earnings growth this year after Dow closed older plants while lower natural-gas prices made U.S. plants more competitive.

Dow plans to retain more than half the basic-plastics unit, the business that makes linear low density polyethylene, or LLDPE, because Dow technology and end markets in packaging and coatings for wire and cable make it highly profitable. Dow will consider selling its stake in its Equate venture with Kuwait after completing an arbitration proceeding next year over Kuwait's cancellation of the so-called K-Dow plastics venture.

MRC

(Styron) -- Styron announced the launch of its new branched polycarbonate grade for polycarbonate sheet producers in Europe. The new resin allows extruders to produce heavier and more complex multi-wall sheets with enhanced thermal insulation properties.

With the arrival of XZ 94260.00, Styron can now offer extruders a solution for producing high quality multi-wall sheets with thicknesses up to 60 mm. These thicker sheets with an increased number of walls bring better mechanical properties and higher thermal insulation for more energy efficient buildings.

Additionally, XZ 94260.00 offers outstanding surface aesthetics, thanks to its tailored composition.

Styron has a leadership position in its two flagship products, polystyrene and latex. The company has approximately $3.7 billion in revenue (based on 2009 data), with 20 manufacturing sites in all geographic regions.


MRC

(Styron) -- Styron announced the launch of its new branched polycarbonate grade for polycarbonate sheet producers in Europe. The new resin allows extruders to produce heavier and more complex multi-wall sheets with enhanced thermal insulation properties.

With the arrival of XZ 94260.00, Styron can now offer extruders a solution for producing high quality multi-wall sheets with thicknesses up to 60 mm. These thicker sheets with an increased number of walls bring better mechanical properties and higher thermal insulation for more energy efficient buildings.

Additionally, XZ 94260.00 offers outstanding surface aesthetics, thanks to its tailored composition.

Styron has a leadership position in its two flagship products, polystyrene and latex. The company has approximately $3.7 billion in revenue (based on 2009 data), with 20 manufacturing sites in all geographic regions.


MRC

(PRW) -- Europe's converted flexible packaging market declined by 3% in value terms to around ┬10.4bn in 2009, according to a report from leading consultancy PCI Films Consulting.

The decline in sales value was primarily associated with the fall in raw material costs, especially in the first half of the year, which was reflected in lower prices to customers. Contrary to some expectations, however, demand in area terms actually increased, albeit by a marginal 1%, as a result of real growth in a number of end use markets in both Western and Eastern Europe.

One of the major events of the last year has been Amcor completing its acquisition of certain parts of Alcan Packaging, which sees Amcor emerging as by far the largest flexible packaging converter in Europe with approaching 25% overall market share. At the same time a number of other European top ten converters have not yet achieved the critical mass at which they can most effectively challenge the newly enlarged Amcor.

The report notes that the conjunction of these trends is expected to result in still further consolidation of the European flexible packaging industry as more medium sized converters are likely to be acquired by the leading players. The report also details the emergence of a number fast growing medium sized converters that are taking share from the leading players in some national markets.

MRC