LANXESS invested EUR 9 million to expand EVM production

(LANXESS) -- Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is to expand annual production capacity at its Dormagen site for its ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVM) line sold under the product brands Levapren and Levamelt by 30 percent to 15,000 metric tons. The new capacities are due to be available from the second half of 2012.

⌠With this investment we are responding to rising demand in the wire and cable industry, which manufactures flame-retardant halogen-free sheathing out of Levapren, says Jurgen Gunther, head of the Specialties business line in the Technical Rubber Products (TRP) business unit.

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 5.06 billion in 2009 and currently around 14,400 employees in 23 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.

MRC

(PR Newswire) -- The Dow Chemical Company has expanded the availability of CONTINUUM EP High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Resins. This new generation of bimodal HDPE resins bridges the gap between conventional unimodal and bimodal HDPEs by offering the potential for enhanced performance, processing, and profits in blow molded bottle and drum applications. The resin was initially introduced in 2009 and, with customer testing complete, is now commercially available.

The CONTINUUM EP product family currently includes two bimodal resins: CONTINUUM EP-6630 HDPE for blow molded bottles and XDMDA-6670 EP HDPE for large blow molded parts such as drums.

The dramatically enhanced environmental stress crack resistance of these resins offers the potential for significantly improved performance in existing applications and equivalent or better performance in lightweighted containers.

MRC

(Bloomberg) -- BP Plc remains at risk for billions of dollars in fines and legal costs even after a U.S. commission said safety wasn't sacrificed for profit in the weeks and days leading up to the worst U.S. offshore oil spill.

The presidential panel said yesterday it found no evidence so far that BP, operator of the Gulf of Mexico well that erupted in April and spewed 4.9 million barrels of crude, intentionally jeopardized safety to cut costs. The catastrophe stemmed from ⌠several very human decisions made by competent persons who missed signals, said William Reilly, co-chairman of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

The panel's finding contradicted allegations by environmental groups, lawmakers and a joint U.S. Coast Guard- Interior Department board that BP cut corners to rein in costs and pressured employees to accelerate work on the Macondo project in the Gulf.

The London-based energy producer still may be held liable in civil and criminal courts, said David Uhlmann, a University of Michigan law professor. ⌠BP has a broader corporate culture that does put profits ahead of safety, and that message permeates throughout the company and down through the rank and file, Uhlmann said in a telephone interview. ⌠BP will still have to pay tens of billions of dollars in natural resources damages and compensation to victims for economic losses.

MRC

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Gulf stabilizers industries is expecting to commissioning its fourth expansion project of its non dust blends (NDB) plant during the first half 2011, according to Baker Khan, general manager of Gulf Stabilizers Industries, the only producer of antioxidants and NDB in the Middle East.

Currently, the company produces 10,000t/y of NDB, and is adding 6000 t/y by 2011. ⌠Upon completion, our total capacity will reach 16,000 tonne per year of NDB, said the general manager of the Saudi based company.

The antioxidants are added to various polymerization processing units along with other desired additives. Meanwhile, NDB is a blend of antioxidants and other desired additives.

MRC

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- India has suspended its anti-dumping taxes on the import of Saudi polypropylene products, according to Mohamed Al Mady, CEO of SABIC.

The move follows intense efforts made by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Saudi exporting companies to change the Indian stance on the matter.

India recently imposed a tax of over 22% on Saudi polypropylene. India made the decision to levy the tax in June 2009 on a preliminary basis and in August 2010 on a final basis.

MRC