Japanese plants shutdowns

(Plastemart) -- Japan Polypropylene Corp. plans to permanently shut two PP plants - The Kashima plant with capacity of 90,000 tpa will be shutdown in May 2011, and the 79,000 tpa Goi plant will be shutdown in June 2011.

Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical Corp plans to conduct planned maintenance at its three naphtha crackers in 2011, as per Reuters, probably between May and July. Kashima 1, with capacity to produce 375,000 tpa of ethylene, Kashima 2, with capacity to produce 453, 000 tpa of ethylene and Mizushima with capacity to produce 450, 000 tpa of ethylene will be shut sometime in May-July.

For the first time since 2007, Sumitomo Chemical Co plans to carry out maintenance work at its sole 380,000 tpa naphtha cracker in September 2011, for about 40-45 days.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- South Korea's number two ethylene maker Honam Petrochemical has acquired 72.3% stake in Malaysia's Titan Chemicals. Honam completed a payment of $990 million for stakes in Titan on November 9 and gained the managerial right.

The deal marks Honam's third acquisition, following Hyundai Petrochemical in 2003 and KP Chemical in 2004. Titan is Malaysia's largest integrated olefins and polyolefins producer, and one of the top 30 companies in Malaysia by asset size.

It has capacity to produce 1.2 mln tpa of olefins, 1.5 mln tpa of polyolefins, 0.2 mln tpa of aromatics, 0.1 mln tpa of butadiene and 38,000 tpa of BOPP film through facilities and plants located in Malaysia and Indonesia.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In October the Russian companies increased the volumes of HDPE imports having reached volume of 35 KT, according to MRC DataScope.

In October total HDPE imports supplies reaches record 35 KT which is 11 KT or 45,4% more compared to September supplies.

Such considerable imports growth is primarily subject to scheduled suspension for maintenance of two Russian producers - Kazanorgsintez and Nizhnekamskheftehim - during September-October.

Also the growth of film HDPE supplies from Ukraine (Karpatneftehim, Lukoil group) should be taken into account. In September the enterprise restarted PE production after more than two-year shutdown.

In October the plant reached 100% capacity utilisation.

For more detailed information about PVC market, see MRC DataScope reports.

MRC

(TaiPR.net) -- Indorama Ventures signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Guangdong Shinda UHMWPE Co., Ltd having manufacturing in Kaiping City, Guangdong Province of China. The plant has an installed capacity of 406,000 tons per annum to produce PET polymers and Polyester polymers for fibers and yarns and industrial applications.

Indorama Ventures is currently the world's second largest producer of PET. The Company's products are used in a wide range of segments. The PET and Fiber business of Indorama Ventures is suitably integrated with about 1.8 million tons of PTA manufacturing in Europe and in Asia.


⌠China is a fast growing country for PET and will soon become the worlds largest consumer and this acquisition will allow us to build upon our expanding global platform, making the company the largest vertically integrated PET producer in the world, said, Aloke Lohia, group chief executive officer of Indorama Ventures.

The transaction is expected to be finalized sometime in the first quarter of 2011, pending required regulatory approvals as well as certain conditions precedent by the vendor.


MRC

(Plasticsnet) -- Alliance Polymers & Services (APS) has introduced the newest line of Maxelast brand polypropylene overmold or stand-alone TPEs (thermoplastic elastomers). The TPE currently is in use on Toyota automobile seat belt housings and in several other automotive applications.

New Maxelast P3885H thermoplastic elastomer stands out as having excellent tear strength, very good UV stability, and excellent abrasion resistance. It can be used as a stand-alone TPE or overmolded onto polypropylene to achieve excellent results.

Alliance Polymers and Services, LLC is North America's only all-inclusive TPE supplier, offering consulting services and product solutions with BASF Elastollan TPUs and Polymax Maxelast TPEs. They are a full-service warehousing, distribution, shipping and technical service organization dedicated to helping elastomer products firms and processors with all their product and technical support needs.

MRC