Showa Denko to shut its VAM plant for maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Showa Denko is in plans to shut its vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant for maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdtae source in Japan informed that the plant will be shut in March 2015. It is planned to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located at Oita in Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 175,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote previously, last year, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), a major petrochemical producer, and Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) entered into a strategic partnership in the Fullerene business.

Fullerene is a molecule composed entirely of carbon. It takes the form of a soccer ball and is one nanometer (one-millionth of a millimeter) in diameter. As the molecule is soluble in organic solvents and is an excellent electron acceptor, it is seen as a promising material in the field of electronics, particularly for such applications as n-type material for organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells.

Showa Denko K.K. is mainly engaged in the petrochemical business. The Petrochemical segment manufactures and sells olefin, organic chemicals and others. The Chemical Product segment supplies chemicals, industrial gases, special gas and functional drug for semiconductors, functional high molecular materials, among others.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PET to PET Recycling Austria GmbH, a bottle-to-bottle PET recycling operation backed by Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling and several beverage manufacturers, has invested 2.3 million euros ($2.9 million) to upgrade its Austrian plant, said Plasticsnews.

Over the past year, the firm has expanded, reorganized and improved its processing plant at Mullendorf, in the Austrian state of Burgenland, to handle increasing processing demand. The work has included the construction of a processing hall and the installation of a new storage silo system comprising 12 individual silos.

It has improved the process flow and allowed some recyclate to be delivered in special storage vehicles to customers, the company said.

"With the current expansion, we have now invested strongly in improving the infrastructure of systems and the optimization of logistic processes," said Managing Director Christian Strasser.

The firm has centralized its operations on the main site, coordinating truck deliveries and stock transfers. The site’s operation will be more efficient and environmentally sustainable, saving not only time but also transport fuel, according to PET to PET.

The firm produces quality food grade PET flake from bottle waste and PET granules for molding PET bottle preforms.
PET to PET is a joint venture run by Austrian beverage companies Radlberger Getranke & Co; S. Spitz; Rauch Fruchtsafte & Co. and Voslauer Mineralwasser, along with Coca-Cola HBC Austria. It opened in 2007.

As MRC wrote before, Coca-Cola Company made an additional investment in the US-based Virent, which is developing its bio-based paraxylene (PX), BioFormPX. This investment will enable Virent to scale up separation and purification of BioFormPX material at their demonstration plant in Madison, Wisconsin.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ineos ChlorVinyls, one of the major chlor-alkali producers in Europe, has announced an increase in its list prices of caustic soda, reported the Switzerland-based producer on its site.

Thus, Ineos' caustic soda prices are to increase by EUR65 per dry metric tonne with effect from 1 October 2014.

Last time, Ineos increased its prices of caustic soda from 1 July 2014 by EUR 60 per dry metric tonne.

As MRC informed previously, Ineos ChlorVinyls raised its list prices of caustic soda by EUR20 per dry metric tonne from 1 April 2014.

Ineos ChlorVinyls is one of the major chlor-alkali producers in Europe, a global leader in chlorine derivatives and Europe's largest PVC manufacturer.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Munich-based Wacker Group has built a new test facility for certifying modern external thermal insulation composite systems at its Burghausen site, reported the company on its site.

The key features of the facility are two climatic chambers with weathering walls as per EOTA (European Organisation for Technical Approvals) guidelines. They can be used to test exterior insulation systems under a wide variety of climatic conditions.

The group invested around EUR1 million in the expansion project. Wacker is thus extending its range of services and consulting offering for customers and partners, while meeting the globally rising demand for high-quality exterior insulation systems.

The expansion was made necessary by the growing market for insulation systems and the associated rising customer demand for means of testing their polymer-modified exterior systems. The new test facilities, which belong to Wacker Polymers’ applications laborato-ries, now have their own building at the Burghausen site.

As MRC reported earlier, in May 2014, Wacker developed a novel dispersible polymer powder for modifying cementitious and gypsum-based dry-mix mortars. VINNAPAS 8620 E is based on a terpolymer of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate and ethylene (EVA), and is ideal for the formulation of high-quality, low-emission tile adhesives.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50% of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bayer intends in the future to focus entirely on the Life Science businesses – HealthCare and CropScience – and float MaterialScience on the stock market as a separate company, said the company in its press release.

In this way Bayer is positioning itself as a world-leading company in the field of human, animal and plant health. The Supervisory Board unanimously approved the Board of Management's plans today, Thursday. "Our intention is to create two top global corporations: Bayer as a world-class innovation company in the Life Science businesses, and MaterialScience as a leading player in polymers," Bayer CEO Dr. Marijn Dekkers announced. He said both companies have excellent prospects for success in their respective industries. Employment levels are expected to remain stable over the next few years, both globally and in Germany.

In recent years, Bayer's center of gravity has greatly shifted toward its Life Science activities with the successful launch of novel pharmaceutical products, the pending acquisition of the over-the-counter products business of Merck & Co., Inc., United States, and the very successful development of the CropScience business. The aim is to continue the positive development of these activities in the future through further investment in growth. Following its regular evaluation of the business portfolio, the Board of Management has therefore decided to focus the company on these areas. The Life Sciences currently already account for about 70 percent of Bayer's sales and 88 percent of EBITDA before special items.

It is planned to float the MaterialScience business on the stock market as a separate company within the next 12 to 18 months. A major reason for this move is to give MaterialScience direct access to capital for its future development. This access can no longer be adequately ensured within the Bayer Group due to the substantial investment needs of the Life Science businesses for both organic and external growth. Also, as a separate company, MaterialScience can align its organizational and process structures and corporate culture entirely toward its own industrial environment and business model.

As MRC wrote before, Bayer AG announced plans to sale its USD10 billion plastics unit to focus on growing its health business. Bayer is considering the sale of its MaterialScience division after chemicals company Evonik Industries AG showed interest in the unit several months ago.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech polymer materials. As an innovation company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power
MRC