Wyoming Refining licenses Technip, ExxonMobil technology at new plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Badger Licensing announced that Wyoming Refining Co. has selected Badger to provide its proprietary BenzOUT technology for a 4,000-bpd grassroots plant to be built in Newcastle, Wyoming, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The unit converts benzene contained in the refinery's gasoline pool into high-octane blendstock by reacting the benzene with refinery-grade propylene.

The award includes technology license, process design, and start-up services. The project is currently in basic engineering and is scheduled for mechanical completion and startup in 2015.

"Wyoming Refining will meet MSAT II benzene regulations and gain several important benefits by choosing BenzOUT technology," said Stuart Agler, president of Badger.

"The technology will increase the octane in Wyoming Refining’s motor gasoline and does not require hydrogen," he added. "Wyoming Refining will also avoid high freight costs associated with shipping propylene by converting the propylene to high-octane gasoline blendstock."

Badger Licensing, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a venture of affiliates of Technip and ExxonMobil Chemical. Badger Licensing is principally engaged in marketing, licensing and developing technologies for ethylbenzene, styrene monomer, cumene and bisphenol A, in addition to BenzOUT technology.

As MRC wrote before, ExxonMobil Chemical announced that it will build facilities to manufacture premium halobutyl rubber and Escorez hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin at its recently-expanded petrochemical complex in Singapore. Engineering and procurement activities have begun, with construction expected to begin in the second half of 2014 and completion anticipated in 2017.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Romanian company Electric Plus, headquartered in Bacau, recently finalized a EUR 5 million investment into a new factory that produces PVC window profile systems under the brand Barrier, said Romania-insider.

The new production line can make 700 windows each day and has 200 employees that operate it.

The company also produces PVC profile doors and will also start producing insulating glass next year.

Electric Plus is distributing its Barrier products in Romania, via a network of over 300 partners, but is also exporting PVC windows to Italy, France, Belgium and Germany. It also plans to enter the markets in Great Britain, Netherlands and Spain.

Electric Plus increased its turnover from EUR 2.8 million in 2010 to EUR 13.3 million in 2013 and made a net profit of EUR 595,000, according to data from the Finance Ministry. The company had 289 employees in 2013.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced that it has signed a purchase agreement with VitaPac, a Chinese specialist for healthcare packaging, reported the company on its site.

The owner-led company with 80 employees is based in Hong Kong with a production site in Dongguan, China. It had consolidated sales of about CHF 4.0 million in 2013 (USD4.2 million).

The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2014 and subject to regulatory approvals.

VitaPac, founded in 1995, develops and manufactures a full range of high quality protective packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, neutraceutical and food industries, as well as for the logistics and electronics sectors, mainly in the region of Asia-Pacific (APAC). The company focuses on active sorbents and has built up a leading market position for desiccant packets for moisture adsorption.

The bolt-on acquisition of VitaPac complements the portfolio of Clariant’s Business Line Medical Specialties within its Business Unit Masterbatches. The agreement will help Clariant to gain increased market share in important emerging markets especially in Asia but also to capture further sales in other regions. The acquired Dongguan plant will enlarge Clariant’s global footprint, furthering the reach to its multinational pharmaceutical customer base.

Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant, comments: "The acquisition of VitaPac is in line with our strategy to grow profitably by investing in new technologies and new markets. It will enable us to enhance Clariant’s existing portfolio of packaging solutions with new innovative products from the active packaging area, helping us to further develop our positioning in the medical specialties market."

As MRC wrote before, in April 2014, Clariant Chemicals (India ) Ltd., an affiliate of Clariant AG announced the successful closure of the acquisition of Plastichemix Industries - a Gujarat based masterbatches business in India, with production facilities at Rania, Kalol and Nandesari.

Earlier, last summer, Clariant and Tasnee, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Saudi Arabia, announced the signing of an agreement to establish a masterbatches joint venture in Saudi Arabia.

Clariant Chemicals (India) Limited and custom color and additive products with production of more than 10,000 color matches which are completed each year. With more than 50 manufacturing plants around the world, Clariant
Masterbatches products, technology and service deliver competitive advantages that foster long-term customer relationships.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema, a global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, has developed its new range of Elium, the first thermoplastic resins that can be processed on the same equipment as thermoset resins, as per the company's press release.

The main advantages of Elium resins are the recyclability of composite parts, the use of well known processes (RTM, Infusion) to mold structural and semi-structural parts and the cost-effectiveness of the technology to make continuous-fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites.

In addition to the Elium range and Luperox organic peroxides - used as initiator for Elium resins - Arkema is developing a large range of high performance materials, additives and adhesives, for applications involving composites with a thermoset or a thermoplastic matrix:

- a polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) called Kepstan to replace metal in extreme conditions (aerospace, offshore);
- the Rilsan range, a high-performance polyamide that is 100% bio-sourced and which gives thermoplastic composites resistance to abrasion and impacts, even at low temperatures;
- additives like Nanostrength, Orgasol polyamides significantly improve the natural resistance properties of composites.

Lastly, AEC Polymers, an Arkema subsidiary specialized in structural adhesives, markets BlackMamba waterproof sealant adhesives and SAF structural adhesives, for complex composite assemblies.

As MRC reported before, in early 2014, Arkema, the world’s second leading producer of organic peroxides, announced the construction of a new organic peroxide plant on its Changshu site in China. This investment will help double the site’s production capacity.

A global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, Arkema with annual revenue of EUR6.4 billion is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc. Arkema operates 11 organic peroxide plants on the three continents.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The shutdown at Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd plant, on for more than 75 days, would continue for some more time, a source told PTI, said Plastemart.

The plant was running at less than 50% of its capacity before the shutdown period. "When the plant reopens now, it will start at full capacity," he said.

When pointed out that the downstream plastics units in the state and around were facing difficulties in sourcing polymers due to the prolonged shutdown, he said: "We are aware of their problems. But it is not possible to start the plant as there is a huge funds shortage."

However, as the issue of ownership of HPL comes to some conclusion with the West Bengal government deciding to transfer its shares to TCG, the financial issues could be expected to iron out.

As MRC wrote before, IndianOil Corporation (IOC) is likely to call off its planned acquisition of the West Bengal government’s 40% in Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) if The Chatterjee Group (TCG) chief Purnendu Chatterjee is appointed HPL chairman.

Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd is a modern naphtha based petrochemical complex at Haldia, West Bengal, India. Haldia has played the role of a catalyst in emergence of more than 500 downstream processing industries in West Bengal with a capacity to process more than 3,50,000 TPA of polymers, among which are polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

MRC