Wacker Polymers to raise prices for dispersions and dispersible powders in Americas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker Polymers, a division of Wacker Chemie AG, is to raise its prices for VINNAPAS vinyl acetate-ethylene (EVA) and VINNOL ethylene-vinyl chloride-based (EVCL) copolymer dispersions and dispersible powders in the Americas, reported the company on its site.

Effective 1 November, 2014, Wacker will implement a price increase of USD0.03/pound, or as customer contracts allow.

This measure has been necessitated by constantly rising raw material costs, in particular for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM). Additionally, a logistics surcharge of USD0.02/pound will be implemented for all shipments effective 1 November, 2014.

Ongoing high raw material costs, especially for vinyl acetate monomer, a crucial raw material for the manufacturing of Wacker’s dispersions and dispersible powders, necessitate this step. The logistics surcharge is related to increasing freight and distribution cost across the Americas region.

The price adjustment enables Wacker Polymers to continue providing customers a wide-range of innovative quality products and comprehensive technical, sales and customer support services.

Dispersions and dispersible powders of the VINNAPAS and VINNOL brand are applied in a broad variety of industries, ranging from adhesives, construction, nonwovens, paints and coatings to paper, carpet and textiles.

As MRC informed earlier, Wacker Polymersis raised its prices for EVA and EVCL copolymer dispersions of the VINNAPAS and VINNOL brand in the regions Americas and Greater China from 1 August, 2014. Prices were raised by USD0.03/pound in the Americas. In Greater China, prices were increased by CNY300/tonne.

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 percent 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 redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman has commenced preliminary engineering to expand production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) by investment in a new, world-scale MDI plant at its complex in Geismar, Louisiana, the company announced on Monday.

The 400,000-tpy expansion will leverage the significant advantages of the Geismar site, with its access to US shale gas, strong logistics base and excellent integration, according to company officials.

The new capacity is expected to come on-stream in 2018 and will enable Huntsman to further support the global growth of its customers.

MDI capacity at the site is currently undergoing an expansion to 500,000 tpy, which is due to come on-stream next year. Huntsman’s 760-acre Geismar site is the largest integrated MDI production facility in the Americas region.

MDI based polyurethanes are used in an extensive range of applications and markets - including construction, automotive, coatings and footwear - and provide key benefits of energy efficient insulation, comfort and well-being, according to Huntsman representatives.

"Shale gas has significantly improved the economics of investing in US facilities and has helped our Geismar facility to establish a strong cost leadership position," said Anthony P. Hankins, president of Huntsman Polyurethanes. "The planned additional capacity will reinforce this position and establish the plant as a truly global supplier."

"Demand for MDI-based polyurethanes continues to grow at around 8% annually," he continued. "In order to satisfy this demand, Huntsman Polyurethanes has a sustained global program of both upstream and downstream investment to support our customers’ growth ambitions."

In addition to its Geismar facility, Huntsman Polyurethanes operates world-scale MDI facilities at its sites in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Shanghai, China.

As MRC reproted earlier, this year, the performance products division of Huntsman expanded its global polyetheramines (PEA) capacity by nearly 15% as a result of debottlenecking three of its PEA manufacturing plants globally. Expansion was done in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The company's projects at its Conroe, Texas (US), Llanelli, Wales (UK) and Singapore sites had become fully operational by May 2014.

Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. Our operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) has received a long-term transportation agreement from NOVA Chemicals to transport ethane and ethane-propane mixtures from the prolific Utica shale area through its previously reported Utica to Ontario Pipeline Access (UTOPIA) project, which is currently in a binding open season that began Sept. 5, 2014, and will close on Oct. 6, 2014, said Hydracarbonprocessing.

As part of the UTOPIA project, Kinder Morgan Cochin will develop, construct, own and operate a 240-mile, 12-inch diameter pipeline from Harrison County, Ohio, to Kinder Morgan’s Cochin Pipeline near Riga, Michigan, where the company would then move product eastward to Windsor, Ontario, Canada. UTOPIA would have an initial 50,000 bpd of capacity, which is expandable to more than 75,000 bpd. The approximately USD500 million pipeline project is expected to be in service by early 2018 with the receipt of timely permitting and regulatory approvals.

"We are pleased to partner with NOVA Chemicals to provide a long-term solution for moving ethane and ethane-propane mixtures out of the Utica shale," said Don Lindley, President of NGL, Products Pipelines for KMP.

"This pipeline project supports NOVA Chemicals’ growth strategy-providing our Corunna, Ontario, facility with diversity of supply by accessing feedstock from new and existing producers in the growing Utica shale basin, in addition to our current feedstock supply," said Grant Thomson, President of Olefins and Feedstocks for NOVA Chemicals.

As MRC wrote before, NOVA Chemicals announced that the first barrels of ethane supplied from natural gas associated with oil production from Bakken Shale are being utilized at its Joffre complex in Canada's Alberta province. The ethane was produced at Hess Corp.'s plant in Tioga, North Dakota, and transported across the border into Alberta via the Vantage Pipeline.

Nova Chemical is one of the largest world's petrochemical companies, a manufacturer of polyethylene, styrene polymers, monomers, and many other related products.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PolyOne, a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, has launched a new range of organic-based colorants, part of the Colorsperse portfolio, as per the company's press release.

iIn response to rising consumer demand for makeup that contains natural ingredients, these new color dispersions have been developed for lipsticks and anhydrous (oil-based) cosmetics.

In addition to increasing competitive market position, Colorsperse organic-based colorants also boost process efficiency by eliminating pigment grinding and additional quality checks, which often require multiple color corrections.
This new line incorporates a plant-based carrier system and leads to a cleaner working environment than is typical with dry powder pigments.

Seth Tomasch, general manager, PolyOne, said, "Cosmetics brands can leverage our expertise in pigment dispersions to improve their competitive advantage with greater process efficiencies and enhanced consumer appeal that expands marketplace reach."

As MRC wrote before, in June 2014, PolyOne Corporation has presented its specialty portfolio for automotive interiors to designers and engineers at the 2014 WardsAuto Interiors conference. These advanced technologies, including soft-touch materials as well as colorants and special effects, enable customers to design new features that boost consumer appeal and reduce manufacturing complexity.

PolyOne Corporation, with 2013 revenues of USD3.8 billion, is a global provider of specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions. PolyOne is a provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions with operations in specialty polymer formulations, color and additive systems, polymer distribution and specialty vinyl resins.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russian companies are facing a squeeze in funding as sanctions targeting industries smother lending to all borrowers, including those that aren’t blacklisted, said Bloomberg.

"As long as those sanctions measures remain in force, one anticipates there will be very little international lending,” Philip Hanson, an associate fellow at the Chatham House research group in London, said yesterday by telephone.

Syndicated loans plunged 53% this quarter from a year earlier to USD2.68 billion, the lowest level in at least five years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Coal miner Siberian Anthracite’s USD250 million deal was the only international one signed this month, the smallest number for any September since at least 2008.

Banks are weighing the consequences of doing business with Russia after BNP Paribas SA was fined a record USD8.97 billion in June for circumnavigating U.S. embargoes on Sudan, Iran and Cuba. Dutch lender ING Groep NV pulled out of a loan sought by Techsnabexport JSC even though the Russian nuclear exporter isn’t among companies targeted by the penalties, two people familiar with the matter said Sept. 12.

The ING decision came about a month after U.S. and European Union sanctions on VTB Group prevented the second-biggest Russian bank by market value from signing a USD1.5 billion loan with a syndicate led by Barclays Plc.

Swiss energy trader Vitol Group’s plan to raise USD2 billion to buy oil from state-owned producer OAO Rosneft was put on hold after the world’s largest publicly traded oil producer by volume was slapped with U.S. sanctions on July 16, according to two people familiar with that transaction.

The U.S. and Europe widened penalties in July after travel bans and asset freezes aimed at President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle failed to end the conflict in Ukraine. The sanctions, which target Russia’s biggest state-run banks, energy companies and defense firms, block lending for public-sector investment projects and prevent targeted companies including OAO Gazprombank and OAO Novatek from accessing equity or debt markets for new long-term financing.
MRC