Total CEO Christophe de Margerie dies in plane crash

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total confirms with deep regret and great sadness that Chairman and CEO Christophe de Margerie died just after 10pm (Paris time) on October 20 in a private plane crash at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, following a collision with a snow removal machine, the French energy company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Four people were found dead at the scene of the accident, including three crew member and Christophe de Margerie.

The thoughts of the management and employees of the Group go out to Christophe de Margerie’s wife, children and loved ones as well as to the families of the three other victims.

As MRC informed earlier, Total in September said its joint venture with Russia’s Lukoil, to explore shale oil in western Siberia, had ground to a halt as a result of western sanctions.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has presented functional materials and solutions for the future of mobility at the International Suppliers Fair (IZB) in Wolfsburg, Germany from October 14-16, 2014, reported the company on its site.

"Innovations from the world of chemistry open up new paths for the mobility of the future. Chemical products in cars are increasingly contributing to developments in the automotive industry such as weight and emission reduction, electromobility and individualization," says Hans W. Reiners, President of BASF’s Performance Chemicals division.

One possibility to make cars lighter is the use of effective lightweight materials. With Ultracom, BASF offers an integrated system which helps to design automotive structural parts made of thermoplastic composites with optimized cost and weight. Ultracom consists of three elements: continuous fiber-reinforced semi-finished products (laminates and tapes), injection molding compounds as well as engineering services including part design, simulation, manufacturing and parts testing.

BASF offers numerous technologies that reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles and save resources. With their special lubricating characteristics Emgard drive axle lubricants contribute to improved fuel efficiency, offer extended drain intervals and provide better protection against wear and tear when compared to conventional mineral oil-based lubricants.

With BASF’s new mass balance approach, fossil feedstock can be saved through replacement with renewable resources at the beginning of the production process. Through an independently certified process, the specific share of renewable raw materials can be allocated to the respective end product for a vehicle. The advantage: the product performance is identical. At the same time, it saves fossil resources and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

Another technology for improving air quality is PremAir. More than 3 million vehicles worldwide have already been equipped with these special catalytic converters which convert ground-level ozone into oxygen.

BASF invests in the development of cathode materials and electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. They are crucial in determining the energy density and costs and thus the overall effectiveness of the battery. BASF also develops technologies that can improve the energy efficiency of electric vehicles and increase the range of the batteries. Using a newly developed near-infrared reflective film, solar radiation through car windows can be reduced by up to 40 percent. This reduces heat generation in the vehicle interior during the summer and thus the energy consumption of the air-conditioning system.

To preserve the brilliant gloss of a new car for as long as possible, BASF offers the highly scratch-resistant clearcoat iGloss as well as premium refinish paints.

For the interior, BASF offers valure, a special transfer coating technology. It can produce high-quality, soft-touch surfaces with almost limitless design options as well as unique material combinations with a wide variety of flexible substrates like leather in automotive interior.

As MRC informed earlier, BASF, the German chemicals giant, and Archroma have recently agreed on the sale of BASF’s global textile chemicals business to Archroma, a supplier of specialty chemicals to the textile, paper and emulsions industries.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema has showcased its refrigerant substitutes designed to address the definitive ban on recycled R-22 and other HCFCs (2nd generation refrigerant gases) at the end of 2014 at Chillventa, the leading trade fair in the refrigeration, air-conditioning, ventilation and heat pump markets in Europe, held in Nuremberg from 14 to 16 October 2014, as per the company's press release.

As 2014 comes to an end, the refrigerant sector is undergoing major regulatory changes in Europe. Firstly, the use of recycled or reclaimed R-22 for the maintenance of existing equipment will be definitely banned in Europe at the end of the year. A large number of installations running on R-22 are still in very good operating order, but after 2014 could no longer be loaded with recycled or reclaimed R-22 fluid in cases of leakage. Changing the equipment entails high capital investments, as well as rather long idle periods between dismantling of old equipment and installation of a new one, which may impose to stop or shut down an industrial or commercial activity relying on refrigeration for several weeks.

In order to continue operating R-22 installations in a simple, quick and cost-efficient manner, Arkema has developed Forane 427A. This 3rd generation refrigerant fluid (HFC) makes for a straightforward substitution of R-22 in existing refrigeration and air-conditioning installations (retrofit). Forane 427A offers the closest match to R-22 in terms of performances (COP, cooling power) as well as mass flow rates and operating pressures in both air-conditioning and low and medium temperature refrigeration. As its thermodynamic properties are close to those of R-22, Forane 427A is the only retrofit fluid that can be used in most equipment designed for R-22 without requiring any major changes to the installations (no need to change liquid lines, expansion valves, condensing units or any other costly parts of the system).

Forane 427A, a nil ODP2 refrigerant fluid with one of the lowest GWP3 (2130) among existing substitutes, is the easiest and most cost-effective retrofit solution with regard to the total ban on R-22. This fluid has been marketed for many years in Europe, and its use both in air-conditioning and in refrigeration has shown that it is effective and easy to put into operation.

In this context of the new F-Gas1 regulation coming into effect in Europe banning the use of R-404A and R-507 from 2020 both in new equipment and for the maintenance of existing equipment, Arkema offers a replacement solution that can be used not just as a retrofit fluid but also in new equipment: Forane 407A (R-407A). This lower GWP3 (2107) refrigerant can replace R-404A and R-507 in medium and low temperature refrigeration applications. This fluid has in particular been used for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom by several major supermarket chains. Forane 407A has a GWP3 almost 50% lower than that of R-404A and R-507, a similar cooling capacity, and an improved energy efficiency especially in the most critical temperature conditions.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, in July 2014, French specialty chemicals firm Arkema and Omya, a Switzerland-based global provider and distributor of specialty chemicals, entered into an exclusive pan-European distribution agreement. Under this distribution agreement, Omya will market Arkema's plastic additives range for various polymer markets (impact modifier and processing aid solutions): Plastistrength, Durastrength, Clearstrength and Biostrength across Europe, except Spain and Portugal.

Arkema is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Japanese Kuraray Group will sell the Luxembourg financial GVC, for 12 million euro, European activities in the film of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), part of the acquisition of Glass Laminating Solutions / Vinyls (GLS / Vinyls) from Dupont, said the company in its press release.

The disposal was requested by the European Commission as a condition to grant permission to the acquisition of the interlayers of plastic material for the production of safety glass used in buildings, industry and transport, the division DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, operation of the complete value of USD543 million.

The assets sold to GVC include a production plant in Uentrop, Germany, and an R & D center in Mechelen, Belgium.
Kuraray is a leading manufacturer of PVA, PVB and related film, along with EVOH resins and polyvinyl alcohol fibers, products used in various industries, including packaging, fuel and LCD screens.

Kuraray was founded in 1926 for the purpose of commercializing synthetic rayon, which was cutting edge technology at the time. In 1950 during the post-World War II period, as Japan's first domestic producer of synthetic fiber based on original Japanese technologies, Kuraray became a world leader in the commercialization of PVA (poval) fiber under the KURALON brand, ushering in Japan's pioneering era in the chemical synthetic fiber industry.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In order to guarantee flawless bottles to bottle manufacturers, Arkema, a France-based chemical manufacturer, has developed major technological innovations in protective coatings, combined with an audit and training service, and a product certification that is unique in the profession, as per the company's press release.

This comprehensive approach, Certin Advance, helps bottle manufacturers considerably improve the service they supply to their customers in the beverage industry. Arkema will be presenting this Certin Advance program at the upcoming Glasstec 2014 trade show in Dusseldorf from 21 to 24 October.

With its 30-year expertise in bottle glass coating and a unique "partner-supplier" positioning, Arkema supplies glass treatment products, spray equipment, and technical support. Building on this long-standing know-how, three years ago Arkema launched an R&D project to improve glass coating technologies. This research has led to the Certin AdvanceTM program.

Firstly, Arkema has developed a new hood for hot end coating: CertinTM Hood allows better targeted application of the CertinTM Coat 101 primary coating on bottles, at a 25% faster throughput rate, while also allowing better removal of vapors.

Secondly, Arkema has developed a new cold spray hood (cold end coating), CertinTM Spray, for the final protective layer. This innovative hood sits on a single line of the production chain, and allows perfectly homogeneous and accurate spraying of theCertinTM Top Coat 201 coating across the whole bottle, without any waste of product.

"We have been testing our technological improvements for a number of months on the production lines of one of our customers. The results are highly promising: as production rates increase, the protective coatings are applied more effectively, with less sprayed product being wasted" explains Marc Maggiani, Glass Coating Container Global Manager at Arkema.

Arkema also offers its glass manufacturing customers the CertinTM Proof service provided by its team of technicians around the world. This support package includes audit of plant and equipment, training, and technical assistance. It ensures proper use of equipment and correct application of the products.

Obtaining the CertinTMT certification is a genuine step forward for bottle manufacturers. They will be granted this certification on completion of the audit of the new equipment by Arkema technicians. With this certification, Arkema guarantees to its glassmaking customers the highest standard of protection for their bottles.

As MRC reported earlier, Arkema has recently developed two new grades - Luperox organic peroxides and Kynar Flex PVDF resins - specifically designed for electric and electronic wires and cables applications.

Arkema with annual revenue of EUR6.1 billion is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
MRC