Export of Russian PS increased more than twofold in January-September 2014

MOSCOW (MRC) - Export shipments of Russian polystyrene (general-purpose and high-impact grades) to foreign markets grew more than twofold in January-September 2014 to about 68,000 tonnes, compared with the same time a year earlier, according to MRC ScanPlast.

High impact polystyrene (HIPS) was in the greatest demand in the foreign markets, with exports reached 35,100 tonnes over the reported period, up 86% year on year.

Export shipments of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) increased to 33,300 tonnes in the first nine months of the year, having increased more than 2.5 times from the same time a year earlier.


Extrusion grades of GPPS were in the strongest demand; the lion's share occurred for 825ES by Nizhnekamskneftekhim production). Exports of HIPS for sheet extrusion increased twofold in the first nine months of the year to about 29,000 tonnes.

Exports of GPPS for XPS boards production increased to 16,750 tonnes over the reported period, having increased by 2.2 times.

The main consumer of Russian HIPS and GPPS remains Ukraine. However, exports to Ukraine in the reporting period increased only by 2%, while shipments to other regions of the world showed a better growth.

Among the new markets should be noted Egypt. There were no exports of Russian PS in Egypt in 2013, but in January-September it reached more than 10,000 tonnes. Egypt was the second largest consumer of Russian polystyrene in the third quarter.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kunststoffwerk AG Buchs, a subsidiary of Wiha Werkzeuge GmbH, is the first BASF customer to process and use the engineering plastic Ultramid B3EG6 MB for serial production of its Longlife brand of meter rules, as per BASF's press release.

The polyamide used is one of the first BASF products to be produced and marketed on the basis of the mass balance approach. The "MB" material is derived from bio-based feedstock and thus helps to save fossil raw materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the mass balance approach certified by TUV SUD, 100% of the fossil raw materials needed to make Ultramid B3EG6 MB are replaced with renewable raw materials at the beginning of the production process. The abbreviation MB indicates the calculation via the mass balance approach. The certified MB plastic is identical to its fossil counterpart in terms of formulation and quality, and is already available in commercial quantities.

The mass balance approach is comparable to feeding "green" electricity into the power grid. It offers a way to utilize renewable raw materials in BASF’s existing system of integrated production known as Verbund. Under the mass balance approach, biomass - for instance, in the form of biogas or bio-naphtha from certified sustainable production - is used as a feedstock in place of fossil resources at the beginning of the value chain and is subsequently allocated to individual products in a defined manner.

The mass balance approach employed by BASF was developed jointly with TUV SUD and certified for the BASF production facilities in Ludwigshafen, Antwerp and Schwarzheide. Kunststoffwerk AG Buchs has also been certified by TUV SUD regarding use of Ultramid B3EG6 MB: This requires an annual review of the entire value chain all the way to the end product on the basis of high quality standards.

As MRC informed earlier, in May 2014, BASF offered high performance Ultramid (polyamide), which is derived from renewable raw materials with certified biomass. The share of renewable raw materials in the sales product is then indicated in the respective quantity. A third-party certification confirms to customers that BASF has used the required quantities of renewable raw materials which the customer has ordered in the value chain.

Besides, BASF is building a new Ultramid polymerization plant with a capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year in Shanghai, China. The new plant is planned to start up in 2015.

BASF operates Ultramid polymerization plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, Texas and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The production of polyamide for film, textile and carpet fiber as well as for engineering plastics applications is integrated into BASF’s global Verbund structure with polyamide intermediates (i.e. adipic acid, anolon, caprolactam), chemical raw materials (i.e. ammonia, cyclohexane, sulfuric acid), energy, by-product recovery, logistics and other services.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in Belarus decreased to 25,400 tonnes in the first eight months of this year, down 16.8% year on year, according to MRC DataScope.

PVC imports in the country has seasonally increased since June, in August it reached 4,100 tonnes. Total PVC imports decreased to 25,400 tonnes in January - August 2014, compared with 30,500 tonnes year on year.

Such a serious decline in demand for PVC from the local converters resulted from a lower demand for finished PVC products in the domestic market (down more than 30% compared to 2013 figures), whereas export sales, including in Russia , declined by about 20%.

Key suppliers of PVC to the local market were producers from Germany, with their share increased to 54% from the total imports in the country over the reported period.

At the same time, some Belarusian companies do not rule out the growth of PVC supply from Russia, including a new production site - RusVinil.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Russia decreased by 18% in In the first nine months of this year on the emergency shutdown of Stavrolen, according to MRC ScanPlast.

September production of HDPE in Russia declined to 44,300 tonnes, compared to 68,800 tonnes in August because of the scheduled maintenance works at Kazanorgsintez and Nizhnekamskneftekhim. Total HDPE production in the country was 623,500 tonnes in January - September of this year, compared with 763,900 tonnes year on year. The increase in production at Kazanorgsintez and Gazprom neftekhim Salavat could not compensate for the shutdown of the second largest HDPE producer in Russia - Stavrolen.

Structure of HDPE production in Russia over the reported period looked as follows. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat (Gazprom) has increased its production rates on the back of solving the problem with a feedstock (ethylene). September HDPE production by the company was 7,900 tonnes; HDPE production in the first nine months of this year grew to 67,600 tonnes, up 31% compared to the same period of 2013.

Kazanorgsintez shut its capacities for maintenances in September, in less than a month the company produced 24,500 tonnes of HDPE. The producer's total HDPE production was 378,200 tonnes in the first nine months of the year, up 9% year on year.

The third largest HDPE producer in Russia, Nizhnekamskneftekhim (Taif) also due to the technical problems and maintenance works decreased its HDPE production in September to 12,000 tonnes. Total HDPE production by the producer was 130,000 tonnes in January - September this year, down 6% year on year.

As noted earlier, the second largest HDPE producer in Russia - Stavrolen (Lukoil) had to shut its 300,000 tonnes/year HDPE production on 26, February because of the accident at the ethylene production. According to recent statements made by officials, the company plans to resume HDPE production in March-April 2015.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker Pplymers, a division of Wacker Chemie AG, is to raise its prices for dispersible polymer powders of the VINNAPAS brand in Europe, reported the company on its site.

Effective January 1, 2015, prices will be increased by up to EUR0.10 per kilogram, or as customer contracts allow.

This measure has been necessitated by the current increase in raw-material and distribution cost.

The price adjustments will enable Wacker Polymers to continue providing reliable supply and constantly high product quality, and to boost the development of innovative product and process technologies for the benefit of customers.

VINNAPAS dispersible polymer powders are used mainly in diverse construction chemical applications such as external thermal insulation composite systems, construction and tile adhesives, screeds, self-leveling flooring compounds, plasters, repair mortars, grouts and cementitious sealing slurries.

As MRC informed previously, Wacker Polymers 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. 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.

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