Celanese announces intermediate chemistry price increases from 1 January 2015

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in EVA emulsions, will increase list and off-list selling prices of the products stated below effective January 1, 2015, or as contracts allow, reported the company on its site.

Thus, prices of acetic anhydride will increase by USD50/mt in Americas.

As MRC informed previously, Celanese Corporation raised November prices of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in the Americas. Thus, PVAc homopolymer, EVA and vinyl acrylic emulsions increased by up to USD0.05/wet pound effective November 1, 2014, or as contracts allowed. This increase was attributed to the continued pressures on raw materials, notably vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), and freight and affected all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, building products, nonwovens, glass fiber, carpet, paper and textiles.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of USD6.5 billion.
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Dow named new President of Dow USA

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In line with The Dow Chemical Company’s objective to strengthen its geographic focus, Deborah Borg, vice president of the Human Resource Partner Organization, has been named president of Dow USA, reported the company on its site.

In this role, she will continue to be based in Midland, Michigan, and will report to Joe Harlan, chief commercial officer and vice chairman, Market Businesses, and will be fully accountable to the Office of the Chief Executive.

"As we have said many times, our efforts are concentrated in select markets where we can be narrowly, but more deeply focused, and this requires a local approach to running our global businesses," says Harlan. "Deborah has been a key partner with our businesses throughout her career with Dow. In addition, she has played an invaluable role in the development and implementation of the Company’s corporate strategy. Her experiences will help set a clear path forward for our growth objectives in the United States."

In this role, Borg will be responsible for coordinating Dow’s activities across the United States. She will develop and oversee a strategy for Dow USA, coordinating closely with the businesses, functions and operations to drive results. Borg will play an instrumental role in representing Dow's interests to key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, joint venture partners, key government organizations, and our communities. She will serve as a company spokesperson and manage issues that affect US government policy, public policy and Dow’s businesses.

Andrew N. Liveris, Dow chairman and chief executive officer stated, "Many large global corporations, like Dow, are increasingly focusing on their home location - the United States - as a market with incredible opportunities. The need for a strong leader to represent our interest and to develop and oversee a strategy in the US has been in discussion for some years, and with Deborah’s appointment, we are now ready to fully address the opportunities for Dow."

As MRC wrote before, in November 2014, Dow Chemical announced an increased divestiture target aligned to further enhance the value of its portfolio and support the company’s market-driven, integrated strategy. On track to complete its goal of realizing USD4.5 billion to USD6 billion in proceeds by year-end 2015, and with additional portfolio management actions underway, Dow is now increasing its divestiture target to USD7 billion to USD8.5 billion to be complete by mid-2016. Since 2013, the company has generated USD2.5 billion in proceeds, reallocating this capital to remunerate shareholders, fund growth and reduce debt.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation. As of 2007, it is the second-largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue (after BASF) and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization (after BASF and DuPont). Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.

Total completes its non-phthalate catalyzed polypropylene product range

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total, one of the leading companies in petrochemicals and Europe's third-largest oil company, has reached a new milestone in its innovation path for polypropylene (PP), and is now able to offer a complete range of polymers using non-phthalate catalysts, as per the company's press release.

The company’s pioneering approach covers all conversion technologies and has led to the development of dozens of grades of homopolymers, random copolymers, and - most challenging of all - impact copolymers. Grades have been developed to meet existing specifications.

Working in close cooperation with industry partners, Total has identified numerous segments that could benefit from an extension of its offering of non-phthalate catalyzed PP, mainly in packaging, flexible and rigid, healthcare and personal care applications, including the medical market. This is why several years ago an ambitious development program was launched to provide a full range of PP produced with such catalysts.

"We have upgraded our offering for our partners in packaging, health and personal care markets, and beyond," says Jean-Francois Renglet, Vice President Polymers Europe. "This is a perfect example of our full commitment to create the best solutions for our customers. It is the culmination of an evolution in our PP portfolio that started several years ago."

Total now markets non-phthalate catalyzed PP solutions to produce trays, boxes, pails, caps, bottles among other. Film converters using BOPP, cast and blown technologies, for instance, are prescribing the new grades from Total for a wide range of food packaging applications.

As MRC informed previously, Total is in plans to permanently shut its high density polyethylene (HDPE) line in Belgium by this year-end. The plant will be shut permanently owing to weak margins which have arisen on account of cheap imports in the region. Located at Antwerp in Belgium, the line has a production capacity of 70,000 mt/year.

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.
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Petrobras delays Argentine petrochemicals sale amid corruption probe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Petroleo Brasileiro SA is delaying its exit from Argentina’s petrochemical business as it focuses on a graft case in Brazil, two people familiar with the process said, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Petrobras, as the Rio de Janeiro-based producer is known, received a joint offer for its 34% stake in Cia. Mega SA from partners YPF and Dow Chemical, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private.

Buenos Aires-based YPF owns 38% of Mega and Dow has 28%.

An expanding investigation into Brazilian contractors that allegedly bribed Petrobras officials is cutting off its access to debt markets, slowing signing of new contracts and has helped push down the stock by 63% since September.

Mega had 1.9 billion pesos (USD222 million) in sales last year.

Alejandro Di Lazzaro, a YPF spokesman, declined to comment when contacted by phone. Petrobras, which operates Mega, and Dow Chemical spokeswoman Rebecca Bentley didn’t immediately respond to e-mails and phone calls seeking comment.

The oil producer began marketing assets in Argentina -- including a refinery, petrochemical plants and oil and gas fields -- in March as part of a global divestment plan intended to focus on its Brazilian oil fields.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, Petrobras kept its five-year investment plan flat for the first time in years. The company's new investment plan is a relief to those investors who'd feared another increase. Petrobras has one of the largest investment budgets of any firm in the world at USD236.7 billion for the next five years, as it seeks to develop some of the biggest oil discoveries the world has found in decades. But its ambitions have weighed heavily on its share price in recent years, as production increases have failed to materialize and some projects have been mired by delays and cost overruns.

Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Petrobras is an integrated energy firm. Petrobras' activities include exploration, exploitation and production of oil from reservoir wells, shale and other rocks as well as refining, processing, trade and transport of oil and oil products, natural gas and other fluid hydrocarbons, in addition to other energy-related activities.
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Wacker cooperates with Lindberg & Lund in Finland and Sweden

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Munich-based chemicals group Wacker has reorganized its silicone distribution business in the Nordic countries, as per the company's press release.

As of March 1, 2015, Lindberg & Lund Oy AB, a subsidiary of the Norwegian chemicals distributor Lindberg & Lund AS, will market room-temperature-vulcanizing silicone rubber grades in Finland. Kevra Oy was the previous distributor for the business. Distribution responsibilities in Sweden are to remain with ABIC Kemi AB, which is now part of the Lindberg & Lund Group.

As a result of the reorganization, Lindberg & Lund will be assuming a large portion of the distribution business, giving it a key role in the sale of room-temperature-curing silicones in the Nordic region. ABIC, a Swedish specialty chemicals distributor, will act as a regional hub, distributing products to adjacent Scandinavian countries, including Denmark.

Silicone rubber compounds that cure at room temperature are referred to as RTV silicones, as distinct from high-temperature-vulcanizing (HTV) grades. These products are suitable for bonding, sealing and encapsulating, as well as for manufacturing hard-soft composites. Thanks to their versatility, RTV grades are used in an exceptionally wide variety of industrial applications including moldmaking, prototyping, and pad printing, as well as in the mass production of industrial components, such as those for the domestic appliance, automotive or lighting industries.

As MRC informed earlier, Wacker has recently developed a thermally conductive adhesive for electronics applications. The new silicone rubber with the trade name SEMICOSIL 975 TC is characterized by high thermal conductivity and good flow and processing properties. Even light pressure is enough to form an ultrathin adhesive layer between the contact surfaces. This ensures not only good bonding, but also optimum heat dissipation by the heat sink.

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.
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