Siam Styrene Monomer to shut SM plant in Thailand for maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Siam Styrene Monomer Co Ltd is likely to shut its styrene monomer (SM) plant for maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Thailand informed that the plant is likely to be shut in Q1, 2015. A definite schedule for the shutdown could not be ascertained.

Located at Map Ta Phut in Thailand, the plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.

Besides, Taiwan Styrene Monomer Corp (TSMC) is in plans to undertake a maintenance turnaround at its SM plant in Taiwan in Q3, 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.Located at Linyuan in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 180,000 mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC informed previously, Asahi Kasei Chemical is likely to shut its SM plant in Japan for maintenance turnaround in mid-September 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month. Located at Mizushima in Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 390,000 mt/year.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corp. (CE) on Thursday reported a fourth-quarter loss of USD84 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier, as per the company's press-release.

The Irving, Texas-based company said it had a loss of 55 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and to account for discontinued operations, were USD1.28 per share.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of USD1.19 per share.

The chemical company posted revenue of USD1.56 billion in the period, which did not meet Street forecasts. Analysts expected USD1.69 billion, according to Zacks.

For the year, the company reported profit of USD624 million, or USD4 per share. Revenue was reported as USD6.8 billion.

Celanese expects full-year earnings in the range of USD5 to USD5.50 per share.

Celanese shares have declined 2.5 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, shares hit USD58.46, a rise of 6 percent in the last 12 months.

As MRC informed earlier, Celanese Corporation has recently introduced a range of detectable polymer technologies that can help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers ensure products contain components and parts that meet their material specifications.

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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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Samsung Fine Chemicals is likely to shut a caustic soda plant for maintenance turnaround, said Apic-online.

A source in South Korea informed that the plant is likely to be shut in early March 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located in Ulsan, South Korea, the plant has a production capacity of 350,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, Samsung Fine Chemicals is also open to export ECH output from the unit in Ulsan, but not to China, where prices of the material are comparatively less favourable to sellers. Samsung Fine Chemicals is the largest ECH producer in South Korea.

Samsung Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells fine chemical products primarily in South Korea. The company offers eco-friendly and regeneration energy products, including polysilicon, a material for solar cell wafer; secondary battery active materials; and bio-degradable polymer. It also provides electronic chemical materials, SELCION, a raw material for engineering plastics; toners for color laser printers; barium titanate powder; and tetramethylammonium chloride. In addition, the company offers chlorine and cellulose relative products comprising hypromellose, hypromellose phthalate.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has showcased chemistry’s contribution at the BAU trade fair from 19 to 24 January 2015 in Munich, as per the company's press release.

One of the highlights is Green Sense Concrete technology for the resource-efficient production and processing of concrete. Available from BASF in Europe since 2014, Green Sense Concrete is a package allowing manufacturers to optimize the cost of concrete as well as features such as load bearing capacity, processing properties, service life and environmental compatibility.

BASF also presented new solutions for surfaces and coastal protection: Elastopave and Elastocoast.

Elastopave is a completely new concept for the construction of durable surfaces on squares and pathways. Mineral mixtures are combined with a polyurethane binder, producing stable water and air permeable covering layers. Rainwater seeps away easily without any additional drainage. Stable and more environmentally compatible than conventional solutions, easy to apply and offering a variety of design possibilities this material comprises integrated water management and a range of aesthetic options. Wherever the durability, cost and sustainable advantages of concrete are called for, Elastopave is the solution.

Revetments of Elastocoast provide a new, extremely effective coastal protection system. More precisely, they are formed from an aggregate (crushed rock) mechanically bonded with an environmentally compatible 2-component polyurethane plastic. This mixture is applied to previously prepared dikes, slopes, breakwaters and other sea- and freshwater shorelines. The outcome is a highly durable, strong and therefore secure bulwark against the waves and flooding.

Elastocoast makes our coastlines safer. This PU system stands up even to the strongest waves. Protection against floods and nature conservation combined – that is how river bed solidification using Elastocoast works. Products which perform well along the coast and in river beds also have a lot to offer for use in mountain areas. Effective protection against avalanche and rock fall is provided with the Elastocoast system as this material helps to keep the forces of nature on track to avoid danger.

Besides, BASF introduced its innovative expandable polystyrene (EPS) Neopor, which contains graphite. This results in insulation performance that is up to 20 percent better than conventional EPS. Insulation materials made from Neopor can be used in wall, roof and interior insulation. Neopor’s high performance results in lower energy usage and lower CO2 emissions. Insulation boards made of Neopor were used in the renovation of the Brunck Quarter in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

As MRC wrote before, BASF is enlarging its portfolio of Styrodur branded extruded polystyrene rigid foam panels (XPS) with a new product: Styrodur 3000 CS has the same thermal conductivity of 33 mW across all panel thicknesses from 30 to 240 mm. The thermal conductivity of the insulation panels is up to 15% better than standard Styrodur grades.

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. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- US petrochemicals producer Formosa Plastics is in the process of restarting its Olefins No 2 steam cracking unit at its complex in Point Comfort, Texas, as per company sources in Plastemart.

The emissions event associated with the startup was to be completed by Wednesday morning. The steam cracker was shut after a process upset, market sources said last week.

As MRC wrote before, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp (FCFC), a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, a week ago restarted its No. 1 styrene monomer (SM) plant. A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the No.1 plant restarted in early January 2015. It was shut in mid-December 2014 on account of weak market conditions. Located at Mailiao in Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
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