Solvay introduces new Xydar LCP resin

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay Specialty Polymers has introduced Xydar MG-850 liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a new specially designed grade that meets the rigorous performance and processing demands of new high-speed USB 3.0 surface mount connectors, as per the company's press release.

This advanced new material delivers the high flow, flatness, and dimensional stability required for new 12-gigabyte connectors that target applications in desktop and laptop computers, as well as tablets.

"The connector industry’s adoption of advanced fine-pitch technology has placed even more exacting demands on materials," said Glenn Cupta, global business development manager for electrical/electronics at Solvay Specialty Polymers. "Xydar MG-850 LCP offers manufacturers exceptional performance for these next-generation connectors, providing even tighter tolerances and lower warpage compared to our standard LCP material."

Xydar MG-850 LCP is a 50% glass/mineral reinforced polymer that fills thin walls over long flow lengths. The proprietary mineral and glass reinforcement package provides excellent warp resistance. It also exhibits a heat deflection temperature of 271 C and infrared reflow capability up to 260 C. The material’s low moisture absorption facilitates improved IR reflow performance, according to Cupta.

Solvay’s new injection moldable grade offers performance advantages over competitive low-warp LCPs, and doesn’t suffer from corrosion issues exhibited by other rival material technologies, such as halogen-free flame retardant polyphthalamide (PPA) resins. Xydar LCP is inherently flame retardant, transparent to microwave radiation and resistant to virtually all chemicals.

As MRC informed previously, in October 2014, Swiss Solvay, a privately owned multinational chemicals company, unveiled its breakthrough innovation for surface cleaning formulations. While Mirapol Surf S polymers are a well-established range of polymers for hydrophilization of surfaces such as ceramic, glass, stainless steel, Solvay launches a unique technology enabling formulators to deliver the key benefits consumers now expect for even modern plastic surfaces. With Mirapol Surf N, Solvay makes a step change in household cleaning making it effortless and longer-lasting.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- After a prolonged closure, the Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) plant is in the process of re-starting operations with the trial run to begin in the near future, as per Plastemart.

"The captive power plant has been commissioned as a pre-start up activity. The main plant start-up should happen anytime now," a source in HPL told PTI, adding that stabilisation of the power plant would take some days, after which steps would be initiated for operating the mother plant, closed since July 2014.

Earlier, the West Bengal Government had provided Rs. 100 crore as margin money as demanded by the lenders, while the other promoter, TCG, was yet to furnish that amount. TCG has agreed to come up with the margin money, while the lenders have also committed funds for running the plant.

As MRC wrote before, in mid-July 2014, the manufacturing plant of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd was shut down after the naphtha cracker unit developed a technical snag. Earlier, the Haldia plant was running at 50% capacity for long due to working capital crunch.

Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd is a modern naphtha based petrochemical complex at Haldia, West Bengal, India. Haldia has played the role of a catalyst in emergence of more than 500 downstream processing industries in West Bengal with a capacity to process more than 3,50,000 TPA of polymers, among which are polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Market capacity of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Kazakhstan increased in 2014 by 5% year on year and totalled 54,400 tonnes, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

To dat, there is no production of PET chips in Kazakhstan. Local bottlers and converters meet the needs of the Kazakh market by imported Chinese and Korean PET. China and Korea are the main PET chips suppliers.

At the same time, Chinese grades accounted for 59% of the total imports of material for the production of PET preforms in 2014, whereas Korean grades accounted for 41%. Last year's share of other countries-suppliers was low and was less than 1%.

The growth in consumption was achieved because of a surge in shipments in December, as the overall consumption of material in the market remained stable from January to November 2014 compared to the same period of 2013. December PET imports totalled 5,800 tonnes, up by almost 5 times than imports in November.

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, spot prices of Asian bottle grade PET fell again in the domestic Kazakh market last week. On the average, traders made discounts of Tenge 5,000-10,000/tonne to customers. The price range dropped to Tenge 240,000-260,000/tonne CPT Almaty, including VAT.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Albemarle Corp. (ALB) reported a fourth-quarter loss of USD18.5 million, after reporting a profit in the same period a year earlier because of the costs associated with its Rockwood acquisition, pensions and lower sales, said the company in its press release.

Rockwood announced the completion of the USD6.2bn acquisition earlier this year.

On a per-share basis, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based company said it had a loss of 24 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and to account for discontinued operations, came to 99 cents per share.

The results missed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of USD1.01 per share.

The specialty chemicals company posted revenue of USD598.6 million in the period, also falling short of Street forecasts. Analysts expected USD648.6 million, according to Zacks.

For the year, the company reported profit of USD133.3 million, or USD1.69 per share. Revenue was reported as USD2.45 billion.

Albemarle shares have dropped almost 8 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit USD55.37, a decrease of 12 percent in the last 12 months.

Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a premier specialty chemicals company with leading positions in attractive end markets around the world. With a broad customer reach and diverse end markets, Albemarle develops, manufactures and markets technologically advanced and high value added products, including lithium and lithium compounds, bromine and derivatives, catalysts and surface treatment chemistries used in a wide range of applications including consumer electronics, flame retardants, metal processing, plastics, contemporary and alternative transportation vehicles, refining, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, construction and custom chemistry services.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- German specialty chemicals maker Wacker Chemie said its core profit rose by 14 percent in the fourth quarter, helped by a recovery in prices and demand for polysilicon, a key material it supplies to the solar industry, said Reuters.

Wacker Chemie said its preliminary fourth-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came in at 180 million euros (USD203 million), beating the 177 million average forecast in a Reuters poll.

"The main reason for the higher earnings was the year-on-year improvement in prices for solar silicon," the company said in a statement, adding the business division continued to run its production facilities at full capacity in the fourth quarter.

Sales in the period rose about 10 percent to 1.19 billion euros, also higher than the 1.15 billion analyst forecast. Shares in Wacker Chemie were indicated 0.2 percent higher, the only gainers among Germany's mid-sized stocks, according to pre-market data.

The company is the world's second-biggest maker of polysilicon after U.S.-based Hemlock Semiconductor, and the business unit accounted for more than half of the group's fourth-quarter core profit.

Prices for polysilicon have recovered strongly over 2014, boosted by strong demand for solar panels in China and ending a margin squeeze in which prices tumbled to less than USD20 per kg in 2013 from a 2008 peak of almost USD400.

Manufacturing a wide range of products, Wacker Chemie also supplies raw material for half of the world's chewing gum.

As MRC reported earlier, Wacker Chemie AG launched its new production plant for ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.

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