Clariant expanded range of MEVOPUR polycarbonate masterbatches and compounds

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced the global availability of an expanded range of MEVOPUR standard masterbatches and compounds in the popular polycarbonate (PC) resin, reported the company on its site.

The move offers medical devices manufacturers a consistent and traceable supply of products that support the acceleration of medical device regulatory approval processes.

For five years Clariant has been a pioneer in offering a globally available standard color ranges, in multiple polymer carriers, where the ingredients of the masterbatch have been pre-tested according to ISO10933-1 and US Pharmacopoeia 87 and 88 (USP Class VI). In 2010 Clariant introduced the brand MEVOPUR for products specifically developed for the medical device and pharmaceutical packaging markets. These products are produced under controlled manufacturing process in EN-ISO13485 certified plants on three continents. In the same year the first 'ISO/USP standard colors' in polyolefins and PEBA elastomers were launched.

Polycarbonate (PC) resins are often chosen for medical device applications because they offer a combination of properties such as clarity, toughness and heat resistance e.g. for steam sterilization. In addition, PC is used as one component in 'alloys' such as PC/ABS resins; often selected for use in the outer casing of drug-delivery pen devices. To maximize the properties it is important that the carrier for the masterbatch is compatible with the PC or PC/ABS resin. Clariant has addressed this issue by using a medical grade PC resin in the new products added to the MEVOPUR range.

Clariant’s MEVOPUR standard colorants are based on biologically-evaluated ingredients using the test protocols of USP monographs 87, 88 for Class VI devices or ISO10993 parts 4, 5, 10, 11 and 18. "The continuous expansion of the standard portfolio plus Clariant’s expertise in color design shows we are committed to trying to simplify the life of a project engineer or regulatory manager by reacting to the requirements of the healthcare industry," explains Duckworth.

As MRC reported before, Clariant's Masterbatches, a devision of the world leader in specialty chemicals Clariant, has recently presented two innovative products - REMAFIN-EP white masterbatches and Hydrocerol nucleating agents, which cater to the needs of India’s pharmaceutical and infrastructure industries, respectively.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints. Clariant India has local masterbatch production activities at Rania, Kalol and Nandesari (Gujarat) and Vashere (Maharashtra) sites in India.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, will increase list and off-list selling prices for the following acetyl products, as well as implement a surcharge for specific engineered materials products, said the producer on its site.

Celanese continues to be impacted by currency movements as a result of the recent significant euro devaluation. These actions are necessary as part of the company's efforts to mitigate these impacts. Customers should contact their Celanese sales representative for more details regarding this announcement.

Prices of acetyl products in Europe will be increased, as follows:

- acetic acid - by EUR50/tonne;
- ethyl acetate - by EUR70/tonne.

Price increases for these acetyl products are effective March 1, 2015, or as contracts allow.

Celanese will also implement a surcharge to all European selling prices of Fortron polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and Vectra/Zenite liquid crystal polymer (LCP) by 8% effective March 1, 2015, or as contracts allow.

As MRC informed earlier, in November 2014, Celanese Corporation increased its price of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in the Americas. Thus, prices of PVAc homopolymer, vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) and vinyl acrylic emulsions rose 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.

The price increase affects 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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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Dow Chemical Company has declared a dividend of 42 cents per share, payable April 30, 2015, to shareholders of record on March 31, 2015, reported the company on its site.

This marks the 414th consecutive cash dividend issued by the Company. Dow has paid its shareholders cash dividends every quarter since 1912.

As MRC wrote before, in November 2014, The Dow Chemical Company 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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Brazil-based petrochemical and polymers company Braskem seems keen to drop plans to build the Comperj petrochemical complex in Rio de Janeiro state and is instead exploring a doubling of capacity at its existing gas-based cracker there to over 1 mln tpa, as per Plastemart.

"When the Rio Polimeros project was launched five years ago, it was built to be able to double the current capacity,” as per the source. Capacity at the cracker complex, located at Duque de Caxias in Rio de Janeiro state, is around 540,000 tpa of ethylene and polyethylene (PE). However, the cracker is running at less than full capacity because of a lack of ethane/propane feedstock, said the source.

Braskem’s planned massive Comperj petrochemical project at Itaborai in Rio de Janeiro state, which would include a world scale gas cracker, had been on hold for years, as Braskem was unable to reach a supply deal on ethane/propane feedstock with state-operated oil and gas company Petrobras.

As MRC wrote before, Braskem completed its BRL50m (USD19m) Bahia facility expansion to increase its linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) production capacity. Through this initiative, the company intends to increase its polyethylene production capacity of LLDPE by 120,000mt per year to 470,000 mt/yr.

Braskem is Brazilian main producer of polyethylene and polypropylene. In addition with ongoing plants located in both petrochemical complexes, in April 2008 Braskem opened a 300,000 metric ton polypropylene plant in the city of Paulinia (Sao Paulo).MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - January imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) in Russia decreased to 10,300 tonnes, down by 10% compared with the January 2014. The greatest decrease in imports occurred for film polyethylene, according to MRC DataScope report.

January imports of linear PE in the country decreased to 10,300 tonnes, compared with 11,400 tonnes in January 2013, and 19,200 tonnes in December 2014. The reduction in LLDPE imports was expectable and resulted from the seasonal factor and significant weakening of the rouble over the end of last year and early this year. As a consequence, most of the reduction in import volumes occurred for film LLDPE.

January imports of film LLDPE fell to 9,600 tonnes, compared with 10,600 tonnes in January 2014 and 16,000 tonnes in December 2014. Partly such a serious decline in imports resulted from large stock inventories left from December and traditional for January weak demand from the converters. However, to a greater extent import volumes decreased because of the December depreciation of the rouble in line with the rising interest rates.

Imports of LLDPE in other sectors of consumption in January was also seasonally low. Thus, the imports of polyethylene for rotational moulding of overall products were 27 tonnes in January, from 78 tonnes in December 2014. LLDPE imports are expected to increase in February largely because of the stronger demand from key customers - producers of film production.
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