New Clariant liquid additive masterbatch reduces yellowing in recycled PET bottles

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has announced the introduction of a new liquid additive masterbatch that minimizes yellowing and greying of polyester terephthalate (PET) polymers caused by the introduction of post-consumer-recycled resin (PCR), said the company in its press release.

The new optical brightening products, which are part of the HiFormer family of liquid masterbatch solutions and application technology, can be used in a wide variety of PET resin grades and processes, including injection-blow molding, injection molding and extrusion. Typically, PET resins are used in bottles and formed-sheet packaging. The additive has received approval for food-contact applications from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

"Packagers are under heavy pressure from consumers and environmental advocates to use more PCR in their products," explains Peter Prusak, Head of Marketing – Clariant Masterbatches North America, "but the recyclate tends to reduce or discolor the crystal clarity that PET is known for. Clariant's new HiFormer PET-enhancing additives promise to minimize this problem, opening new opportunities for more sustainable packaging."

The new liquid additives were tested on a production scale blow-molding machine in Clariant's facility in East Chicago, IL. Bottles made using 25% recycled PET and 75% virgin PET and no brightening additive were compared against bottles made with the same PCR resin and the additive in concentrations of 0.025, 0.035 and 0.05%. While the unmodified bottles showed significant yellowing, all the bottles made with the HiFormer additive were visibly brighter (less yellow and more blue).

HiFormer is Clariant's global brand that encompasses its high-performance liquid color and additive concentrates, dosing/handling equipment, expertise and service. It was created to help customers select the right masterbatch solution for their particular needs. Liquid masterbatches can be used in many of the same applications as pelletized material and in some cases they offer critical advantages to the packaging and consumer goods segments of the plastics industry.

HiFormer liquid masterbatches are highly concentrated, so that less is needed to achieve brilliant, vibrant color, especially in translucent and transparent polymers like PET. Processing efficiencies can deliver high productivity at a low total cost. With its tailored carrier technology and customized dosing- and handling systems, HiFormer opens up new dimensions: fast and simple color changes, maximum flexibility, and high reproducibility of the defined color.

As MRC wrote previously, in February 2015, Clariant announced the global availability of a new line of "animal-free" MEVOPUR standard masterbatches and compounds. The development offers the makers of pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices a consistent and traceable supply of products that are compliant with global standards and support a wide range of product design, marketing, and manufacturing needs. Manufactured to meet the needs of the medical and pharmaceutical market, these products are not only free of animal-derived ingredients but they are also free of phthalates and heavy-metal pigments. The new line of standard MEVOPUR color masterbatches includes 17 polyolefin (PP and PE) colors.

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.
MRC

Nippon steel plans maintenance at No. 3 SM plants

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Nippon Steel Chemical Company (NSCC) is in plans to shut its No.3 styrene monomer (SM) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the company has scheduled maintenance at its No. 3 plant in end-March 2016. The plant is slated to remain offline for around one month.

Located in Oita, Japan, the No. 3 SM plant has a production capacity of 230,000 mt/year.

As MRC wrote before, in September 2015, NSCC announced its plans to shut its SM for maintenance. The plant was planned to remain off-stream for around one month. Located in Oita, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 190,000 mt/year.

Idemtisu Kosan Co, Asahi Kasei Chemical and Taiyo Petrochemical are the other SM producers in Japan.
MRC

Asahi Glass begins shipping chlor-alkalis from expanded Indonesian complex

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Asahi Glass has begun shipping polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the Anyer plant at Cilegon, Indonesia, following completion of an expansion program at PT Asahimas Chemical, said the producer on its site.

The ceremony also included a ground breaking for a new power plant at the site. Commercial production at the expanded chlor-alkali facility will start in the first quarter this year. PT Asahimas Chemical is owned 52.5% by Asahi Glass, 11.5% by Mitsubishi Corp. and 18% each by the local Rodamas and Ableman Finance.

With the aim of taking in the increasing demand in the caustic soda and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets in Southeast Asia, the production facility enhancement at the Anyer Plant was launched in 2013 to significantly boost the output of caustic soda and vinyl chloride in Indonesia.

The caustic soda and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) markets in Southeast Asia are projected to grow at over 5% per year. Of the demand in the market, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, where AGC has production bases for the chlor-alkali business, account for 70%.

As MRC informed earlier, Asahi Glass Co Ltd (AGC) in March 2015 announced that it would increase the production capacity of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) facility at Phu My Plastics & Chemicals Co Ltd (PMPC), AGC’s subsidiary engaged in PVC business in Vietnam. PMPC’s PVC production capacity will be increased by 50% to 150,000 tonnes from the current 100,000 tonnes per year, which will make the Asahi Glass Group’s total PVC production in Southeast Asia 700,000 tonnes per year. The operation is scheduled to commence at the beginning of 2016.

Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., more commonly known as AGC, is a global glass manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. It is one of the core Mitsubishi companies.
MRC

Saudi Kayan awards USD95 mln contract to Taiwanese CTCI

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. has awarded Taiwan's CTCI Corp. a contract worth USD94.5 million (SAR 354.4 million) to build a new cracker at its complex in Jubail Industrial City, said Argaam.

Under the deal, CTCI will manage the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) for the project, which is located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

The company added that it will secure the related finance from local institutions, expecting to complete the new cracker in H2-2017.

The date of trial operation and the expected financial impact will be announced later.

The new cracker comes as part of Kayan’s agreement, which was signed on February 5, 2015, with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) to enhance the company’s business and financial performance in return for extra ethane gas allocations.

As it was informed earlier, Saudi Kayan reported a net loss of 624.1 million riyals (USD166.3 million) in the fourth quarter, the fourth straight quarter it failed to achieve a profit, hurt by product prices that have tumbled along with feedstock oil.

Kayan is 35 percent-owned by SABIC. Kayan is the fifth-largest petrochemical manufacturer by market value in Saudi Arabia.
MRC

PE and PP prices resumed to rise in Ukraine

Moscow (MRC) - Prices for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) sharply decreased in Ukraine in the beginning of the year, but since the end of last week prices started to rise. Devaluation of the national currency is the main reason for rise in price of polymers, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

In the early January PE and PP prices in the Ukrainian market began to decline rapidly. The price cuts resulted from the cancellation of a 5% temporary import duty and lower prices in foreign markets. PE and PP prices continued to go down in foreign markets in February, but the weakening of the national currency against the US dollar offset this factor, and prices on the contrary increased at the end of last week.

In the early January 2016 the exchange rate of hryvnya against the dollar fell below UAH24=USD1, but in the second half of January the devaluation of the Ukrainian currency has accelerated. By mid-February, the official hryvnya exchange rate to the dollar exceeded the level of UAH26=USD1. Thus, almost a month devaluation was more than 9%.

Such a serious devaluation in a short period has offset the reduction of PE and PP prices in the external markets.
In January - February polyolefins prices in Europe fell by EUR100-160/tonne. Prices for Middle Eastern PE reduced on average by USD150/tonne.

Late January's price offers for film high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) in the Ukrainian market reached the level of UAH39,000-40,500/tonne FCA, including VAT and UAH36,500-38,000/tonne FCA, including VAT, respectively.

Price offers for homopolymer PP raffia grade were heard in the range of USD33,500-34,500/tonne FCA, including VAT. But at the end of last week (11, February) traders under the pressure of the weakening of the national currency started to raise prices.

Price offers for film HDPE from some traders started from UAH41,000/tonne FCA, including VAT, price offers for LDPE were absent.

It is highly probable that price adjustment will continue this week in the Ukrainian market on the ongoing devaluation of the national currency.
MRC