MOSCOW (MRC) -- South Korea’s water pipe manufacturer Pyungwha Pipe Industry Inc. said that it has succeeded in developing and commercializing large-diameter polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water pipes for the first time in the country, reported GV.
The PVC pipe maker said its 630 millimeter-diameter water tube is expected to replace existing large-diameter water distribution and drainage pipes that are generally made of steel or cast iron to withstand a large volume of water supply and high water pressure.
The company claimed that its new PVC pipe, named APPIZ, is as sturdy as the cast-iron tubes and it costs less to install. As it is made of PVC, the company’s new plumbing pipes should last long without rusting or corrosion, said Pyungwha Pipe Chairman Lee Jong-ho. The Korean PVC pipe maker plans to make inroads into agricultural water supplying market and water treatment plant sector, added Lee.
The company said that the APPIZ pipe is a ground-breaking development with an improved long-term hydrostatic level, 18 times stronger than the international standard, and it could last 100 years, twice longer than polyethylene (PE) water pipes. The newly upgraded PVC pipe also added a new rubber ring joint that is expected to withstand wear and tear for over 100 years.
The company said American Water Works Company Inc., a leading water supply company in the United States, applied Pyungwha Pipe’s APPIZ plumbing systems at its sites in St. Louis, the U.S. where using cast-iron pipes or other-type PVC water pipes is a challenge due to environmental condition nearing a river. Thanks to the successful launch of APPIZ water tubes, Pyungwha Pipe will start working together with the leading U.S. water utility company at other locations in the U.S. In addition, it is known that another global tap water service giant Suez North America is mulling to employ APPIZ water pipes.
We remind that, as MRC informed previously, The South Korean government is pushing forward with consolidation of the petrochemical industries, which are mired in a supply glut and the protracted global economic recession. The restructuring on the petrochemical industry is currently led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Although working-level officials of major petrochemical firms such as LG Chem, Lotte Chemical, and SK Global Chemical held a meeting last month in order to discuss issues like capacity adjustment, they no longer do it out of concern that it might be construed as an act of collusion by the Fair Trade Commission.
MRC
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Carmel Olefins is likely to shut its polypropylene (PP) and low density polyethylen (LDPE) units for a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.
A Polymerupdate source in Middle East informed that the both units is scheduled to be taken off-stream early-May 2016 and expected to remain shut for around 5 weeks.
Located at Haifa in Israel, the plant has a PP production capacity of 450,000 mt/year and LDPE production capacity of 170,000 mt/year.
We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, in late January 2016, PetroRabigh, another major petrochemical producer in Asia, restarted its PP plant following a maintenance turnaround. The plant was taken offline in early October 2015. As per earlier plans, it was scheduled to restart in end-December 2015. Located in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, the plant has a production capacity of 700,000 mt/year.
MRC
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shipments of Russian polystyrene (PS) and styrene plastics into foreign markets dropped in the first quarter of 2016 by 7% year on year to 17,610 tonnes. Exports to Belarus and Kazakhstan decreased, whereas shipments to Ukraine increased, according to MRC ScanPlast report.
The fall of export shipments was registered in the general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) market (GPPS exports fell by 27% to 8,200 tonnes). Exports of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) also decreased substantially. Q1 ABS exports totalled 190 tonnes versus 820 tonnes a year earlier. At the same time, deliveries of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) grades to foreign markets increased by 5%, totalling about 5,000 tonnes.
The expandable polystyrene (EPS) market was the exception. EPS exports more than doubled and were 4,240 tonnes versus 2,000 tonnes a year earlier. Ukraine accounted for the main EPS shipments.
Ukraine remained the main consumer of Russian styrene plastics. Deliveries to Ukraine rose to 7,600 tonnes in January-March 2016, up by 41% year on year. Strong demand for Russian material from Ukrainian processing companies was caused by the price advantage compared to prices of European and Asian producers and short delivery time.
It is worth noting that among other countries-consumers of PS, demand for Russian HIPS and GPPS grades grew significantly from Lithuanian and Polish companies.
MRC