Radici acquires Invista nylon business

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italian materials firm Radici Group will greatly expand its nylon resin business by acquiring Invista’s Engineering Polymer Solutions business, said Plasticsnews.

Bergamo, Italy-based Radici has signed a letter of intent to acquire the business, officials said in a Sept. 14 news release. No purchase price was disclosed for the deal, which is expected to close in 60 days. The move will significantly increase Radici’s production capacity, with the addition of Invista’s plants in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Born, the Netherlands. The Chattanooga plant will be closed, with production moving to existing Radici sites in North America.

Radici has previously stated its growth strategy included acquiring market share in the nylon business. In August 2015, the firm acquired the nylon business of Mexican firm Resinas TB SA de CV. Wichita, Kan.-based Invista – a unit of conglomerate Koch Industries - makes nylon 6/6 under the Torzen brand name. The business accounts for 16 percent of the global market for that material. Radici’s Radilon brand includes nylon 6, 6/6 and 6/12.

OEM approvals will be valid and usable worldwide in industries including automotive, electrical/electronics, industrial and consumer goods, Radici officials added. In addition to nylon, Radici’s Performance Plastics business also supplies polybutylene terephthalate, thermoplastic elastomers and acetal. Radici Group, which also produces chemicals, synthetic fibers and nonwovens, generated 1 billion euros (USD1.12 billion) of sales in 2015.

Invista entered the nylon 6/6 market in 2009 after the expiration of a non-compete agreement with DuPont Co. Koch had bought DuPont’s fibers business in 2004 and combined it with a PET business it also owned at the time to create Invista.

As MRC informed earlier, in April 2016, Invista started up a new 215,000-t/y hexamethylene diamine (HMD) facility at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in China.

Invista is one of the world's largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers, primarily for nylon, spandex and polyester applications. With a business presence in over 20 countries, Invista's global businesses deliver exceptional value for their customers through technology innovations, market insights and a powerful portfolio of global trademarks.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Carmel Olefins Ltd. (BAZAN Group) has developed new polypropylene grade Capilene CT 80A, as per the company's press release.

Capilene CT 80A is the first in a new series of specialty resins that Carmel is developing to enhance its existing portfolio of PP copolymers based on Milliken’s clarifier technology Millad NX 8000.

Founded in 1979, L.K. Group designs, manufactures and sells not only plastic injection molding machines but also die-casting machines and CNC machines. L.K. says it now is one of the top five injection press makers in China. Its Forza-III series machines incorporate advanced injection, clamping and control functions, making them suitable for molding a wide variety of large components. The third-generation Forza press that will be making pails on its K booth is fully automated and includes an energy-saving function, with an 18-second cycle time that makes it ideal for in-mold labeling (IML) and packaging applications. L.K. launched the machine at Chinaplas in Shanghai earlier this year, and K will mark its European debut.

Meantime, the unique combination of aesthetic and mechanical properties of Carmel’s new resin create a step forward for converters looking to reduce breakage potential and avoid stress whitening of highly transparent packaging and container solutions. It is ideal for thin-wall packaging, clear food-packaging containers, caps and closures, and clear pails, and also suitable for large storage boxes, crates, heavy-duty transparent toolboxes, appliances and toys.

Capilene CT 80A is a clarified and antistatic-modified PP grade with a melt flow rate (MFR) of 25. It combines the typical advantages of standard polypropylene random and heterophasic copolymers to achieve outstanding transparency with a good stiffness/impact balance, plus excellent organoleptic performance, high gloss and good resistance to stress whitening. Its ability to maintain such high transparency with good impact performance at 0 C is of particular significance for fridge storage applications.

Carmel Olefins has achieved these results with its new grade by working closely with Milliken, and incorporating Millad NX 8000, Milliken’s latest-generation clarifier, into the mix.

Millad NX 8000 allows processors using the new PP resin to reduce molding temperatures compared to resins made with previous-generation clarifiers. This in turn helps converters to better meet sustainability goals by reducing energy consumption and shortening cycle times. The lower molding temperature also shortens the cooling time of the part prior to ejection from the mold, further boosting productivity.

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, in early May 2016, Carmel Olefins shut its polypropylene (PP) and low density polyethylen (LDPE) units for a maintenance turnaround. The both units were 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.
MRC

МОSCOW (MRC) -- SIBUR’s Tomsk-based facility has upgraded and ramped up its polymer production, said the producer on its site.

The opening ceremony for the upgraded polypropylene and polyethylene production facility was attended by Sergey Zhvachkin, Governor of the Tomsk Region, Kirill Molodtsov, Russian Deputy Minister of Energy, Leonid Mikhelson, Chairman of SIBUR’s Board of Directors, Dmitry Konov, Chairman of SIBUR's Management Board, and other representatives of the Company's management.

In 2012, Tomskneftekhim embarked on the major upgrade of its polymer production capacities launched back in the 1980–1990s. The project was supported by the government as part of an investment agreement signed with the Tomsk Region's authorities. Overall project investments exceeded RUB 10 bn net of VAT.

The investments included a 72% upgrade of the site's two core lines producing polypropylene and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Engagement of the NIOST, SIBUR's R&D centre, in the renovation process will help improve the existing LDPE and polypropylene grades and significantly expand the polymer offering. On top of that, the aggregate polypropylene and LDPE production capacities increased by 9.3% (from 130 to140 ktpa and from 245 to 270 ktpa, respectively).

Plastpolymer was chosen as the general designer to upgrade the polypropylene production. A wide range of general industrial equipment (heat exchangers, pumps, tanks, valves, measuring devices) was supplied by Russian manufacturers, including Izhevskkhimmash, Khimmashholding, DimitrovgradKhimmash, Intech Analytics, Fluid Business, BelInterFlow, Nexans Rus, etc. European and Japanese producers, such as Coperion, Tomoe and others, were contracted to deliver special-purpose equipment (assembly units for granulation, centrifugation and pneumatic conveyor systems, refrigerators).

As part of the LDPE production upgrade, the facility put into operation 487 units of core and ancillary equipment manufactured in Russia, including assembly of over 40 tanks, heat exchangers and pumps, and construction of approximately 50 km of process pipelines. The general designer was Bashgiproneftechim, while Sibshakhtostroy, Omus-1 and SNEMA-SERVICE were selected as the main contractors. All assembly and construction services were sourced from the Russian providers, with over 800 workers being deployed on-site on the daily basis.

Tomskneftekhim LLC is a subsidiary of SIBUR and one of the largest Russian producers of polymers - polypropylene and low density polyethylene. The enterprise includes the production of monomers - ethylene and propylene (installed capacity: 300,000 tonnes and 139,000 tonnes per year, respectively), and fully provides with raw materials production of polymers: polypropylene (capacity - 140,000 tonnes/year) and low density polyethylene (capacity - 270,000 tonnes/year).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) into the Russian market fell in the first eight months of 2016 by almost a third year on year to 96,300 tonnes. Imports decreased in all consumption segments, with blow moulding and film grade polyethylene (PE) being the exception, according to MRC's DataScope report.

August HDPE imports to the Russian market grew to 17,100 tonnes from 14,100 tonnes a month earlier, with injection moulding PE accounting for the main increase in shipments. Overall HDPE imports fell to 96,300 tonnes in the first eight months of2016, compared to 140,800 tonnes a year earlier. A major reduction in imports was registered in the segments of pipe extrusion and extrusion coating of large diameter steel pipes.

The structure of PE imports by consumption sectors looks the following way over the stated period.

August imports of injection moulding PE rose to 3,600 tonnes from 2,200 tonnes a month earlier, with European producers accounting for the main increase in supplies. Nevertheless, Russian producers managed to reduce the dependence of the domestic market from imports. Imports of injection moulding HDPE totalled 24,400 tonnes in January-August 2016 versus 35,600 tonnes a year earlier.

Last month's imports of HDPE for extrusion blow moulding (EBM) exceeded 4,500 tonnes, compared to 4,000 tonnes in July, shipments both from Europe and Uzbekistan increased. Overall imports of HDPE for EBM to Russia rose to 21,300 tonnes in January-August 2016, compared to 19,400 tonnes a year earlier.

August imports of film grade HDPE virtually remained at the level of July and were about 3,000 tonnes. Uz-Kor Gas Chemical, a new producer from Uzbekistan, occupied leading positions in this segment. In January-August 2016, overall imports of film grade HDPE grew to 15,400 tonnes from 10,800 tonnes a year earlier.

Last month's imports of pipe grade HDPE dropped to 2,000 tonnes from 2,900 tonnes in July, Russian pipes producers reduced their PE purchasing in Europe and Asia. Imports of this PE grade decreased by 44% over the stated period to 14,500 tonnes. Higher domestic production and weaker demand for pipes were among the main reasons for the fall in imports.

August imports of HDPE for extrusion coating of large diameter steel pipes rose to 2,700 tonnes, whereas a month earlier, this figure did not exceed 200 tonnes. Overall imports of this PE grade slumped by 66% in the first eight months of 2016 to 13,600 tonnes, partially because of the growth of domestic production.

HDPE imports into the other consumption sectors dropped to 7,300 tonnes over the stated period from 9,100 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A fire broke out on Wednesday at Iran's Mobin Petrochemical refinery complex in southern port of Assaluyeh, leaving four people injured, state media reported, the latest in a string of blazes in the region, reported Reuters.

"The fire is now under control," Qassem Qaedi, crisis management coordinator in the southern province of Bushehr was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA.

Qaedi said the fire has caused no threat to the operations in the South Pars gas fields in Assaluyeh.

In the last few months several petrochemical plants in Iran have caught fire. Iran's oil minister said last month that most of the fires happened because the privatized petrochemical companies have cut their budgets for health and safety inspections.

As MRC informed previously, a fire broke out at the Bu Ali Sina petrochemical refinery on 31 August. No reason was given for the cause of the fire at the oil complex, which is in the southwest city of Bandar Mahshahr, nor did Tasnim say how much damage it had caused. The same complex caught fire in early July and one of the tanks was destroyed.
MRC