PE imports to Ukraine down by 4% in H1 2017

June PE imports to Ukraine decreased to 22,000 tonnes after the May surge, compared to 23,800 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies reduced their purchasing of HDPE and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Overall PE imports reached 122,700 tonnes in January-June 2017, compared to 128,000 tonnes a year earlier, only shipments of LLDPE and ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA) increased.

The structure of PE imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

HDPE imports to the Ukrainian market fell last month, oversupply of polymer in the market and expectations of resumption of Karpatneftekhim's launch were the main reasons for lower purchasing in foreign markets. June imports were 9,900 tonnes, compared to 11,100 tonnes in May. Overall HDPE imports reached 52,800 tonnes in the first half of 2017 versus 62,700 tonnes a year earlier, shipments of film grade HDPE fell by almost a quarter, demand for injection moulding PE subsided by 12%.

June LDPE imports rose to 5,700 tonnes from 5,000 tonnes a month earlier, with Russian producers accounting for the main increase in shipments. Overall LDPE imports exceeded 31,000 tonnes over the stated period, down by 1% year on year.

Last month's LLDPE imports were 5,700 tonnes, compared to 6,300 tonnes in May, with films producers accounting for a slight decrease in demand. Overall LLDPE imports grew to 31,200 tonnes in January-june 2017 from 28,300 tonnes a year earlier. Producers of film products, particularly, of stretch films, accounted for the main increase in demand.

Imports of other PE grades, including ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), totalled 7,700 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 5,600 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- State-owned refiner HPCL is building a new 9 mln tpa refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra in Rajasthan and a petrochemical complex at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh as part of a Rs 61,000-crore expansion, according to Plastemart.

HPCL will also invest part of the amount over the next four years for expanding and upgrading its existing refining capacity to meet higher quality fuel norms, the company said in an investor presentation. HPCL is upgrading both its Mumbai and Visag refineries to produce fuel meeting Euro-VI emission norms.

Of the Rs 61,000 crore to be invested till 2021, Rs 23,400 crore will be in refining, Rs 23,600 crore in marketing infrastructure and another Rs 13,000 crore in joint venture projects. The joint venture projects include the west coast refinery, petrochemical complex at Kakinada, a 5 million tonnes LNG import terminal at Chhara in Gujarat and a fuel farm facilities at Mumbai airport.

As MRC wrote before, HPCL and its partner Lakshmi N Mittal will invest about USD3 bln in setting up a petrochemical complex at the Bhatinda refinery in Punjab. HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), a joint venture between HPCL and Mittal Energy Investments Pvt Ltd, Singapore, plans to set up an up to 1.2 mln ton naphtha cracker, expandable to 1.7 mt.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is an Indian state-owned oil and natural gas company with its headquarters at Mumbai, Maharashtra and with Navratna status. HPCL has about 25% marketing share in India among PSUs and a strong marketing infrastructure. The Government of India owns 51.11% shares in HPCL and others are distributed amongst financial institutes, public and other investors.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik’s Resource Efficiency Segment has unveiled its new Friction & Motion Competence Center in Darmstadt, Germany, as per the company's press release.

Fully equipped and operational, the Competence Center acts as a technology platform focusing on the development of mid- and long-range innovations for the lubricant market.

"About 15 to 20 percent of the energy consumed each year is used just to overcome friction. So there's a great need for products that can reduce that energy loss," says Dr. Johannes Ohmer, Managing Director, Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH.

This fact, combined with the noticeable trend towards car-sharing, e-mobility, and autonomous vehicles, as well as other emerging technologies, such as robotics and drone transportation, require new solutions for reducing friction losses.

"That’s a challenge we are ready to accept," says Dr. Gunter Schmitt, Director of the Friction & Motion Competence Center. Evonik envisions a future in which significant additional revenues in the intermediate and long term are derived from the synergy of combining various product and technology competencies within Evonik’s Resource Efficiency Segment.

“There are many areas within Evonik that can be tapped to generate a stream of lubricant innovations. That’s why we established the Friction & Motion Competence Center, and that’s why we have built these dedicated laboratories,” explains Dr. Ralf Dussel, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Evonik’s Oil Additives Business Line.

For example, he adds, rather than limiting their focus exclusively to the potential of lubricant additives, the scientists at the Friction & Motion Competence Center will also examine fluid systems, surface designs and high performance polymers.

As a leading provider of oil additives, Evonik develops technologies that boost efficiency with its DRIVON™ technologies in engine oils, driveline fluids and gear oils. With the Friction & Motion Competence Center, Evonik focuses on innovations that contribute to the resource-efficient lubricant solutions of tomorrow.

As MRC informed previously, Evonik Resource Efficiency will invest in a capacity expansion of its performance foams business at its production site in Darmstadt, Germany. The investment will increase the output of the facility by about 20% as a first step. The Group will be adding production equipment to its operations complex that manufactures products marketed under the Rohacell brand. The expanded production capacity was expected to be operational by the second half of 2017.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Fujian Refining & Petrochemical (FREP) has restarted its No. 1 polypropylene (PP) and No. 2 polyethylene (PE) units, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has recently resumed operations at both the units following an unplanned outage. The units were taken off-line last weekend owing to power failure.

Located in Fujian province, China, the two PE units have a production capacity of 500,000 mt/year each, while the two PP units have a production capacity of No.1 330,000 mt/year and No.2 220,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, in the second half of March 2016, FREP restarted its PP and PE units following an unplanned shutdown. They were shut on March 15, 2016 owing to a technical glitch at its upstream cracker.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A leading supplier of interior and exterior automotive parts has selected a new ABS/polycarbonate blend from ELIX Polymers for the production of exterior pillar covers to be used in an upcoming premium class car from a well-known German manufacturer, according to ELIX's press release.

Maier S. Coop., in Vizcaya, Spain, is using ELIX Ultra HH4115HI in a two-component part that combines the ABS/PC with a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).

The central pillar cover is a technically highly demanding part that forms part of a complex assembly with other components. ELIX Ultra HH 4115 HI was chosen particularly for its high strength and temperature resistance, and for its low density. The technical departments of Maier and ELIX Polymers worked intensively together to find the best possible solution and optimize the injection conditions of the parts (one on each side of the car).

Puncture impact behaviour tests carried out according to ISO 6603-2 confirm the very good performance of ELIX Ultra HH4115HI at different temperatures for crash-relevant parts such as the exterior pillar covers produced by Maier and also for interior trim and parts that may be subject to knee or head impacts. The appearance and structure of fractures produced in the test has been evaluated very positively by several premium car manufacturers.

ELIX Polymers envisages a wide range of applications for this innovative material, including door panel parts, instrument panel parts, centre console trim, seating parts, luggage compartment trim, and interior as well as exterior pillar covers. As with other grades from ELIX Polymers, pre-coloured material in OEM colours is possible, as are tailor-made solutions with special additive packages for very demanding part and environment requirements.

ELIX Ultra HH4115HI has been tested and approved at several Automotive OEMs. Among them, Audi noted its low emissions and odor, and considers the material as very interesting for lower instrument panel parts, center console parts and door panel parts according to its TL 52231 specification. BMW has approved it under its GS 93016 specification, and first serial projects are now running. GM has approved Ultra HH4115HI under GMW 15572-T4, and Daimler has approved it under DBL 5404 AA83.

As MRC reported earlier, ELIX Polymers is developing additional specialty grades of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) optimized for 3D printing, in the wake of high interest shown in its initial offering at K 2016 in Dusseldorf last October.

ELIX is offering technical support, including recommendations on correct processing set-ups: extruder screw design, drive system and spool system. The objective is to obtain the filament with the best quality properties in typical thicknesses of 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm and validate the material to meet the requirements of the final application. ELIX has defined its own demanding material tests to evaluate the final filament quality.
MRC