Covestro presents matte films for medical equipment

MOSCOW (MRC) -- At Compamed tradeshow, Covestro has exhibited the first blown Platilon films with a very high matte level, which was previously only obtainable with cast films, as per the company's press release.

They are well suited for wearable health patches, which have to remain on the skin of patients for extended periods.

Covestro exhibited a new line of Platilon films with very matte surfaces. The products were developed for a variety of medical applications, including wound care, surgical drapes and wearable health patches. They are the first blown films with a very high matte level, previously only obtainable with cast films. The new products enable a more efficient production yet support modern design.

Thanks to their matte surface, the films are pleasant to the touch. In contact with clothing, they feature lower friction than glossy films and are therefore longer-lasting. And in the operating room, the anti-reflection films prevent staff from being blinded by bright light.

Wearables have enormous market potential, although the technology still needs to clear a few hurdles. Small electronic patches, however, are in broader use in the health care sector. Consumers can use them to determine their level of physical fitness, measure body temperature and pulse rate, or evaluate the quality of their sleep. In the future, improved and even smarter products are expected to play a supporting role in medical diagnosis and treatment, and even deliver medications in accurate dosages.

For these applications, wearables have to remain on the skin of patients for extended periods and be comfortable to wear. "A clever combination of different materials results in products that cling gently to the skin and are also breathable and hypoallergenic," says Gerd Buschel, a films expert at Covestro. The patch is affixed to the skin by means of a skin-friendly, breathable adhesive, which also is solvent-free. "In addition to the new matte films, we also market customized polyurethane raw materials for the manufacture of the electronic plasters," says Gerd Buschel.

As MRC wrote earlier, in September 2017, German drugs and pesticides group Bayer further reduced its holding in Covestro to 31.5% from 40.9% by selling 19 million shares in the plastics business for a total of EUR1.2 billion (USD1.4 billion).

With 2016 sales of EUR 11.9 billion, Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 15,600 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2016.
MRC

Air Products to develop SD3.5bn coal-to-syngas facility in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Products has signed an agreement with Yankuang Group to build a USD3.5bn coal-to-syngas production facility at Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China, as per Chemicals-technology.

The agreement was signed under the presence of the US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the former’s visit to China. Air Products chairman, president and CEO Seifi Ghasemi said: "Air Products is delighted to announce this significant expansion of our already strong relationship with one of China’s largest energy companies. "This new agreement confirms Yankuang’s trust in us, built on the supply reliability we have delivered for their Phase 1 project."

Under the agreement, Air Products and Yankuang Group subsidiary Shaanxi Future Energy Group (SFEC) intend to form a new joint venture (JV) company. The JV will have the responsibility to build, own and operate an air separation, gasification and syngas clean-up system to supply the SFEC site.

The air separation units are capable of producing nearly 40,000tpd of oxygen and will support the production of around 2.5 million normal cubic metres of syngas an hour. "The air separation units are capable of producing nearly 40,000tpd of oxygen and will support the production of around 2.5 million normal cubic metres of syngas an hour."
SFEC would provide coal, steam and power as well as procure syngas under a long-term, onsite contract.

Yankuang Group chairman Li Xiyong said: "We look forward to further extending our excellent partnership with Air Products, leveraging their technology, reliability and expertise to enable us to produce even more high-quality fuel and chemical products that drive growth and support sustainable development."

The final agreements of the deal are scheduled to be signed soon, while the project is expected to start operating in 2021. Currently, Air Products supplies 12,000tpd of oxygen to SFEC’s Phase 1 project in Yulin.

After the addition, SFEC Phase 2 will produce nearly four million tonnes of liquid fuels and downstream chemicals annually.
MRC

Catcracker halted at Venezuela Cardon refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) — The catalytic cracker at Venezuela’s 310,000 bpd Cardon refinery has stopped due to faults, said Reuters.

Union leader Ivan Freites said he had seen an internal report by state oil company PDVSA showing the cracker was down since Nov. 14. "It’s been closed for several days," a worker at the refinery on Venezuela’s Paraguana peninsula confirmed.

PDVSA, which has long been suffering unplanned stoppages around its refinery network in the OPEC nation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Freites said Cardon was only producing 110,000 bpd, according to the PDVSA report he had seen.
MRC

Transneft to resume oil exports from Novorossiisk

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oil loadings from the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk were set to resume later on Tuesday after a storm in area subsided in the early hours of the day, reported Reuters with reference to oil pipeline monopoly Transneft's statement.

All other oil exporting ports in Russia were working according to schedule, it added.

As MRC informed previously, Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft is buying a stake in the oil terminal at the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga from businessman Andrei Bokarev. Transneft-Baltica's request to buy a 25% plus one share stake in terminal was approved by the Federal Antimonopoly service in H2 October 2017. The terminal, launched in 2015, has a capacity of 30 MMt of oil products per year. Bokarev owns 74% and oil trader Gunvor holds the remainder. Transneft confirmed that it was buying the stake in the terminal but did not disclose the seller or price. Gunvor built the terminal and sold a 74 percent stake in the terminal to Bokarev in 2015. Analysts at the time estimated the value of Gunvor's deal with Bokarev at USD1.9 B–USD2.2 B at current exchange rates.
MRC

PVC imports to Ukraine down by 3% in January-October 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Ukraine decreased by 3% in the first ten months of this year, compared to the same period in 2016 and reached 89,000 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.

October SPVC imports into Ukraine due to the increase in the local production decreased to 6,500 tonnes against 10,100 tonnes in September.
Local producers of profile-moulded products reduced PVC purchases further on the seasonal factor. Overall SPVC imports were about 89,000 tonnes in January-October 2017, compared to 91,800 tonnes a year earlier. Demand for suspension subsided from local producers of profile-moulded products and pipes, whereas demand for resin increased from producers of plasticized PVC.

Structure of PVC imports into Ukraine over the reported period was as follows.


Last month's imports of US PVC amounted to about 4,100 tonnes against 7,800 tonnes in September 2017, as two of the largest producers of window profiles reduced their supply volumes significantly. Imports of North American resin totalled 44,600 tonnes in January-October 2017 versus 51,700 tonnes a year earlier.

October imports of European PVC into the Ukrainian market grew to 2,100 tonnes from 1,600 tonnes a month earlier. Overall imports of European PVC reduced to 29,400 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 33,800 tonnes a year earlier.

Shipments of PVC from Russia dropped to 260 tonnes against 640 tonnes in September, due to a deficit in the domestic market in the autumn months, Russian producers seriously cut their export sales. Russia's imports of resin into Ukraine grew to 12,900 tonnes in January-October 2017, compared with 5,600 tonnes year on year.


MRC