New copper-based catalyst can help turn carbon dioxide into ethylene

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Scientists have created a catalyst that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide to ethylene, which is used to produce the most common type of plastic, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

At the heart of this work is the carbon dioxide reduction reaction, wherein CO2 is converted into other chemicals through the use of an electrical current and a chemical reaction, aided by a catalyst.

Many metals can serve as catalysts in this type of reaction: gold, silver and zinc can make carbon monoxide, while tin and palladium can make formate. Only copper can produce ethylene, the core component of polyethylene (PE) plastic.

"Copper is a bit of a magic metal. It's magic because it can make many different chemicals, like methane, ethylene, and ethanol, but controlling what it makes is difficult," said Phil De Luna, PhD student at the University of Toronto in Canada.

Researchers were able to design a catalyst and pinpoint the ideal conditions to maximize ethylene production while minimizing the methane output to nearly nothing. Paired with carbon capture technology, this could lead to an incredibly green production mechanism for everyday plastics, meanwhile sequestering harmful greenhouse gases.

"I think the future will be filled with technologies that make value out of waste. It's exciting because we are working towards developing new and sustainable ways to meet the energy demands of the future," said De Luna.

By identifying the precise conditions that maximize ethylene production during the reaction, it is possible to engineer a catalyst to meet those conditions.
MRC

ARLANXEO to expand production capacities for chloroprene rubber

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ARLANXEO, one of the world’s leading suppliers of synthetic elastomers, is expanding its global chloroprene rubber (CR) production at the site in Dormagen, Germany, as per the company's press release.

The production capacity there will be increased to as much as 70,000 tons per year overall that will be available to the market already during the first quarter of 2019. ARLANXEO is investing an upper single-digit million in the expansion project overall.

"The strong global demand for our chloroprene rubbers will continue in the coming years," said Stefan Rittmann, head of the ARLANXEO business line that produces CR and Managing Director of ARLANXEO Deutschland GmbH. Demand for chloroprene rubbers is growing by about four percent per year, particularly in Asia and especially in Greater China. Products with special properties are in particularly strong demand worldwide. "At the same time, this expansion represents a clear commitment to our biggest German site, Dormagen, from which we serve the global demand," explained Rittmann.

The capacity expansion will be undertaken from Q2 2018. Within the expansion a production line will be renewed and equipped with new reactors, having a higher capacity. This ensures ARLANXEO to optimize its existing processes and make its production processes more flexible.

ARLANXEO produces and markets its chloroprene rubbers under the Baypren and Baypren ALX brands. They are used, for example, in the production of cable sheathing, belts, conveyor belts and wetsuits, as well as in adhesive applications, and feature high weather, UV and oil resistance. Chloroprene rubbers are products of ARLANXEO’s High Performance Elastomers business unit.

As MRC reported earlier, in September 2017, ARLANXEO presented its product portfolio for adhesive applications and innovative solutions for the industry at last year’s FEICA, the most important European trade fair and conference for the adhesives industry.

ARLANXEO was established in April 2016 as a joint venture of Lanxess - a world-leading specialty chemicals company based in Cologne, Germany - and Saudi Aramco - a major global energy and chemicals enterprise headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The two partners each hold a 50-percent interest in the joint venture. The business operations of ARLANXEO are assigned to the High Performance Elastomers and Tire & Specialty Rubbers business units. As MRC wrote before, in September 2015, Lanxess was in talks to put its main synthetic rubber business into a joint venture with petrochemicals group Ineos. Lanxess also held talks with Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Russia's NKNK and Sibur.
MRC

ADNOC to supply Malaysian Lotte Chemical with naphtha in 3-year deal

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Abu Dhabi National Oil Co said on Tuesday it had signed a three-year agreement with Lotte Chemical Titan, one of the largest polyolefin producers in southeast Asia, to sell the Malaysian firm up to 1 million tonnes of naphtha annually, reported Reuters.

"With this agreement we are implementing a new approach toward our sales of naphtha," said Abdulla Salem al-Dhaheri, ADNOC's director for marketing, sales and trading.

"Previously we have sold the product on shorter-term, one-year contracts. By switching to a three-year contract we are capturing long-term market access and securing offtake."

ADNOC produces over 12 million tonnes of naphtha annually.

As MRC informed before, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is planning to increase its crude refining capacity in UAE by at least 60% and triple its petrochemical production as part of its future growth strategy, its chief executive officer said in Abu Dhabi last week. "This proposed expansion will create a single largest integrated refining and chemical site in the world in Ruwais in the UAE," said then Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber speaking at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum. "Once complete we will convert almost 20 per cent of our crude into chemicals, diversifying our range of higher value products and providing a natural hedge to oil price movements." He also said hydrocarbons will continue to play a vital role to meet global energy demand despite increase in the diversity of energy mix.
MRC

PE imports to Belarus down by 5% in Jan-Nov 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polyethylene (PE) into Belarus dropped in the first eleven months of 2017 by 5% year on year, reaching 112,400 tonnes. Local companies increased their purchasing of all PE grades, except for linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), as per MRC's DataScope report.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, November 2017 PE imports to Belarus decreased to 9,100 tonnes from 10,300 tonnes a month earlier. Russian producers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) further reduced their shipments. Overall PE imports reached 112,400 tonnes in January-November 2017, compared to 118,100 tonnes a year earlier. Demand for low density polyethylene (LDPE) and HDPE increased, whereas linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) imports decreased.

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


November 2017 LDPE imports to Belarus grew to 3,600 tonnes from 3,200 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies slightly increased their PE purchasing in Russia. Overall imports of this PE grade to Belarus totalled 33,500 tonnes in January-November 2017, compared to 27,100 tonnes a year earlier.

November 2017 LLDPE imports were 1,400 tonnes versus 1,800 tonnes a month earlier, local companies reduced their purchasing of Middle Eastern butene grade PE. Thus, overall LLDPE imports to Belarus exceeded 33,100 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2017, whereas this figure was 49,300 tonnes a year earlier.

November HDPE imports fell to 4,000 tonnes from 5,300 tonnes a month earlier. Local companies had to reduce their PE purchasing from Russian producers because of export restrictions. Thus, HDPE imports totalled 45,800 tonnes in January-November 2017, up by 9.7% year on year.

MRC

Blast rocks naphtha cracker of IOCL Panipat refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indian oil major, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), witnessed a massive blast in its refinery at Panipat, Haryana, as per Apic-online.

A domestic source informed that the blast took place in the Naphtha Cracker of the refinery on Monday afternoon. One contractual employee of IOCL was reportedly killed in the accident while 5 others were injured.

An investigation by technical team is underway to understand the cause of the accident.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters in New Delhi, India.
MRC