Clariant launches Telasperse PVC pigment preparations for plasticized and non-plasticized PVC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has added an important new family to its range of colorants for plastics, with the introduction of Telasperse PVC for plasticized and non-plasticized PVC, as per the company's press release.

The new family currently comprises seven colours - one blue, three reds and three yellows - as well as two blacks and a white. More colors will be added in the coming months.

Until now, plasticized PVC compounders and processors have had a limited choice of global suppliers of high quality pigment preparations. The entry of Clariant into this important market will provide a welcome addition to their options.

Telasperse PVC products are free-flowing, dust-free powder pigment preparations, fully dispersed with approximately 40-50% organic pigment. If requested, they can also be supplied in pellet form. They are based on a PVC containing a non-phthalate plasticizer; the stabilization is lead-free.

"With Telasperse PVC pigment preparations, we are opening up new opportunities for PVC compounders and customers manufacturing such products as films and sheets," says Philippe Lazerme, Head of Strategic Marketing Plastics at Clariant BU Pigments. The preparations are also suitable for cables, profiles, and flooring.

"The new pigment preparations keep processing costs low with their ease of incorporation into PVC and their high pigment concentration, while their dust-free form makes them safe to process," Stefan Wannemacher, Head of Technical Marketing at Clariant BU Pigments, adds. "Quality of the pigments is consistently high, ensuring excellent reproducibility in finished products. Especially important for film makers, the excellent dispersion of the pigment yields smooth surface appearance, free of specks, while their high chroma ensures a brilliant shade."

Depending on the size of the business, Clariant can offer specific shades based on existing colorants, and also provide in-depth service, technical advice and support, Lazerme points out.

Selected products in the Telasperse PVC range are suitable for food-contact applications and for toys; they have wide regulatory compliance, including RoHS, EN71-3, 94/62/EG, AP89 (I), and EU 10/2011. Although developed specifically for plasticized PVC, Telasperse PVC can also be used in some rigid PVC formulations.

As MRC informed before, in March 2017, Clariant was awarded a contract by Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology Co. Ltd. to develop a new propane dehydrogenation unit in cooperation with CB&I. The project includes the license and engineering design of the unit, which is to be built in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints. Clariant India has local masterbatch production activities at Rania, Kalol and Nandesari (Gujarat) and Vashere (Maharashtra) sites in India.
MRC

KBR to support ongoing project activities at Covestros site in Baytown

MOSCOW (MRC) -- KBR, Inc.announced it has been awarded a multiple year Master Engineering Services Agreement by Covestro LLC, a world-leading manufacturer of high-tech polymer materials for key industries, as per KBR.

KBR will support ongoing project activities at Covestro's site in Baytown, TX and across Covestro's other North American facilities.

Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide project management and engineering services to support multiple sites in North America. KBR will perform services across all engineering disciplines, project controls, project management and other support services to Covestro facilities and their capital programs.

KBR has extensive history with long term strategic relationships across various client markets. A leader in the engineering and construction industry, KBR's depth of knowledge and experience translates into providing optimized solutions to meet a customer's specific needs.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with Covestro," said Farhan Mujib, KBR President, Engineering and Construction Americas. "KBR looks forward to delivering innovative and effective professional services across the entire life cycle."

Revenue associated with this project will be booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR's E&C Business Segment as work orders are awarded.
MRC

US leads globally in planned ethylene capacity additions by 2022, says GlobalData

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Analysis of global planned ethylene capacity shows that the US has the highest planned ethylene capacity additions with 10 Mmtpy during 2018 to 2022, followed by China and Iran with 8 Mmtpy and 6 Mmtpy, respectively, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Presently, the US accounts for 33 percent of total global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. The country has eight planned ethylene plants. Among these, Formosa Plastics Corporation Point Comfort Ethylene Plant 3 and Exxon Mobil Corporation Baytown Ethylene Plant 2 have the highest capacity with 2.3 Mmtpy each.

China has 27 percent share in the global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. China has 18 planned ethylene plants. The top three planned plants in terms of capacity are Zhejiang Petrochemical Daishan Ethylene Plant 1 with a capacity of 1.4 Mmtpy, followed by Sinopec Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company Ningbo Ethylene Plant 2 and Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Quanzhou Ethylene Plant with capacities of 1.3 mtpa and 1.0 Mmtpy, respectively.

Iran is expected to contribute about 19 percent to the total global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. The country has nine planned ethylene plants. Sepid Mehr Chabahar Ethylene Plant leads with a capacity of 1.1 Mmtpy. Gachsaran Petrochemical Company Gachsaran Ethylene Plant, Bushehr Petrochemical Company Assaluyeh Ethylene Plant and Firouzabad Petrochemical Company Firouzabad Ethylene Plant are jointly in second, each with a capacity of 1.0 Mmtpy.

Russia has 7 percent share in the global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022. Russia has only two planned plants, ZapSibNeftekhim Tobolsk Ethylene Plant and Novy Urengoy Gas-chemical Novy Urengoy Ethylene Plant, with capacities of 1.5 Mmtpy and 0.4 Mmtpy, respectively.

Malaysia, Vietnam, Oman, and Venezuela are jointly in fifth, each with a capacity of 1 Mmtpy, contributing around 3 percent of the total global planned ethylene capacity additions in 2022.
MRC

Saipem awarded a new Onshore E&C contract in Oman

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saipem has been awarded a new contract in the onshore E&C sector worth approximately USD 750 million. Work involves engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning under Package 3 "Offsite Facilities" in the framework of the development of the Duqm Refinery situated near the coast in the north east of Oman, as per the company's press release.

The contract was awarded by Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company L.L.C, a Joint Venture between the Oman Oil Company (OOC), the national oil company, and Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI). Once completed, the refinery will have a capacity of around 230 Mbpd.

Stefano Cao, Saipem CEO, commented: "We welcome with particular satisfaction the awarding of this new contract which signals the relaunch of our activities in Oman, a country in which Saipem has operated successfully in the past".

As MRC informed before, in June 2016, Saudi Arabia's PetroRabigh awarded a construction contract for its II expansion project to Italian oil service group Saipem. PetroRabigh, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Japan's Sumitomo Chemical, said the total cost of the 30-month contract to expand its petrochemicals complex was 782 million Saudi riyals (USD208.5 million). The contract includes a plant to process and recover vanadium and a unit to dispose of caustic soda. The contract also includes some other facilities to handle and store chemicals.

Saipem is one of the world leaders in drilling services, as well as in the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of pipelines and complex projects, onshore and offshore, in the oil & gas market. The company has distinctive competences in operations in harsh environments, remote areas and deepwater. Saipem provides a full range of services with "EPC" and "EPCI" contracts (on a "turn-key" basis) and has distinctive capabilities and unique assets with a high technological content.
MRC

KBR to build new polycarbonate plant for Cangzhou Dahua

MOSCOW (MRC) -- KBR, Inc. announced today it has been awarded both a license and engineering (LBED) and a proprietary equipment supply contract by Cangzhou Dahua New Materials Co., Ltd.(CDNM) to build a new polycarbonate plant in Cangzhou City, China, as per KBR.

Under the terms of the two contracts, KBR will provide its proprietary PCMAXTM technology, basic engineering design package and proprietary equipment supply for a 100,000 metric tonnes per annum single train plant in Cangzhou. CDNM intends to expand annual production at a later stage to 200,000 metric tonnes.

The plant will utilize KBR's phosgene-based interfacial polycarbonate PCMAXTM technology. KBR's unique PCMAXTM technology offers a wide range of high quality product grades with minimal capital investment.

"KBR has been our most trustworthy partner for decades," said Xie Huasheng, Chairman of CDNM. "The polycarbonate market in China is booming, and we believe that by choosing KBR's advanced technology, we can achieve the best quality of products and place ourselves in the leading position in this new market."

"We are extremely pleased and honored to be CDNM's strategic partner," said John Derbyshire, President, KBR Technology and Consulting. "China is one of our most important markets and KBR is excited to be a part of this significant project."

KBR globally licenses and designs polycabonate synthesis and compounding plants as well as complementary phenolic technologies, including phenol/acetone, and bisphenol-A (BPA) . KBR's integrated phenolics offering provides advantages in raw materials, utilities, OPEX and maintenance costs.

Revenue associated with this project was booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR's Technology and Consulting Business Segment in the fourth quarter of 2017.
MRC