Stepan presents polyester polyols for PU applications

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Stepan, a manufacturer of speciality and intermediate chemicals, has presented polyester polyols for PU applications at Utech Europe 2018, according to GV.

These products include commercial and industrial surfactants, nutritional oils, aromatic and aliphatic polyester polyols for rigid and flexible foam, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and polyurethane elastomers.

The polyester polyols are marketed under the name Stepanpol. The company operates production sites in Europe, North America and Asia. Its European polymers business has manufacturing facilities in Germany and Poland. In 2016, Stepan completed an expansion of its plant in Poland and opened an R&D and technical centre in Wroclaw.

As MRC reported earlier, in May 2018, Stepan Company sait that, through a subsidiary in Mexico, it had closed on the previously announced agreement with BASF Mexicana, S.A. DE C.V. to acquire the surfactant production facility in Ecatepec, Mexico, and a portion of the associated surfactants business.

Stepan with headquarters in Northfield, IL, USA, is a manufacturer of speciality and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. The company is also a producer of surfactants, which are key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning compounds. Furthermore, the company is a supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market and CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers) industries.
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Toray to enhance production capacity of polyolefin foam TORAYPEF

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Toray Industries, Inc. announced that it decided to enhance the production capacity of polyolefin foam TORAYPEF, as per the company's press release.

It will add a production facility with a capacity of about 2,000 tons a year at its Shiga Plant (Otsu, Shiga Prefecture), which will start operation in October 2019. The move will expand the Toray Group’s TORAYPEF production capacity around the world to 13,000 tons a year.

TORAYPEF is a lightweight, highly moldable polyolefin foam having heat-insulating, shock-absorbing and non-water-absorbency properties. Its stable quality and moldablility enabled by Toray’s proprietary foaming method has led to the material being adopted for various applications such as electronic instrument components, insulation materials for electric appliances and cushions used for housing and civil engineering purposes.

In particular, its use in automotive interior trim has been rapidly increasing in recent years. In today’s automobile industry, the demand for the flexible polypropylene foam used for interior components is expanding, as its feeling delivers improved comfort. In the U.S., automobile manufacturers focus on luxury interior materials in their strategies to differentiate between models, and they have been increasingly adopting TORAYPEF for soft interior materials such as door panels and instrument panel materials. The trend of luxurious and soft car interiors has also spread to Japan and China.

In addition to the increase in the number of models and parts that feature such materials, the number of models using foam materials is expected to rise, especially among SUV models, whose production is estimated to increase in China, as the models become more luxurious as in the U.S. market. Toray has manufacturing and distribution functions for TORAYPEF in Japan as well as in the U.S. at its subsidiary of Toray Plastics (America), Inc. (head office: Rhode Island, U.S.; President: Michael F. Brandmeier; hereinafter referred to as “TPA”), and the Japanese and U.S. counterparts cooperate in the operation of the business.

TPA has completed the enhancement of production capacity and the new facility has been operating since February 2018. The production capacity enhancement in Japan is aimed at responding to the expansion in demand in automobile interior applications in Asia and the robust demand in various applications in Japan. Toray aims to fulfill its responsibility of stable supply in the Asian market including Japan and China and further expand the business.
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Era Polymers introduces new range of extra low-free monomer TDI prepolymers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Australian PU systems house Era Polymers has presented the addition of a selected number of extra low-free monomer (< 0.1 %) TDI grades to its prepolymer range for the cast elastomer industry at the Utech Europe 2018, reported GV.

The offering comprises the four polyether (PTMEG) based products XLE90A (14 min pot life), XLE93A (12 min), XLE95A (8 min), and XLE75D (3 min) as well as the three polyester based grades XLS85A (14 min), XLS90A (13 min), and XLS95A (8 min).

As MRC informed previously, Dow Polyurethanes, a business division of the Dow Chemical Company, has showcased an extended portfolio of technologies and latest innovations at Utech Europe 2018. According to the company, it has presented a range of polyurethane solutions that help differentiate products and contribute to help meet sustainability goals, opening new opportunities for its customers and the industries they serve. Innovations featured at the trade show include envelope insulation technologies that can improve sustainability, efficiency and fire safety in buildings; foam materials that can deliver a comfortable experience for bedding and pillow applications; adhesives, binders and engineering elastomers solutions that help improve performance and durability of infrastructures; and automotive materials that contribute to improved vehicle performance, safety and fuel economy.
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Mitsui to launch Milastomer production in the USA

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsui Chemicals has announced plans to set up a new production facility for Milastomer thermoplastic olefin elastomer at the Ohio plant of its US subsidiary Advanced Composites, Inc., as per GV.

There will be one production line with a capacity of 6,000 t/y. Construction start is scheduled for January 2019, completion in June, operations will then commence in October 2019. Mitsui Chemicals currently owns production sites in Japan, Europe, and China. The new facility in the USA will address growing demand in North America and serve as the company’s fourth production base worldwide. Mitsui Chemicals America will sell Milastomer in North America, while Advanced Composites will handle production.

Advanced Composites, Inc. was established in June 1986 as a joint venture of Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc. (59.8 %), Prime Polymer Co. Ltd. (3 %), Mitsui & Co. Ltd. (27%), and Marubeni America Corporation (10.2%). Its main business is the production, sale and research of polypropylene compounds. Contract production of Milastomer will be added from October 2019 on.

With its low density and good mouldability, Mitsui Chemicals markets Milastomer as a substitute for PVC and vulcanised rubber. The many uses include auto parts, building gaskets, toothbrushes, golf club grips and more. Global demand is projected to rise, primarily for applications such as automotive interior covers, weather strips, air bag covers and steering bellows. Demand for use in automotive interior covers is expected to expand especially in North America.

As MRC wrote before, in March 2016, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Hankuk Carbon Co., a company listed on the Korea Exchange, entered into a strategic alliance agreement to engage in collaborative business activities relating to the processing of composite materials.

Mitsui Chemicals is a leading manufacturer and supplier of value added specialty chemicals, plastics and materials for the automotive, healthcare, packaging, agricultural, building, and semiconductor and electronics markets. Mitsui Chemicals is a Japanese Chemicals company, a part of the Mitsui conglomerate. The company has a turnover of around 15 billion USD and has business interests in Japan, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and the USA. The company mainly deals in performance materials, petro and basic chemicals and functional polymeric materials.
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Scotland plans Chemical Sciences Hub in Grangemouth

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A new eight-year strategic plan by Chemical Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group foresees creating a key European hub in Grangemouth for the government-backed chemical sciences cluster, as per Chemanager-online.

The hub, which would be built up in cooperation with Ineos, is one of four priorities outlined in the new plan backed by energy minister Paul Wheelhouse, whose brief also includes business and innovation.

One of the strategy’s key points is to exploit Scotland’s potential in the industrial biotechnology sector and to establish the country as a “world-class center of high-value manufacturing,” as well as delivering a skills investment plan to provide easy-to-access training and education at all levels to support the growth of the chemical sciences sector.

Tom Shields, acting chair of the group, said Chemical Sciences Scotland's aim is to "sustain a vibrant and competitive Scottish chemicals industry driving growth in the Scottish economy". He said the organization will seek to attract investment through innovative new models and inspire more businesses to develop innovative new products, processes and services.

Work on the Grangemouth hub is being overseen by Ian Little, a member of Chemical Sciences Scotland and site business development manager at Ineos O&P UK. Little said the plan, which will build on recent investment in Grangemouth by Ineos and other companies, “aims to engage all stakeholders to create in Grangemouth a compelling, sustainable, competitive position in chemicals manufacturing, creating a focal point for investment in high-value chemicals manufacturing and significantly expanding the local and Scottish economy."

Scotland’s chemical sciences products supply a number of sectors including food and drink, energy and pharmaceuticals. A regards manufacturing, Ineos – which got its start in Grangemouth, buying businesses from BP – is by far the largest player. Several years ago, it launched a plan to attract investment to share services at its vast site.

Scant outside investment on the site has been seen up to now.

Ineos itself has concentrated its infrastructure investment at Grangemouth largely on facilitating the import of US shale gas and fighting the local council for permission to close local traffic arteries near its production facilities.
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