Siemens and Bentley are driving digital enterprise forward with the Process Industries Academy

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Siemens Divisions Process Industries and Drives (PD) and Digital Factory (DF) together with Bentley Systems and the Bentley Institute are driving digital enterprise forward over the entire life cycle by founding a Process Industries Academy, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The Academy's aim is to share best practice for plant engineering and operations. Academies are situated in the strategic locations of Karlsruhe, Germany (Siemens Process Automation World), Houston, Texas/USA (Bentley's Digital Advancement Academy) and Shanghai, China (Siemens Process Industry Centre for Excellence) to support the global process industry. The first event will be held in the second half of 2018 at the Siemens Process Automation World in Karlsruhe.

In light of recent developments in process industries, for example, in the oil, gas and global energy markets and the subsequent effects on plant production, established working methods are under constant review across the whole plant life cycle. Less investment in green field projects and an increased focus on optimizing productivity, performance and utilization of existing plants are causing plant operators to search for new ways in which to increase competitiveness and operating revenue.

A holistic approach to continuous improvement of underlying business processes must include consideration of the interaction between the available business resources as well as all employees involved in a project and the latest technology. An insight into how Bentley and Siemens are optimizing plant engineering and operation using new cloud-based technologies was recently revealed in a white paper from ARC Advisory Group. Based on experience and know-how from the leading experts in the field, the Process Industries Academy will provide training which will use practical examples to illustrate the significant elements of digitalization for more efficient planning and development as well as the successful operation of plants. Participants will experience how the development of a clear digital strategy improves collaboration, communication and coordination between the individual project teams and generates an ideal environment for optimizing the generation of information and digital workflows.
MRC

Huajin Chemical starts maintenance at ABS plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- North Huajin Chemical Industry has taken off-stream its Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has started maintenance at the plant on June 10, 2018. The plant is likely to resume operations on July 7, 2018.

Located in Liaoning province of China, the ABS plant has a capacity of 200,000 mt/year.

North Huajin Chemical Industries Group Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets fertilizers, synthesis resins, ethylene, methanol, and dimethyl in China. The company also manufactures PVC plastic windows and doors, functional membranes, PVC-U section materials, and laminated plastic woven bags. Its fertilizer products include urea and slow release urea for use in agriculture, husbandry, and fishery markets. North Huajin Chemical Industries Group Corporation was founded in 2002 and is based in Panjin, China.
MRC

BASF increases production capacity of Neopor

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF is increasing its global production capacity for Neopor (expandable polystyrene containing graphite) by a total of 40,000 metric tons per year, as per the company's press release.

Adjustments in the plants at the two production sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Ulsan, Korea, will take place through the fourth quarter of 2018.

At the Ulsan site in Korea, BASF will switch the plant?s entire 85,000 metric tons capacity from the classic white EPS (expandable polystyrene) Styropor to the improved insulation raw material Neopor (gray EPS) until end of 2018. This will allow the company to meet the growing demand for the gray material in the Asian market.

After a series of debottlenecking measures, the Ludwigshafen plant is now capable of producing 200,000 metric tons of Neopor a year. The annual production capacity for Styropor and Neopor at this location has been increased from 440,000 to a total of 460,000 metric tons.

The raw material is processed into insulation boards, which contribute to substantial savings of heating energy in new construction and renovations. Thus, the demand has risen steadily worldwide. Since introducing the product in 1998, BASF has continuously adapted Neopor?s production capacity. Compared with Styropor, the graphite containing insulation boards offer better insulation performance. Due to the lower density, lighter boards can be produced, making construction more efficient and saving material at the same time.

"With this step, we are offering even more customers a product that has been further developed in economic as well as environmental terms to meet the challenges we face with regard to climate protection and resource conservation. Worldwide, around 45% of total oil consumption and CO2 emissions – 40% in Germany – is caused by the heating and cooling of buildings. This can be significantly reduced by comprehensive, efficient insulation, supplemented by optimized building equipment and the appropriate use of alternative energy sources,” said Klaus Ries, Head of Global Business Management Styrenic Foams at BASF.

BASF invented and patented Styropor, the well-known, white foam granulate, in 1951, and launched Neopor 20 years ago as the first graphite containing EPS. The gray, plastic granulate Neopor is an advanced version of the classic white insulation material Styropor. By adding graphite, which gives the material its gray color, the insulation performance of the boards is increased by up to 20%. The use of raw material drops by up to 40% compared with the white material. This enables the processor to produce insulation boards with a lower mass but better insulation performance. The finished insulation products made of Neopor can be used in a range of applications, particularly for insulating exterior and interior walls and flat roofs.
MRC

Huntsman launched new TPU grades for footwear and films

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman has showcased several new TPU technologies at Chinaplas 2018, which can be used to engineer film and sheet products: Krystalgran TPU is a family of aliphatic-based resins that can be extruded to create durable, light stable, protective films and barrier layers, reported GV.

Offering benefits in both optical and non-optical applications, films made from Krystalgran TPU can help safeguard display screens found in tablets and smartphones. They are also widely used to protect car paintwork from chips and scratches; and in construction, flooring, footwear, graphic and textile applications.

Krystalflex TPU is used for interlayer laminating films within the glass to create tough, hardwearing, glass and plastic laminates with better performance properties than pure glass systems. Compatible with glass, acrylic and polycarbonate, the TPU is said to offer good bonding between dissimilar substrates as well as good physical properties over a wide temperature range. Typical applications include containment and security glass plus ballistic resistant laminates.

Huntsman’s latest elastomer developments for the footwear industry are Avalon 55 AHG TPU and Avalon ABDI TPU. Avalon ABDI TPU is a new material with a fast cycle time, which is easy to demould while Avalon 55 AHG TPU is a new, soft soling material that offers improved slip-resistance on both wet and dry surfaces. With a nominal hardness of 55 Shore A, Avalon 55 AHG TPU can be used to make soft, thin, high definition, high grip parts, in a variety of colours.

Other products presented at Chinaplas included Irogran K TPU, a family of polycaprolactone and polyether-based grades, Suprasec prepolymers, and Technothane hot-cast PU elastomer systems.

As MRC informed previously, Huntsman has showcased its polyurethane solutions for automotive, construction and footwear applications, including the low emission sustainable car seat technology at Utech Europe 2018. Seven of Huntsman’s systems houses exhibited together for the first time, including: HAPC (Saudi Arabia), Huntsman EMA (Turkey), Huntsman Gomet (Italy), Huntsman IFS (UK), Huntsman NMG (Russia), Huntsman Tecnoelastomeri (Italy), and Huntsman PUR-Systems (Germany).

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2017 revenues of more than USD8 billion. Its chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. The company operate more than 75 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 10,000 associates within its four distinct business divisions.
MRC

PP production in Russia dropped by 0.4% in January-May 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's overall production of polypropylene (PP) fell in January-May 2018 by 0.4% year on year, totalling 589,400 tonne. At the same time, only two Russian producers reduced their PP output, according to MRC ScanPlast report.


SIBUR Tobolsk, Russia's largest PP producer, shut down its production capacities for maintenance in May, leading to the local producer's lower PP output of 93,300 tonnes versus 130,000 tonnes a month earlier. Russia's overall PP production reached 589,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2018, compared to 591,000 tonnes a year earlier. Neftekhimiya accounted for the greatest increase in the output, whereas Nizhnekamskneftekhim and SIBUR Tobolsk reduced their production.

The structure of PP production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.


SIBUR Tobolsk shut down its production for almost a 30-day turnaround in the first decade of May, as a result, the plant's PP output was 12,700 tonnes, compared to 46,800 tonnes a month earlier. The Tobolsk plant's total PP production exceeded 186,000 tonnes in the first five months of 2018, down by 16% year on year.

Poliom (Titan Group) produced 18,900 tonnes of PP last month, compared to 18,500 tonnes in April. Overall, the Omsk plant produced 92,100 tonnes of PP over the stated period, up by 4% year on year.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced 18,500 tonnes of propylene polymers in May versus 18,200 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of polymer at the Nizhnekamsk plant decreased in January-May 2018 by 3% year on year to 88,100 tonnes.

Tomskneftekhim produced 12,600 tonnes of propylene polymers last month, which equalled the figure of April. The Tomsk plant's PP output exceeded 61,600 tonnes in the first five months of 2018, compared to 58,900 tonnes a year earlier.

May total PP production at Ufaorgsintez was 11,100 tonnes versus 11,200 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of polymer at the Ufa plant rose to 56,000 tonnes in January-May 2018, compared to 52,200 tonnes a year earlier.

Stavrolen (LUKOIL) shut down its production for a short maintenance last month, as a result, the output decreased to 8,800 tonnes from 10,800 tonnes in April. Overall production of propylene polymers at the Budenovsk plant reached 49,800 tonnes in the first five months of 2018, up by 2% year on year.

Neftekhimiya (Kapotnya) also reduced its capacity utilisation in May, the overall output was10,600 tonnes versus 12,000 tonnes a month earlier. The plant's overall PP output reached 55,800 tonnes over the stated period, up 76% year on year. The last year's low figure was caused by a long scheduled maintenance in March-April.

MRC