Henkel drives the future of e-Mobility

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Building on years of experience and expertise in engine and powertrain applications, Henkel is actively investing in new technologies and products for efficient large-scale manufacturing of safe and reliable electric drive systems, as per the company's press release.

Key solutions addressing the "pain points" of OEMs and tier suppliers in this segment include innovative liquid gasketing, magnet bonding, thermal management and potting products as well as a state-of-the-art impregnation service.

Electric, digital and autonomous – the automotive industry is facing disruptive changes, where advanced battery technology and electronics are going to reshape the design and manufacture of vehicles. Henkel is determined to play a decisive role in this transformation, helping customers drive the future of e-Mobility and benefit from the company’s comprehensive product and service portfolio for efficient, reliable, safe and sustainable solutions across the entire manufacturing chain of components.

Next to liquid sealants, thermal interface materials, adhesives and impregnation resins for new-generation battery packs, Henkel is leveraging existing and new products and technologies for the emerging trend towards e-drive modules combining electric motor, power electronics and gearbox in one integrated e-axle unit. In addition, customers are also supported with appropriate design guidelines and recommendations for process requirements including equipment enabling automated high-volume production.

"The electrification of vehicles is gaining pace and helps automakers reduce their fleet fuel consumption and CO2 emission footprint in line with strict regulation targets," says Frank Kerstan, Global Business Development, Powertrain & e-Mobility, Henkel. “As all major OEMs and new players in the automotive industry are launching more and more full hybrid and battery electric vehicles there is a need for seamlessly matching technologies designed to support these new drive concepts and manufacturing schemes. With our innovative adhesive solutions, we are ideally positioned as a full-service partner of customers at the forefront of e-Mobility."

Henkel’s portfolio of efficient, safe and sustainable solutions for the entire value chain of e-drives manufacturing is focused on six key application areas:

Liquid gasketing: Henkel offers a wide range of different gasketing technologies. Latest product innovations include Loctite AA 5820, which is especially suitable to provide a reliable seal of multi-substrates or any flange design of e-drive housings. The polyacrylate adhesive shows excellent resistance to oils, including automatic transmission fluids (ATF), and can withstand temperatures from -40°C to +150°C.

Potting: Another polyacrylate technology – Loctite AA 5831 – is used for protection and fixation of parts in the e-motor or in the conversion electronic control unit. The compound has an ideal fit in large-series potting operations and cures within seconds under UV light and moisture.

For e-drive stator coil potting applications, Henkel offers the two-component epoxy technology of Loctite PE 8082 which has a thermal conductivity of 1 W/mK, resulting in a significantly reduced working temperature. In addition, it shows outstanding oil resistance.

PCB Technologies: Printed circuit board solutions include conformal coatings, thermal interface materials, low pressure molding products, and next generation of solder technologies for e-drive power conversion control units.

Henkel has a well-established reputation for its flexible capability of developing and tailoring specialized solutions to customer specifications. This is backed by technical test centers around the world and a strong focus on R&D and innovation. In addition, the company also maintains an extensive partner network for equipment, tools and engineering to serve a global OEM and Tier 1 customer base. The complete line of Henkel’s adhesive solutions for the design and large-series production of next-generation automotive electrical drive systems underscores the company’s commitment to anticipate the needs its customers for electrification.
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Milliken Infrastructure Solutions and WrapMaster enter strategic alliance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC (MIS) has announced a strategic alliance with WrapMaster in order to offer customers a broader set of composite repair solutions. WrapMaster, a Texas-based fiber reinforced polymer manufacturing company, specializes in rigid coil systems for the Oil & Gas industry, as per the company's press release.

"Our partnership with WrapMaster emphasizes our commitment to integrity and bringing best-in-class solutions to our customers," said Jim Souza, Director of Technology at MIS. "Together, we now have the industry’s widest composite repair product offering, with the only rigid coil system to be third-party tested and approved up to 80 percent wall loss."

The Pipe Wrap family of products, which include A+ Wrap, Atlas, FormaShield and SplashGard, combined with the capabilities of WrapMaster’s products, will offer a broader set of solutions to its customer base. WrapMaster manufactures PermaWrap and WeldWrap, the only composite pipeline repair sleeves designed to be detected by MFL "smart pig" tools.

PermaWrap composite reinforcement sleeve is a patented, pre-manufactured rigid coil system available in widths up to 18 inches with "diamond grip" embossment technology. This technology provides a mechanical locking system that allows the individual layers of the wrap to nest within each other, minimizing the risk of telescoping and providing an overall easier installation process. PermaWrap no longer requires the composite to solely rely on the adhesive and risk disbondment, an unresolved issue among other rigid coil systems.

WeldWrap is the only single unit rigid composite pipe repair system designed to reinforce defects in or near the girth weld, which can reduce repair time by nearly 60 percent and save on material costs.

"It makes sense to align with MIS and its similar values of superior customer service and continuous innovation," said Glenn Davis, President and CEO of Wrapmaster. "Our constant dedication to providing a worldwide customer base with trusted products that last will continue with this partnership."

As MRC informed earlier, in H1 2018, Milliken Chemical intoduced containers of NX UltraClear polypropylene (PP) made using its Millad NX 8000 clarifier. Containers made with NX UltraClear PP are lightweight, microwaveable, can be hot-filled, and are recyclable.

Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865. The company creates coatings, specialty chemicals, and advanced additive and colorant technologies that transform the way we experience products from automotive plastics to children's art supplies.
MRC

BP offloads last two stranded oil cargoes in China

MOSCOW (MRC) - Oil major BP offloaded about 1 million barrels of Angolan crude from supertanker ‘Olympic Light’ to an independent Chinese refiner after holding the oil at sea for about three months, people with knowledge of the discharge said, as per Reuters.

The oil had been aboard one of four supertankers held up or delayed off China’s east coast near Shandong since as long ago as April, unable to discharge BP’s oil due to slowing buying from private refiners in the world’s second-biggest economy.

All four have delayed cargoes, totaling about 4 million barrels, have now been offloaded to Shandong Qingyuan Group, one of China’s largest independently run lubricant producers, according to sources.

Shippers and oil traders said it was not unusual for producers like BP to ship cargoes before finding a buyer, but having cargoes orphaned for several months was uncommon. It wasn’t immediately clear who will pay the bill for the months’ demurrage - charges paid by a vessel’s charter to its owners for delayed operations - which shipping agents have estimated costs roughly USD30,000 a day for a supertanker.

The ‘Olympic Light’ discharged its cargo at Qingdao port, the people said. Last Sunday, BP discharged a similar-sized cargo at Rizhao port from another supertanker, ‘Olympic Luck’, to the same refiner, the people said, after holding the oil at sea for about one and half months.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.

BP did not respond to an emailed request for comment. An official at Qingyuan reached by Reuters said she was not in a position to comment.

Qingyuan, which operates a 104,000 barrels per day refinery, is a regular customer of BP, which has expanded its crude oil marketing to Chinese independent refiners since 2015 after China opened crude oil imports to nearly 40 local plants.

The refiner has received an annual crude import quota of 4.04 million tonnes from Beijing authorities for the last two years.
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AkzoNobel opens new coatings facility in Kenya

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel has opened a new coatings production facility in Kenya, as per the company's press release.

Located in the capital, Nairobi, the long-term plan is to expand further and use Kenya as a gateway to the whole of East Africa.

The site, which produces coil coatings primarily focused on the building sector, also includes warehousing for the company’s marine, protective and powder coatings. The opening ceremony was attended by H.E. Franz Makken, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya, who emphasized the importance of direct foreign investment in helping to boost local economic development

"AkzoNobel is making a concerted effort to tap into the growing opportunities in Africa and bolster its operations in the region with strategic investments," explained Baron Schreuder, the company’s Performance Coatings Director for sub-Saharan Africa. "This is an important first step towards unlocking Africa and expanding our performance coatings presence in the east of the continent."

Continued Schreuder: "Operating in Kenya is an essential part of expanding our footprint in the region. The new facility will enable us to be closer to our customers, helping to reduce lead times while strengthening our ability to serve the market better."

Work on the facility started after the company acquired the Industrial Coatings business of BASF. AkzoNobel established a legal entity in Morocco, Kenya and Uganda in 2016 with the express aim of growing its Performance Coatings business in the African market.

The company already runs operations in Africa for its Marine and Protective Coatings, Automotive and Specialty Coatings, Industrial and Powder Coatings and Decorative Paints businesses. Manufacturing facilities are located in Egypt, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, the Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly known as Swaziland), Morocco and Tunisia.

Products have been supplied for a number of high profile projects throughout the continent, notably in South Africa, where five stadiums used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup feature AkzoNobel’s high performance coatings.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
MRC

HDPE production in Russia decreased by 0.4% in January-July

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) was about 571,000 tonnes in January-June 2018, down 0.4% year on year. At the same time, only one Russian producer reduced PP output, according to MRC ScanPlast report.

July HDPE production in Russia grew to 79,600 tonnes, whereas this figure was about 79,000 tonnes a month earlier. At the same time, an increase in production in July was seen only from Kazanorgsintez. Overall HDPE output decreased 571,000 tonnes in the first seven months of 2018, compared to 573,300 tonnes a year earlier; only Nizhnekamskneftekhim reduced production volumes in favour of linear polyethylene (LLDPE).

Structure of HDPE production over the reported period looked as follows.

Russia's July HDPE production at Kazanorgsintez increased to 48,800 tonnes from 44,600 tonnes a month earlier. The Kazan plant's overall HDPE production was 318,400 tonnes in January-July 2018, up by 1% year on year.

Stavrolen last month produced about 21,800 tonnes against 23,400 tonnes a month earlier. The plant's HDPE output reached 172,900 tonnes in the first seven months of 2018, up by 3% year on year.
Gazprom neftekhim Salavat shut its capacities in July for a short scheduled shutdown, with about 9,000 tonnes produced in July, compared with 10,900 tonnes in June. Total HDPE production at the plant reached 69,300 tonnes in January-July 2018, up 35% year on year. Such a high rate of growth in output was a result of the lack of a long scheduled maintenance works this year.

During the period under review, Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced HDPE only in April and May. Total HDPE production at Nizhnekamskneftekhim over the incomplete two months of the year was just 17,700 tonnes against 37,300 tonnes year on year.


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