John Crane launches innovative Gas Seal technology to significantly reduce methane emissions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions, today launched its latest gas seal technology designed to be retrofitted into centrifugal compressors with oil seals to significantly lower operating costs, improve reliability and reduce methane emissions by up to 95 percent, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The Aura™ 120 Narrow Section gas seal enables the latest John Crane gas seal technology to be fitted into a larger percentage of older equipment, bringing with it the benefits of non-contacting design. Gas seal technology eliminates the need for oil lubrication associated with contacting seals and the resulting need to address harmful emissions entrapped in the oil. In the natural gas sector, centrifugal compressors equipped with oil seal technology are generally acknowledged as the leading source of methane emissions offshore and the fourth most significant onshore.

"Our expertise in this area has recently led to the development of a lifecycle cost calculator (LCC) that provides a full analysis of the economic case for retrofit from oil seals to gas seals against the next best alternatives," said John Crane Global Product Manager Paul Hosking. "Gas seal technology is proven to reduce the level of damaging methane emissions that are vented or flared into the atmosphere."

John Crane’s LCC takes operational data from rotating equipment and compares the total lifecycle costs of the oil seal operation?including emissions?with the option of capturing the methane and routing to a flare device, capturing the methane and routing for another purpose, and retrofitting to gas seal technology.

John Crane identified four typical scenarios where oil seals are still in use and examined the economic benefits. In all scenarios, converting to gas seal technology provides economic payback, particularly when there is no spare compression and the operator owns the natural gas flowing through the compressor.

Earlier this year, John Crane was invited by a United Nations (UN) panel to showcase how the firm’s technology is reducing methane emissions in sectors of the natural gas industry. The panel is examining the critical role gas will play in achieving the international organization’s Sustainable Development Goals.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INOVYN has today announced its intention to increase production of general purpose PVC at its Jemeppe Site, Belgium, said the company.

The new investment, which will deliver a further 200ktes of capacity at the Site, is to meet growth in demand across the building and construction, electronics, packaging, food protection, water and energy sectors. The first phase of the expansion programme is to be operational in 2020.

This is in addition to an ongoing investment to increase specialty PVC production at Jemeppe, which forms part of INOVYN’s previously announced pan-European growth strategy.

These major investments will be complemented by an associated step increase in VCM capacity at the Site.

Comments Chris Tane, CEO INOVYN: "As one of the most competitive manufacturing units in Europe, these investments will reinforce Jemeppe as a world-class facility.

"The investment strategy for our PVC businesses, in which Jemeppe will play a vital role, will help to accelerate INOVYN’s global growth whilst reinforcing our leading market positions in Europe. Our focus is to drive innovation to create new markets for PVC, and in doing so deliver global competitive advantage for our customers across all industry sectors."

The announcement was made during a visit to Jemeppe Site by Minister-President of Wallonia Willy Borsus.

Commented Minister-President Borsus: “INOVYN’s ambitious plans are very welcome news and a further demonstration of the Company’s long-term commitment to innovation. I was very impressed to see the Company’s state-of-the-art RT&E Centre at the Site, which underpins the Company’s European growth programme."

Concludes Chris: “By the end of the decade, INOVYN will have invested in the region of €1 billion across its European assets through a range of safety, sustainability and innovation-led projects including its complete transition from mercury to membrane cellroom production."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Fujian Refining & Petrochemical (FREP) has undertaken an unplanned shutdown at its No.3 polypropylene (PP) plant in Fujian Province, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has halted operations at the plant on September 18, 2018 owing to a technical glitch. The plant is likely to remain off-line for around one week.

Located in Fujian province, China, the No. 3 PP plant has a production capacity of 220,000 mt/year.

The company also operates other two PP plants at the same location with production capacity of 120,000 mt/year and 360,000 mt/year.

FREP is a joint venture between Fujian Petrochemical Co. (50%), ExxonMobil China Petroleum and Petrochemical Co. (25%) and Saudi Aramco Sino Co. (25%). Fujian Petrochemical is a 50:50 JV between Sinopec and the Fujian provincial government.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) totalled 652,500 tonnes in January-August 2018, up 1% year on year. At the same time, not all Russian producers raised their output of HDPE, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

August total HDPE production grew to 81,500 tonnes in Russia, whereas this figure was 79,600 tonnes a month earlier; Gazprom neftekhim Salavat and Stavrolen increased their capacity utilisation. Overall HDPE production reached 652,500 tonnes in the first eight months of 2018, compared to 647,100 tonnes a year earlier. At the same time, Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez reduced their output.

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

Kazanorgsintez's total HDPE production dropped to 46,400 tonnes in August from 48,800 tonnes a month earlier. The Kazan plant's overall HDPE output totalled 357,400 tonnes in January-August 2018, down by 2% year on year. Lower output was caused by the resumption of the plant's linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) production.

Stavrolen produced 24,500 tonnes last month versus 21,800 tonnes in July. The plant's overall HDPE output reached 197,400 tonnes in the first eight months of 2018, up by 2% year on year.

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat increased its capacity utilisation in August, the plant produced 10,600 tonnes last month, compared to 9,000 tonnes a month earlier. The Bashkir plant's overall HDPE production reached 79,900 tonnes in the first eight months of 2018, up by 51% year on year. Such a high amount of growth in the plant's output was caused by the absence of a long shutdown for maintenance this year, in 2017, the company took off-stream its production capacities for a turnaround in July-August.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced HDPE only in April and May and plans to resume its HDPE production for a short period in the 20-s September. Thus, Nizhnekamskneftekhim production only 17,700 tonnes over the incomplete two months of the year versus 37,300 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Thailand’s leading manufacturer of toothbrushes and household brushes is committed to producing toothbrushes of the highest quality. For this reason, The First Thai Brush Co., Ltd. has chosen a high-quality thermoplastic elastomer from Kraiburg TPE to enhance the ergonomics and functionality of its Victory toothbrush product lines with a soft-touch grip, as per Kraiburg's press release.

Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) have become important components in the manufacture of consumer products. When The First Thai Brush decided to redesign the handle of its Victory toothbrushes, they were looking for a flexible material with food-contact approval, superior design freedom and efficient processability, including compatibility with other plastics in a co-molding process that would not require a bonding agent to ensure long-term adhesion.

Moreover, ergonomics are key when it comes to designing high-quality functional toothbrushes. The use of an elastomeric material for the brush handle provides a pleasant soft-touch and non-slip grip which helps users achieve optimal cleaning motion with less pressure.

In close collaboration with Kraiburg TPE, The First Thai Brush selected a high-transparency food-contact grade from the THERMOLAST K range of consumer care compounds that also delivers a smooth silky surface finish and offers the perfect balance between flexibility and hardness to obtain the desired haptics.

In addition, the material combines high flowability and excellent adhesion to polar thermoplastics, such as PC, ABS and PETG, with superb colorability for versatile promotional effects. Together, these properties offered The First Thai Brush virtually unlimited possibilities in design, form and function to communicate the unique features of its Victory toothbrushes and enhance the experience of consumers.

"Beyond the right material, the success of any product greatly depends on smooth development and fast time-to-market," says Kit Tae, Deputy Managing Director of The First Thai Brush. "Apart from assisting us in the selection of the most suitable compound for this application, Kraiburg TPE took on our challenges as their own and went the extra mile to support us with their expertise throughout the entire project. Thanks to their high material quality and service standards, we were able to speed the innovation of our product and keep our competitive edge in the market."

As MRC wrote before, in December 2017, Kraiburg TPE presented a new series of thermoplastic elastomers from its Thermolast K family that was specially developed for excellent adhesion and UV resistance in two-component applications with ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM). The new compounds are intended for automotive applications such as EPDM window trim and sealing profiles with moulded TPE corner joints and end elements.

Kraiburg Rubber (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. was established in 2005 and is part of the Waldkraiburg-based German company Kraiburg Holding GmbH & Co. KG. The company produces a wide range of standard rubber compounds (based on NR, EPDM, CR, AEM, SBR, FKM, etc.) for automotive, building and construction applications, and other industrial markets as well as highly customised products for all kinds of industries at its Suzhou site. The compounds are produced on highly automated and fully process-controlled mixing lines, based on state-of-the-art technology. The company has 130 employees.
MRC