ELIX Polymers presents new materials and technologies

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ELIX Polymers, a leading manufacturer of ABS resins and derivatives, will present its portfolio of materials and technologies at Plastimagen 2019, one of the most important trade fairs in the plastics sector, which will be held in Mexico from the 2nd to the 5th of April at the Banamex centre in Mexico City, said the company.

During this international trade fair, at booth 1363 ELIX Polymers will present its portfolio of products and innovations in materials for several key markets. These innovations are the result of the company’s strong emphasis on product differentiation and its significant investments in R&D, thereby allowing it to stand out among manufacturers of basic ABS products.

Some of the products being presented at the Plastimagen trade fair include the following: ABS grades with a very low level of emissions and odour, in addition to high heat-resistant ABS for the automotive industry.

A generation of ABS grades for chrome-plating, thereby strengthening the company’s position as a pioneer in this market. Grades suitable for contact with food, in applications that require a high level of support and regulatory knowledge. Newly developed, low-friction products for applications in the automotive industry.

In addition to being an excellent manufacturer for important customers throughout the world, ELIX Polymers specialises in producing ABS and SAN polymers, high-performance compounds and polymer mixes, as well as polymer modifiers.

With its factory and head office located in the largest chemical complex of Tarragona, Spain (with another office in Florida, USA), ELIX Polymers manages the third-largest ABS production plant in Europe, with five lines of ABS compounds that produce over 40 grades, and it specialises in the supply of pre-coloured products with over 300 active colours.

ELIX Polymers has an unequalled portfolio of services and is highly valued by its customers: it assures short delivery periods and is proactive, flexible and reliable. The company sells in a number of end user markets, above all in the automotive industry, healthcare, household appliances, consumer goods and products for building and construction.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. and Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello, Inc.were recognized on February 21 as White 500 companies in the 2019 Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization Recognition Program, operated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Nippon Kenko Kaigi, said the company.

This year’s listing marks Mitsui Chemicals’ third successive appearance and Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello’s debut in the White 500, the program’s large enterprise category.

Under the recognition program’s White 500 category, the Nippon Kenko Kaigi examines large enterprises engaging in initiatives for overcoming health-related challenges in regional communities or for promoting health-conscious activities led by the Nippon Kenko Kaigi, and recognizes outstanding enterprises engaging in efforts for health and productivity management.

To promote health management among employees, Mitsui Chemicals has established health management offices staffed by full-time health and safety managers and occupational health physicians and nurses at its head office, R&D center and four major plants. The company also dispatches occupational health physicians and nurses to visit other plants and the main plants of affiliate companies as part of its endeavors to promote better health among employees throughout the Mitsui Chemicals Group. The company also devotes energy to ongoing efforts toward reducing hygiene risks and preventing mental health issues and lifestyle-related diseases. The results of these initiatives are available on the Mitsui Chemicals website.

Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello works with occupational health physicians and nurses, health insurance societies and labor unions to maintain and promote employee health. Inspired by the president’s declaration on work style reforms, the company is also implementing a comprehensive range of measures aimed at enhancing employee energy and increasing productivity. These include eradicating long working hours and encouraging efforts to run meetings more efficiently.

In a questionnaire on health and productivity management, Mitsui Chemicals was nominated by many other companies as being a role model corporation for such initiatives. Mitsui Chemicals has therefore been named in a report on companies selected for inclusion in the recognition program, which is available on the METI website (see p.35 of the Japanese report) .

Based on the philosophy that healthy employees make for a healthy company, the Mitsui Chemicals Group will continue to position employee health as a key management issue and take the initiative in promoting activities that support good health among all group employees.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Honeywell announced that Phu My Plastics Production JSC will use Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex™ technology to produce 306,000 metric tons per year of polymer-grade propylene at its facility in Ba Ria, Vung Tau Province, Vietnam, said the company.

The plant will help meet growing domestic demand for plastics in Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. This is the first award for a propane dehydrogenation technology in Vietnam.

Honeywell UOP will provide technology licensing for the Oleflex process, the process design package, proprietary and non-proprietary equipment, on-site operator training, technical services for startup and continuing operation, and proprietary catalysts and adsorbents.

Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert propane to propylene. Its low-energy consumption, low emissions and fully recyclable, platinum-alumina-based catalyst system helps minimize its impact on the environment. It is designed to have a lower cash cost of production and higher return on investment compared with competing technologies. The technology’s independent reaction and regeneration sections enable steady-state operations, improved operating flexibility, and high on-stream reliability.

"This Oleflex unit will use low-priced and widely available propane to make propylene, which can be made into polypropylene, one of the most important materials for making plastics,” said Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Process Technology and Equipment business. “This new capacity will enable Vietnam to meet its own rapidly growing domestic demand for plastics, supplanting propylene products that it currently imports."

Honeywell UOP, a leading technology provider for the oil and gas industry, also licenses C4 Oleflex technology, which converts butanes to butylenes, the primary ingredient for making high-octane fuel additives and synthetic rubber. Including this project, Honeywell UOP’s Oleflex technology has been selected for a majority of propane and isobutane dehydrogenation projects awarded globally since 2011.

Since the technology was first commercialized in 1990, Honeywell UOP has commissioned 30 Oleflex units for on-purpose propylene and isobutylene production. Global production capacity of propylene from Oleflex technology now stands at more than 7.3 million metric tons per year.

Phu My Plastics Production JSC is mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of plastic packaging. The company's leading products include laminated polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) bags, flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), as well as woven PP sheets, among others. These products are consumed in Vietnam, and exported to overseas markets, including Brazil, France, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. has decided to set up a new production facility for long glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (LGFPP) at Chinese manufacturing subsidiary Mitsui Advanced Composites (Zhongshan) Co, Ltd., said the company.

This will become Mitsui Chemicals’ third manufacturing base for LGFPP, joining existing bases in Japan and the U.S. By establishing this new facility, Mitsui Chemicals’ production capacity for LGFPP will increase to 10,500 tons per year.

Developed by Prime Polymer Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals’ LGFPP is a composite material made by melting and mixing polypropylene (PP) resin with long glass fibers. The lightweight material offers an attractive appearance, with long glass fibers providing a good balance between hardness and impact resistance. The material is already being adopted in areas such as the unpainted insides of rear car doors.

The recent strengthening of environmental regulations and a shift toward electric vehicles have led to increasing needs for automotive lightweighting.

As a result, demand is on the rise for fiber-reinforced resins and is expected to grow further for such materials able to substitute for metal such as car doors and other such parts. (Mitsui Chemicals certifies LGFPP as Blue Value™ product according to the high environmental contribution value.)

Mitsui Chemicals aims to achieve further business expansion in mobility, a key sector for the company, by continuing to correctly gauge global growth in demand.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings agreed to buy about 30 percent of Denmark’s Haldor Topsoe A/S, the companies said, in a transaction that a source said values the engineering firm at around USD1.5 billion, said Reuters.

As part of the deal, Temasek will subscribe to secondary shares issued by the Topsoe family, which currently owns 100 percent of the company through Haldor Topsoe Holding A/S, said a person with direct knowledge of the deal.

Haldor Topsoe, which confirmed the deal but did not disclose a price, said Temasek’s global reach and connections in Asia and other emerging markets would bring value to the company.

Haldor Topsoe is one of the world’s leading industrial catalyst producers. It employs about 2,300 people and logged revenue of about USD760 million in 2017.

Temasek was shortlisted for exclusive talks and finalised a deal with Haldor Topsoe this week, beating global financial sponsors who were competing for the stake, said the person, who declined to be identified as the talks are private.

The owners of the Danish firm began seeking a financial minority investor last year to accelerate growth, with a long-term intention to list it.

SEB (SEBa.ST) and Citi (C.N) are acting as financial advisors and Kromann Reumert is acting as legal advisor to Haldor Topsoe Holding A/S, the Danish holding company said.

Nomura (9716.T) is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Plesner is acting as legal advisor to Temasek, Haldor Topsoe said.

For the year ended March 2018, Temasek reported a record-high annual portfolio value and said it aimed to temper its pace of investment amid rising trade tension between the United States and China.
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