Tetra Pak enters connected packaging space

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tetra Pak has launched a connected packaging platform, which will transform milk and juice cartons into interactive information channels, full-scale data carriers and digital tools, said Eppm.

Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will bring new benefits to food producers, retailers and shoppers, according to the company.

It has successfully completed pilots with its customers to test the new connected package and its performance in retail in Spain, Russia, China, the Dominican Republic and India, working with beverage, juice and milk producers. In Spain, one customer increased sales by 16 per cent through the scan and win campaign.

For producers, the new packaging platform will offer end-to-end traceability to improve the production of the product, quality control and supply chain transparency. It will have the ability to track and trace the history or location of any product, making it possible to monitor for market performance and any other potential issues.

For retailers, it will offer greater supply chain visibility and real-time insights, enabling distributors to track stock movements, be alerted when issues occur, and monitor for delivery performance.? While for shoppers, it will mean the ability to access a lot of information, such as where the product was made, the farm the ingredients originated from and where the package can be recycled.

Ivan Nesterenko, Vice President, Cross Portfolio at Tetra Pak said: “We are unlocking new opportunities for our customers to get more value from packaging than even before. No longer is it only about product protection and functionality, it is about connectivity. The future of packaging is undoubtedly digital: this launch is a step towards a truly intelligent package, and we are excited to collaborate with our customers on this journey."
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings announced that they have reached an agreement for Saudi Aramco’s subsidiary, Aramco Overseas Company B.V (AOC), to purchase a 17% stake in South Korea's Hyundai Oilbank, a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The investment is valued at approximately USD1.25 billion. AOC’s’s investment in South Korea’s Hyundai Oilbank will support Saudi Aramco’s crude oil placement strategy by providing a dedicated outlet for Arabian crude oil to South Korea.

"Saudi Aramco continues to strengthen its position in the downstream sector. This acquisition demonstrates our investment in the highly complex refining sector in Asia, and continuous commitment to the region’s energy security and development," Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, Saudi Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Downstream, said.

"The investment supports Saudi Aramco’s broader downstream growth strategy, as well as providing long term crude oil options and offtakes as part of our trading business," Judaimi added.

Hyundai Oilbank is a private oil refining company established in 1964. The Daesan Complex, where Hyundai Oilbank’s major facilities are located, is a fully integrated refining plant with a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. The business portfolio of Hyundai Oilbank and its 5 subsidiaries includes oil refining, base oil, petrochemicals, and a network of gas stations.

AOC is a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. It provides support services to Saudi Aramco and, through its investments and joint ventures, forms an integral part of the global Saudi Aramco oil, gas, and chemicals enterprise.

As MRC informed before, in October 2018, state oil giant Saudi Aramco signed an agreement to invest in a refinery-petrochemical project in eastern China, part of its strategy to expand in downstream operations globally. The memorandum of understanding between the company and Zhejiang province included plans to invest in a new refinery and co-operate in crude oil supply, storage and trading, according to details released by the Zhoushan government after a signing ceremony in the city south of Shanghai.

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco's value has been estimated at up to USD10 trillion in the Financial Times, making it the world's most valuable company. Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 260 billion barrels, and largest daily oil production.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema has successfully started up the 30% capacity extension of its photocure advanced liquid resin production plant in Nansha, located south of Canton, China, as per the company's press release.

Inaugurated on 10 April 2019, this new production line will help to meet the strong demand in Asia in the electronics, 3D printing, adhesives and inkjet printing markets. This investment supports Sartomer’s strategy to develop cutting-edge solutions for advanced and sustainable curing technologies.

The new line will produce state-of-the-art UV, LED and EB (electron beam) liquid resins, which provide high efficiency and performance benefits to photocuring systems dedicated to high-end applications such as electronics where they are used in the production and design of printed circuits, as well as smartphone, tablet and television screens.

The line will also manufacture Sartomer’s ever-expanding portfolio of unique N3xtDimension resins for 3D-printed products.

As MRC reported earlier, in March 2017, Arkema completed the sale to INEOS of its 50% stake in Oxochimie, their oxo alcohols manufacturing joint venture, and of the associated business.

Arkema is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Adapting to consumer trends in terms of sportswear can be difficult to keep up with, and Lubrizol believes it can bring unique, meaningful solutions to its customers with new materials optimised for training shoes, as per Eppm.

Addressing the biggest trends in sportswear production can be difficult to maintain. With a growing demand for sustainability, comfort, aesthetics and customisation, the needs and wants of consumers are continuously changing.

Julie Shlepr, Business Development Director for Engineered Polymers, said: “There’s a strong push to fast-track development to respond to consumer style preferences and to enable customisation. We see colour, texture, haptics, structure, cushioning, lightweight and novel fabrication methods as ways to enable this and allow close-to-consumer production."

Lubrizol’s new brand statement says it addresses these trends by advancing materials that elevate performance.

The company’s newest product launch displays lightweight footwear designs that use less material and fewer components, processing and assembly steps, with the aim to reduce waste and provide greater use of recycled content.

With sustainability, the hot topic in recent years, brands have set ambitious targets for growth, along with stated goals for reducing their environmental footprints.

Inevitably this has influenced material technologies, and Lubrizol highlights high-performance features that materials must contribute to footwear design, including greater demand for solutions that improve sustainability and automation.

The way products are designed and produced from materials, how products benefit consumer lifestyles and what happens throughout the product lifecycle are all factors the company takes into consideration.

The evolution of its materials, Estane TRX and BounCell-X, are designed to focus on a sustainable material replacement. The incorporation of Lubrizol’s unique engineered polymer Estane TPU utilises the gap between flexible rubber and rigid plastics, with a variety of physical and functional property combinations.

Estane TRX has been designed as an alternative to traditional thermoset rubber, therefore opting for Estane TPU and 3D printing allows for greater design freedom, as 3D printing displays the possibility to produce complex designs at mass scale which previously would not have been possible.

A single material in a shoe sole along with 3D printing can deliver multiple performance benefits, such as density, support and cushioning.

Estane brand of TPUs also allows for overlays moulded parts, composites, with Estane TRX TPU used for the outsoles.

To achieve a foam of cushioning in the base of the trainer, BounCell-X nitrogen-infused TPU foam technology is used. “We also have novel fibre technology which brings a new dimension to comfortable stretch and fit, as well as innovative texture and design."

Additionally, Lubrizol continues to grow its portfolio with new adhesive and adhesive film technologies that can help eliminate the need for solvent-based adhesives in footwear production, reducing the need for sewn seams in performance apparel.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Corp’s Jinling refinery in the eastern province of Jiangsu produced its first cargo of low-sulfur marine fuel of 4,200 tons, reported Reuters with reference to the state oil and gas group.

The Sinopec statement did not give further details, but a refinery executive told Reuters the fuel meets the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) emission standards, with sulfur content lower than 0.5 percent.

The plant becomes one of China’s first refineries making marine fuel able to meet the IMO specifications, following Sinopec subsidiaries such as Shanghai Petrochemical Corp and the refinery in Hainan that rolled out pilot productions in small qualities.

IMO will ban ships from using fuel oil with a sulfur content above 0.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent now, unless they are equipped with exhaust "scrubbers" to clean up sulfur emissions, starting in 2020.

As MRC informed earlier, in September 2018, Sinopec Corp joined a group planning to build an oil refinery in Alberta, an enterprise that would strengthen demand for the Canadian province's heavily discounted crude. Thus, state-owned Sinopec, formally known as China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, along with an Alberta indigenous group, China State Construction Engineering Corp and Alberta management company Teedrum, plan to build a refinery to process 167,000 barrels per day of crude into gasoline and other products.

Sinopec Corp. is one of the largest scale integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Its principal business includes: exploring, developing, producing and trading crude oil and natural gas; producing, storing, transporting and distributing and marketing petroleum products, petrochemical products, synthetic fiber, fertilizer and other chemical products. Its refining capacity and ethylene capacity rank No.2 and No.4 globally. Sinopec listed in Hong Kong, New York, London and Shanghai in August 2001.
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