Braskem and ALM announce launch of PP powder for additive manufacturing

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem, the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and leading producer of biopolymers in the world, and Advanced Laser Materials (ALM) a leader in materials development for additive manufacturing (AM), have announced the availability of polypropylene (PP) powder for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) industrial 3D printing, as per Braskem's press release.

Braskem and ALM began their partnership in 2018, focusing on the development of innovative polyolefin-based powders for SLS. This new polypropylene powder for SLS is the first product launched under the joint collaboration. The launch brings enhanced benefits to the SLS AM process including lightweighting, moisture resistance, durable living hinge capabilities, improved recyclability, chemical resistance, enhanced processing stability, as well as elongation at break and flexibility is comparable to injection molding PP grades.

Jason Vagnozzi, Braskem Additive Manufacturing Leader, North America, commented, "Looking to the future, we see exciting new opportunities for innovation in the additive manufacturing markets. As a global leader in polyolefins, collaborating with ALM who offers the largest selection of laser sintering solutions and is a pioneer of materials development for industrial 3D printing was a natural fit, creating a powerful combination. Bringing these two organizations together made it possible to transform our innovative vision into reality, with our polypropylene for additive manufacturing delivering superior printing capabilities versus other available materials."

As the first commercial product launch between Braskem and ALM, today's announcement forms the foundation upon which both companies intend to expand their range of offerings to include additional polyolefins for laser powder bed fusion over time.

"ALM material variety has long been a limiting factor in the adoption of AM for serial production. We continue to partner with leading material manufacturers with the aim of diversifying the SLS portfolio unleashing the true potential of AM. Collaborating with Braskem as the leading provider of polypropylene in the US is the perfect match to offer a true PP solution to the additive market. We aim to offer a product that is superior in quality and reliability, that is also scalable in supply and very competitive in price," says Donnie Vanelli, Senior Vice President of EOS Life Cycle Solutions.

SLS is an AM process that uses lasers and thermal energy to sinter polymer powder to produce the highest quality three-dimensional, solid geometries. SLS technologies are used in industrial applications for a broad array of manufacturing segments such as automotive, aerospace, packaging, consumer goods, and more.

As MRC informed earlier, Braskem is no longer pursuing a petrochemical project, which would have included an ethane cracker, in West Virginia. And the company is seeking to sell the land that would have housed the cracker. The project, announced in 2013, had been on Braskem's back burner for several years.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) to the Russian market fell in the first four months of 2020 by 17% year on year to 5,300 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was at 6,300 tonnes in January-April 2019.

The Finnish producer Styrochem's material accounted for the bulk of EPS shipments - 45% of the total EPS imports into the country. Imports of Finnish material decreased over the stated period by 3% year on year: to 2,350 tonnes from 2,430 tonnes a year earlier.

At the same time, one of the supply leaders, Loyal, halved its shipments to the region. The share of Loyal imports was 13% (660 tonnes) in January-April 2020 versus 23% (1,440 tonnes) a year earlier.

April EPS imports to Russia fell by 46% year on year to 1,020 tonnes from 1,890 tonnes a year earlier, imports of material into the country were 1,880 tonnes in March 2020.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of polypropylene (PP) into Belarus increased in first three months of 2020 by 10% year on year to about 27,100 tonnes. All grades of propylene polymers accounted for the increase in demand, according to a MRC's DataScope report.

March PP imports to the Republic of Belarus reached about 9,600 tonnes, which corresponded to the same figure a month earlier. Overall imports of propylene polymers reached 27,100 tonnes in January-March 2020, compared to 24,600 tonnes a year earlier, demand for all PP grades increased, with homopolymer of propylene (homopolymer PP) accounting for the greatest growth.

The structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

March imports of homopolymer PP reached 6,900 tonnes versus 6,700 tonnes a month earlier, purchasing of homopolymer PP rose in Russia under the pressure of seasonal factors. Overall imports of homopolymer PP reached 19,400 tonnes in the first three months of 2020, up by 11.6% year on year.

March imports of propylene copolymers to Belarus were 2,600 tonnes versus 3,000 tonnes a month earlier, local companies reduced their procurement of injection moulding block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymer) from Russian producers. Thus, overall imports of propylene copolymers reached 7,600 tonnes over the stated period, up by 6% year on year.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus grew in the first quarter of 2020 by 24.5% year on year to 10,300 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

According to the statistics committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters kept a high level of PVC purchasing in March 2020, imports were 3,500 tonnes, which corresponded to the figure a month earlier.

Thus, imports of unmixed PVC reached 10,300 tonnes in January-March 2020, compared to 8,300 tonnes a year earlier, with local windows and siding producers accounting for an increase in demand.

Russian producers with the share of about 80% of the Belarusian market were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus over the stated period. Producers from Ukraine and Germany with the share of 9% and 7%, respectively, were the second and third largest suppliers.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell, the world’s largest licensor of polyolefin technologies, has announced that Advanced Global Investment Company (AGIC) has selected LyondellBasell’s PP technology for a new world-scale facility in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, according to NCT with reference to the company's press release.

AGIC’s proposed project includes two polypropyelene (PP) plants with capacity of 400,000 tons/year each.

As MRC informed before, LyondellBasell has recently announced that Hyosung Vina Chemicals Co., Ltd. will use the LyondellBasell Spheripol technology for a new facility. The process technology will be used for a 300 KTA PP plant to be built in Cai Mep Industrial Zone, Vung Tau Province, Vietnam.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.

LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC