Toray carbon fiber and thermoplastic pellet advances poised to enhance molded product

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has created a high tensile modulus carbon fiber and thermoplastic pellets that are ideal for injection molding employing that fiber, said the company.

The pellets will enable the efficient production of complex, rigid parts that are also light, thereby lowering environmental impact. These advances could greatly enhance cost performance. Toray will push ahead with research and development to commercialize the fiber and pellets within the next three years.

Toray markets the TORAYCA® T series of high-strength carbon fibers for pressure vessel, automotive, and other industrial applications, as well as for aerospace. In 2014, it launched the TORAYCA T1100G carbon fiber, which offers a world-leading tensile strength of 7.0 GPa and a tensile modulus of elasticity of 320 GPa.

In 2018, the company further expanded the potential of carbon fiber for high-end sports equipment and aerospace structural materials by commercializing TORAYCA M40X. This offering employs proprietary nano-level fiber structure control technology to balance a high compression strength and a tensile strength of 5.7 GPa, with a tensile modulus of 377 GPa. The fiber’s diameter of 5 microns constrains productivity, however, making costs an issue.

In the development effort announced today, Toray tackled that challenge by pursuing further advances with its TORAYCA MX series control technology to create 7-micron fibers with uniform internal structures. The result was a fiber with a tensile modulus of elasticity of 390 GPa, around 70% higher than the standard level of TORAYCA series offerings for industrial applications, delivering a much better cost performance.

TORAYCA thermoplastic pellets incorporating the newly developed carbon fibers maintain longer fibers than conventional high tensile modulus offerings after molding processes. The pellets can thus deliver attain a tensile modulus of 41 GPa. That is comparable to the 45 GPa of magnesium alloys. At the same time pellets have a specific gravity of just 1.4, against the 1.8 of magnesium alloy. Using these pellets to make complex parts through injection molding processes would significantly enhance productivity and contribute much ?to lightening parts.

Toray looks to cultivate diverse applications for its advanced pellets, including for parts in lightweight next-generation automobiles and in industry in general.

The Toray Group is committed to delivering innovative technologies and advanced materials that provide the world with real solutions to the challenge of balancing ??development and sustainability. The new carbon fiber should contribute to the Group’s vision of balancing greenhouse gas emissions and absorption worldwide through the use of parts that are lighter and more energy efficient. Toray will contribute to society by creating new value through its drive to enhance the performance of TORAYCA carbon fiber and pellets and production processes.

As MRC informed earlier, Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it will lift production capacity for Torayfan oriented polypropylene film for Automotive capacitors by 60% at its Tsuchiura Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture in 2022.

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.
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MOSCOW (MRC) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) reported that U.S. specialty chemicals market volumes fell 11.3 percent in April, accelerating from a 4.0 percent decline in March and a 0.5 percent decline in February, said Americanchemistry.

Of the 28 specialty chemicals segments ACC monitors, none expanded in April. On a sequential basis, diffusion was 0 percent, the same as in March and down from 48 percent in February and 63 percent in January. The sharp decline in market volumes in April reflects the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and mandated government lockdowns on the U.S. economy.

During April, overall specialty chemicals volumes were off 14.5 percent on a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis. Volumes stood at 95.6 percent of their average 2012 levels in April. This is equivalent to 6.51 billion pounds (2.95 million metric tons). On a Y/Y basis, there was a gain in only one market and functional specialty chemical segment – electronic chemicals. On a year-earlier basis, diffusion was 4 percent, a marked deterioration from earlier in the year.

Specialty chemicals are materials manufactured on the basis of the unique performance or function and provide a wide variety of effects on which many other sectors and end-use products rely. They can be individual molecules or mixtures of molecules, known as formulations. The physical and chemical characteristics of the single molecule or mixtures along with the composition of the mixtures influence the performance end product. Individual market sectors that rely on such products include automobile, aerospace, agriculture, cosmetics and food, among others.

Specialty chemicals differ from commodity chemicals. Specialties may only have one or two uses, whereas commodities may have multiple or different applications for each chemical. Commodity chemicals comprise most of the production volume in the global marketplace, while specialty chemicals make up most of the diversity in commerce at any given time and are relatively high value, with greater market growth rates.

This data set is the only timely source of market trends for 28 market and functional specialty chemical segments. Chemistry directly touches over 96 percent of all manufactured goods, and trends in these specialty chemical segments provide a detailed view of trends in manufacturing. The data also sheds light on how various consumer end-use markets are performing compared to others in the marketplace.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing PE and PP.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 383,760 tonnes in the first two month of 2020, up by 14% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased due to the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 192,760 tonnes in January-February 2020, down by 6% year on year. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main decrease in imports.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant’s CATOFIN catalysts have been selected by Advanced Global Investment Co. (AGIC), a joint venture between Advanced Petrochemical Company (APC) and SK Group, to build a PDH facility in the Middle East, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Clariant’s CATOFIN catalysts were selected due to the excellent performance and reliability of APC’s existing propylene plant in Saudi Arabia.

The plant will operate using McDermott’s Lummus Technology process together with Clariant’s CATOFIN catalysts to deliver over 840 kilotons of propylene annually. Since 2017, CATOFIN technology has won 21 new PDH awards globally, representing more than 15 million metric tons of propylene.

Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President & General Manager at Clariant Catalysts, commented, “We are honored to have gained our customers’ trust over the past several years, now leading to a third award. A facility of such dimensions requires not only technology with the highest performance, but also the most capable suppliers. We look forward to delivering maximum value to our customer together with Lummus Technology, our valued process and technology partner.”

CATOFIN technology is a highly reliable and productive method for light paraffin dehydrogenation. The process operates at thermodynamically advantaged reactor pressure and temperature to maximize conversion of propane to propylene, while reducing investment and operating costs. Thanks to its extraordinarily high reliability and productivity, CATOFIN delivers excellent production output annually compared to alternative technologies.

As MRC wrote before, in March 2020, Sabic announced that it has purchased additional shares in Clariant, increasing its holding in the company from 24.99% to 31.5%. The move is part of Sabic’s growth strategy to achieve a leadership position among global peers in specialties and increase this segment’s contribution to Sabic. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).

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.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Buffeted by COVID-19-related problems that include lack of demand due to the closure of converting plants and the record low prices of virgin plastics as well as decreased global activity, the European plastics recycling industry is now facing severe headwinds, an industry association says, as per Canplastics.

According to Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE), an organization representing the voice of European plastics recyclers, these market developments are turning plastics recycling into an unprofitable business in the short term and risk “grave environmental consequences” in the longer term.

“If the situation persists and no actions are taken, plastics recycling will cease to be profitable, hampering attainment of EU recycling targets and putting in jeopardy the transition toward circular plastics,” PRE president Tom Emans said in a press release. “In such a case, recyclable plastic waste will have no alternatives but to be sent to landfill or incineration."

PRE is asking the European Union (EU) and individual countries to include recycling in their recovery plans.

“Safeguarding the positive developments within this market is essential to reduce Europe’s use of virgin plastics and, therefore, for the survival of the secondary raw materials market as well as further investments in the sector,” PRE said in its statement.

As MRC informed earlier, globally, only about 9% of plastic waste has been recycled and about 12% has been incinerated. The vast majority ends up in landfill or leaks into the environment. This is far away from the global vision for plastics to be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable. Rising public awareness and concern about plastics has encouraged businesses to increasingly communicate this information about their packaging. However, the information is not always clear or actionable for consumers.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 383,760 tonnes in the first two month of 2020, up by 14% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased due to the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 192,760 tonnes in January-February 2020, down by 6% year on year. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main decrease in imports.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kuwait’s Equate Petrochemical Company has recently raised USD1.6 billion through a dual-tranche bond offering in the first public issuance in international debt markets by a Gulf company since February, reported Reuters.

The company sold USD1 billion in five-year bonds with a 5% coupon and USD600 million in 10-year bonds at 5.875%, a document from one of the banks leading the deal showed. Both tranches were 50 basis points tighter than the initial price guidance earlier this month.

Equate hired Citi, JPMorgan, MUFG, NBK Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Mizuho, SMBC Nikko and Banca IMI to arrange the deal.

As MRC informed before, Kuwait-based Equate Petrochemical Company continued its global growth through its wholly owned subsidiary MEGlobal with the launch of work on a new world-scale ethylene glycol (EG) manufacturing facility in Freeport, Texas, US, in August 2016. With this plant, Equate is the first Kuwaiti petrochemical company to invest in the US. The new facility, to be completed during 2019, will increase Equate’s monoethylene glycol (MEG) capacity by 750,000 metric tonnes annually and will enhance the company’s global presence to meet customer needs.

Equate is the world’s second largest EG producer with 12% of the global market share.

MEG is one of the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, March estimated PET consumption in Russia was 65,3700 tonnes, up by 1% year on year. Russia's estimated PET consumption decreased in January-March 2020 by 3% year on year to 175,170 tonnes.

Equate Petrochemical Company K.S.C.C., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes petrochemical products. The company produces ethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, styrene monomer, paraxylene, heavy aromatics, and benzene; polyethylene for various applications, including flexible and food packaging, industrial packaging, agricultural films, HIC, and others; and monoethylene and diethylene glycol that are used in polyester fiber for fabrics, water-based adhesive materials, shoe polish, and printer inks, as well as automotive anti-freeze and coolants. The company sells its products in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, North America, Asia, Europe, and internationally. Equate Petrochemical Company K.S.C.C. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Safat, Kuwait.
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