DSM new digital light processing resin offers fast printing speeds and unique flexibility

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, announced Somos QuickGen 500, a game-changing, fast-printing, general purpose engineered resin for digital light processing (DLP) and liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing, said the company.

The company continues to expand its materials offerings with this flexible DLP/LCD resin. With fast print speeds, DLP and LCD 3D printing technology offers quick and accurate results. Paired with low capital investment costs, companies looking to switch from traditional to additive manufacturing – and looking to manufacture locally – can more quickly and easily adopt 3D printing with DLP and LCD printing.

DSM introduces Somos® QuickGen 500, DSM's engineered acrylate resin for DLP and LCD printing. DSM's acrylate materials include elements specifically developed by DSM making them engineered resins vs. other acrylate resins on the market.

Somos® QuickGen 500 is the go-to resin for functional and general prototyping needs. The time and cost savings offered by DLP or LCD printing due to its printing speed compared to other technologies, paired with Somos® QuickGen 500's competitive print speeds and price point, make the material a game changer. Its performance offers those using DLP and LCD printing increased productivity while cutting time and costs.

A colorless resin, Somos® QuickGen 500 has a print speed 2x faster than similar materials. Easy to print, the resin prints with accuracy and is ideal for functional and general prototypes, semi-flexible applications, applications with detailed features and – due to its translucency – fluid flow analysis.

Somos® QuickGen 500 offers unique flexibility; it is more flexible than other resins, but stiffer than elastomers, offering both flexibility and spring back. It performs consistently independent of how quickly force or strain are applied, unlike many flexible materials that show greater influence from the rate of applied force.

DSM worked with their ecosystem partner, San Francisco based company Origin, and the developer of Origin One, an open industrial 3D printer with transformative material development tools to develop and test Somos® QuickGen 500. The combination of DSM's materials science and Origin's open system platform allowed for the rapid development of this new material.

Chris Prucha, Founder and CEO, Origin: "With the introduction of Somos® QuickGen 500, our industry now has a material that pushes the boundaries of 3D Printing, enabling high performance, fast printing, economical parts. This would not have been possible without the combination of material innovation, open material development technology, and tight collaboration between our two companies."

Geoff Gardner, Innovations Director Additive Manufacturing at DSM: "We're excited to expand our materials portfolio with Somos® QuickGen 500, an engineered resin boasting fast print speeds at an economical cost. DSM continues supporting all manufacturing needs with high performance materials for all 3D printing technologies."

As MRC informed earlier, Royal DSM (Netherlands) announced an agreement to sell its resin and functional materials business units and related businesses DSM Resins & Functional Materials (RFM) to Covestro AG (Germany) for EUR1.6 billion.

As MRC informed earlier, DSM formed a 50/50 joint venture (JV) with VDL Groep (Eindhoven, Netherlands), called Dutch PPE Solutions, to produce medical facemasks and establish the first permanent production of critical facemask components in the Netherlands. The companies are investing several million euros to purchase manufacturing equipment and build manufacturing facilities to produce meltblown polypropylene (PP), the critical material layer in medical facemasks that filters viruses, and make medical masks.

We remind that Russia's output of chemical products rose in September 2020 by 6.7% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals increased by 6.1% year on year in the first nine months of 2020, according to Rosstat's data. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the January-September output. Last month's production of primary polymers decreased to 852,000 tonnes from 888,000 tonnes in August due to shutdowns in Tomsk, Ufa and Kazan. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 7,480,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 16.4% year on year.
MRC

PP imports to Belarus up 3% in January-September

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polypropylene (PP) into Belarus increased to about 83,900 tonnes in first nine months of this year, up 3% year on year, compared to the same period of 2019. The greatest increase in imports accounted for homopolymer PP, according to MRC DataScope.

September PP imports to Belarus rose to 11,600 tonnes, whereas this figure was 9,500 tonnes a month earlier, local companies raised their purchasing of all propylene polymers in Europe and Russia. Total PP imports into the country reached 83,900 tonnes in January - September, compared with 81,500 tonnes year on year. The demand for homopolymer PP increased, but demand for propylene copolymers decreased.

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

September imports of homopolymer PP reached 8,300 tonnes versus 7,100 tonnes a month earlier, purchases of injection moulding homopolymer PP in Europe and Russia increased. Overall imports of homopolymer PP reached 61,300 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 12% year on year.

September imports of propylene copolymers to Belarus were about 3,300 tonnes versus 2,300 tonnes a month earlier, local companies increased significantly their procurement of injection moulding block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymer) from Russian and Middle Eastern producers.

Thus, overall imports of propylene copolymers reached 22,600 tonnes in January-September 2020, down by 16% year on year.

MRC

Saudi SAFCO acquires agri-nutrients business from SABIC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) said on Thursday it had agreed to sell its agri-nutrients business to Saudi Arabia Fertilizers Co (SAFCO), in which it owns a 43% stake, reported Reuters.

SAFCO will finance the acquisition by issuing 59.4 million shares, valued at 10 riyals each, to SABIC, raising the fertilizer group’s overall share capital by 14.25% to 4.76 billion riyals (USD1.27 bln).

“The deal is a clear strategic attempt to create a national champion and a global leader in agrinutrients,” SABIC Chief Executive Yousef al-Benyan told reporters in a virtual press conference.

SABIC had been seeking to consolidate its various holdings in companies specializing in agri-nutrient, or fertilizer, production, and signed a preliminary deal with SAFCO to divest the resulting combined business in Nov. 2018.

After the acquisition the business will take the name SABIC Agri-nutrient Investments.

The deal would allow SABIC to focus on its expansion in petrochemical products, and SAFCO to become more specialised in fertilisers and phosphate.

SABIC, the world’s fourth-largest chemicals company, which is 70% owned by oil giant Saudi Aramco, is looking to divest businesses seen as non-core.

“The new company will become the investment arm for SABIC on agribusiness and will create more synergies on assets,” Benyan said.

As MRC informed previously, in early November, 2020, SABIC announced that BOPP film based on the company’s certified circular PP from feedstock recycling of used plastics will be introduced in primary pet food brand packaging by Mars.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, exluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world's market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC

Spain to channel USD1.8B in EU rescue funds to 'green' hydrogen

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spain will spend 1.5 billion euros (USD1.8 billion) from a European economic recovery fund over the next three years in developing "green" hydrogen production, which will use renewable power, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

With its sunny plains, windy hillsides and gas infrastructure, Spain is keen to lead production of hydrogen using renewable resources, a process seen as key to meeting carbon emissions targets provided costs can be brought down.

Hydrogen, which is now mostly produced from fossil fuels, can be made from water using electrolysis but the process is expensive and only avoids emissions if renewable power is used.

Madrid has set a target to encourage 8.9 billion euros (USD10.5 billion) of investment, mainly from the private sector, to build electrolysers with a total 4 gigawatt capacity by 2030. This would give Spain 10% of the EU's hydrogen production target.

Spanish energy firm Iberdrola has applied for EU funds to expand a project spanning two sites in Spain it says will need investment worth 1.8 billion euros and could create 4,000 jobs.

Energy minister Teresa Ribera called for people working in green hydrogen supply chain, from researchers to potential end users, to submit details of their projects.

As MRC informed earlier, crude prices rose in mid-morning trade in Asia Nov. 16, as the market was comforted by the strong possibility that any new lockdowns in the US will be less severe than the nationwide lockdowns seen in spring, with the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) also providing a boost to sentiment.

As MRC informed previously, global oil demand may have already peaked, according to BP's latest long-term energy outlook, as the COVID-19 pandemic kicks the world economy onto a weaker growth trajectory and accelerates the shift to cleaner fuels.

Earlier this year, BP said the deadly coronavirus outbreak could cut global oil demand growth by 40 per cent in 2020, putting pressure on Opec producers and Russia to curb supplies to keep prices in check.

And in September 2019, six world's major petrochemical companies in Flanders, Belgium, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Netherlands (Trilateral Region) announced the creation of a consortium to jointly investigate how naphtha or gas steam crackers could be operated using renewable electricity instead of fossil fuels. The Cracker of the Future consortium, which includes BASF, Borealis, BP, LyondellBasell, SABIC and Total, aims to produce base chemicals while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. The companies agreed to invest in R&D and knowledge sharing as they assess the possibility of transitioning their base chemical production to renewable electricity.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, exluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.
MRC

Mitsui Chemicals completes production increase for TEKNOROTE

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsui Chemicals' wholly owned subsidiary Sunrex Industry Co has completed the construction on expanded production facilities for share-holding plastic wire mainly used for mask nose clamps, said Japanese producer.

Work on the expanded facilities got under way this June in response to surging mask demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Completed on October 15, the expanded facilities began commercial operations earlier this month.

The expanded facilities allow the Mitsui Chemicals Group to now produce enough nose clamps to cover 3 billion masks per year. In view of dealing with continued rising mask demand while also pursuing other applications for the material, however, consideration will be given to further expansion of TEKNOROTE™ production facilities in due course.

Work on the expanded facilities in Yokkaichi, Mie prefecture started in June in response to surging mask demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, it said in a statement. Financial details of the expansion project were not disclosed.

The expanded facilities will allow the Mitsui Chemicals group to produce enough nose clamps to cover 3bn masks per year.

As MRC informed earlier, Mitsui Chemicals operated its naphtha cracker normally following a maintenance turnaround. Company resumed operations at the cracker on July 19, 2020. The cracker was shut for maintenance on June 11, 2020. Located in Osaka, Japan, the cracker has an ethylene capacity of 500,000 mt/year and a propylene capacity of 280,000 mt/year.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, excluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

Mitsui Chemicals is a leading manufacturer and supplier of value added specialty chemicals, plastics and materials for the automotive, healthcare, packaging, agricultural, building, and semiconductor and electronics markets. Mitsui Chemicals is a Japanese Chemicals company, a part of the Mitsui conglomerate. The company has a turnover of around 15 billion USD and has business interests in Japan, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and the USA. The company mainly deals in performance materials, petro and basic chemicals and functional polymeric materials.



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