Hengli Petrochemical to build PTA plants

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INVISTA and Hengli Petrochemical (Huizhou) have reached agreement to license INVISTA’s P8 PTA technology for two PTA lines, said the company.

These two lines will be installed at Xiachong, Daya Bay, Huizhou City, Guangdong province, China. The kick-off meeting was successfully concluded on October 23, 2020, between Hengli, INVISTA and CTCI (the engineering contractor).

@We are very pleased that our industry-leading P8 PTA technology has been selected again by Hengli Group. Our companies have a decade-long cooperation, and we look forward to working together on this new project, leverage the learning on Hengli PTA 4/5 and deliver a successful project."

Hengli is also operating another 5 PTA lines on Changxing Island (Dalian), all of which utilise advantaged INVISTA PTA technology, with a total capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum.

Adam Sackett, IPT vice president PTA, commented, "We are very pleased that our industry-leading P8 PTA technology has been selected again by Hengli Group. Our companies have a decade-long cooperation, and we look forward to working together on this new project, leverage the learning on Hengli PTA 4/5 and deliver a successful project."

INVISTA’s industry-leading PTA technology, including its latest version of P8 technology, is available as a license package from IPT.

PTA is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles, films, packaging containers, in the textile and food industries.

As per MRC' ScanPlast, calculated consumption of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) reached 52,71o tonnes in September 2020, down 27% compared to the same time a year before. Total consumption of PET in Russia in the nine months of 2020 reached 530,750 tonnes, down 22% than the same indicator last year.

Hengli Group is an international company that owns a diversity of business: petrochemical, advanced polyester materials, textiles, trading, finance and thermal power. In 2019, Hengli’s total revenue was 556.7 billion RMB, ranking No. 181 in the Fortune Global 500 list. Hengli operates the largest PTA site in the world combined with the biggest performance fibre textile production base.
MRC

Univar beats estimates as results improve sequentially

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Univar has reported third-quarter net income of USD28.5 million, compared with USD2.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Net sales fell 15.8% year-on-year (YOY), to USD2.01 billion, said Chemweek.

Adjusted earnings fell 3.5% YOY, to USD58.7 million, or 34 cents/share, beating analysts’ consensus of 26 cents/share, as reported by Refinitiv (New York, New York). Results improved sequentially through the quarter, an improvement that continued into October, Univar says.

"Our team executed well this quarter, meeting the challenges of variable customer demand and macroeconomic uncertainties, all while managing our costs,” says David Jukes, CEO of Univar. “Our financial results reflect…the strength of our supplier and customer relationships, and the benefit of a growing suite of digital capabilities."

USA segment sales declined 19.7% YOY, to USD1.25 billion, while segment adjusted EBITDA fell 13.6%, to USD110.3 million. EMEA sales were down 6.0%, to USD399.4 million, while segment adjusted EBITDA rose 4.4%, to USD33.3 million.

Canada segment sales fell 17.0% YOY, to USD234.9 million, while segment adjusted EBITDA decreased 25.2%, to USD16.6 million. Latin America segment sales grew 2.8% YOY, to USD120.5 million, while segment adjusted EBITDA increased 28.4%, to USD13.1 million.

As MRC informed earlier, Sibur selected Univation’s licensed process for three 600,000-metric tons/year PE lines at Amur. The lines will be part of the integrated project, located near Svobodny in the Amur region close to Russia’s border with China, which will have a total polyolefin design capacity of 2.7 million metric tons/year.

As per MRC's ScanPlast, September PE production in Russia was 233,200 tonnes, whereas this figure was 258,700 tonnes a month earlier, in the first month of autumn several producers stopped their capacities for repairs at once. Thus, overall PE output reached 2,204,200 tonnes in January-September 2020, compared to 1,349,000 tonnes a year earlier. Production of all PE grades rose, but LLDPE accounted for the greatest increase, which was provided by ZapSibNeftekhim.
MRC

Dupont Clean Technologies brings New MECS сatalysts to the market

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont Clean Technologies introduces two new sulfuric acid catalysts: MECS Super GEAR and MECS XLP-310 which build upon its GEAR and XLP catalyst product lines, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

While both products will benefit new or existing plants, Super GEARTM was specifically developed to minimize total installed cost and achieve world class emissions levels in new plants, while XLP-310 was developed to provide existing plants with an economical option to reduce emissions and boost capacity.

Since its introduction to the sulfuric acid industry in 2011, MECS GEAR catalysts (which have a Geometrically optimized hexa-lobe shape that Enhances surface area and Activity while Reducing pressure drop build-up over time) have proven to maximize conversion, reduce emissions, and increase the time between turnarounds. Super GEARTM combines the GEAR® shape with an advanced formulation, resulting in a best-in-class sulfuric acid catalyst which offers sulfuric acid plants the benefits of GEAR catalyst while further minimizing the total installed cost of new converters.

MECS XLP ribbed ring catalyst has been in use since 2003 throughout the sulfuric acid industry and is proven to be a reliable and economical choice for all converter passes. XLP-310 adds to the versatility of the XLP product line by incorporating an advanced formulation with the XLP shape, resulting in the most active XLP ribbed ring product ever made. XLP-310 will provide the greatest value when installed in converter passes not limited by equilibrium. This targeted approach will allow plants to reach their conversion goals without the need for expensive plant modifications or complete catalyst replacement in every pass of the converter.

Eli Ben-Shoshan, Global Business leader, DuPont Clean Technologies, said, “Our goal with the development of the two new MECS catalyst product lines is to help acid plant operators increase conversion and improve environmental performance with minimal investment. As such, we are pleased to announce that field installations have shown both MECS® Super GEAR™ and MECS® XLP-310 catalysts can achieve considerable increases in conversion rate, even when only installed in part of a converter. DuPont Clean Technologies will continue to look for ways to bring value to our customers by leveraging our position as a world leader in sulfuric acid process technologies, our nearly 100 years of experience in catalyst production, and by focusing on those aspects that matter most to our customers."

It was erlier reported, DuPont is investing USD400 million in the production capacity of Tyvek nonwoven fabric made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) at its site in Luxembourg. A new building and a third work line at the production site will be constructed. The launch of new facilities is scheduled for 2021.

As per MRC ScanPlast, September HDPE imports were 18,600 tonnes, which corresponds to the figure a month earlier. Overall imports of this PE grade totalled 202,500 tonnes in January-September 2020, down by 27% year on year. The largest decrease in supplies was due to film and pipe HDPE.

The DuPont Corporation, founded in the USA in 1802, operates in more than 70 countries. The company produces specialty chemicals, offers goods and services for agriculture, food production, electronics, communications, security and protection, construction, transport and light industry. In Russia, DuPont has 100% control over the DuPont Khimprom plant since 2005, and in 2006 established a joint venture between DuPont - Russian Paints and Russian Paints.
MRC

Braskem launches portfolio for 3D printing in South America

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem, taking another important step in its innovation strategy, launches this month a portfolio of exclusive products for the additive manufacturing segment, popularly known as 3D printing, which is experiencing robust growth in Brasil, as per the company's press release.

The market, whose main characteristics are decentralization of production and customization of solutions, also has helped to combat the novel coronavirus with the production of face shields and components for mechanical respirators, for example.

Braskem's solutions made from polypropylene (PP) have proved attractive and ideal for additive manufacturing, given the recyclability, impact strength and dimensional stability of the raw material, which features the capacity to make durable hinges and lower density than other types of plastics. PP for 3D printing can be found in the form of pellets and filaments, both of which are produced in Brazil, and powder, which is imported from the United States. The products also can be used in both industrial and desktop 3D printers.

Braskem's PP filaments, which are available in 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm diameters, were developed with the user in mind and deliver a better balance of mechanical properties, dimensional stability and printing performance. Developed for the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process that uses a laser to synthesize polymer powder, polypropylene powder is the result of a partnership with Advanced Laser Materials (ALM), a subsidiary of EOS North America. The material is recognized for its mechanical performance, dimensional stability of printed parts and high reuse rates of the remaining printing powder at the end of each cycle. Meanwhile, PP pellets were developed in collaboration with Titan Robotics with a focus on ATLASTM, an innovative platform for pellet extrusion on an industrial scale.

For Braskem's manager of Innovation & Technology for Additive Manufacturing, Fabio Lamon, the company's new portfolio makes 3D printing processes in Brazil even more sustainable. "Additive manufacturing is by nature a zero-waste process, since it consists of the fabrication of a three-dimensional piece via the addition of layers of raw material based on a digital 3D file, which results in total design freedom and eliminates the losses and waste common to the various traditional production processes. Remember that the polypropylene developed for this application can be recycled just like the other thermoplastic resins produced by Braskem and used in other conversion processes, which reinforces our commitment to sustainability and the circular economy," he said.

3D printing's relevance to Braskem as a producer of raw materials in terms of market growth is growing. It is a disruptive technology with strong appeal due to its transformational innovation, which drives the development of solutions that are relevant in the context of industry 4.0 and sustainability aspects, since it is a completely decentralized production process that minimizes losses and material waste, while also having benefits from the logistical standpoint.

The company's initiatives in the field began in 2013, with the Printing the Future project, a partnership with Made In Space, a supplier to NASA, for the development of a 3D printer for operation in zero gravity. The equipment made and sent to the International Space Station, in 2016, uses Braskem's bio-based I'm greenTM polyethylene made from sugarcane and, in 2019, was further supported by the development of recycler that enabled the team of astronauts to transform plastic waste into raw materials for fabricating new items.

The products in the form of filaments and pellets for direct use with 3D printers can be acquired directly from Braskem, while powder products are marketed globally by Advanced Laser Materials (ALM). Braskem's PP filaments also are marketed by 2M3D, Braskem's official distributor of 3D printing filaments for South America.

"As the largest thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas, Braskem is always advancing and improving its portfolio to meet the needs of our clients. The launch of a 3D printing portfolio is another step in our evolution. We are excited about the performance of our polypropylene compared with the other materials available in the market, and believe that its availability in pellet, filament and powder form helps further increase the enormous potential we see in the global 3D printing market," said Jason Vagnozzi, Braskem's commercial director of Additive Manufacturing.

In July 2020, Braskem donated 120 coils of plastic filament for the production of face shields and components of artificial respirators, which are essential to combating the covid-19 pandemic. The company also made available its team of additive manufacturing experts to support the work of 12 3D printing research centers in the states of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo.

The PP filament made by Braskem for use in 3D printers was converted into bands for approximately 5,000 face shields, which were distributed to healthcare professionals working in public hospitals near the research centers.

In Bahia, the shields was donated to the Bahia State Science and Technology Department, which distributed them to seven SENAI technology centers in the state's interior region. In Rio de Janeiro, the initiative benefited the 3D printing research center of Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-RJ). In Rio Grande do Sul, the Scientific and Technologic Park (Tecnopuc) of PUC-RS and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), in coordination with the group Brothers in Arms, received the filaments. In Sao Paulo, the material was delivered to 3D Criar and Inkubetech, which support the Higia Project.

As MRC reported previously, Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem's 450,000 mt/year polypropylene (PP) plant in LaPorte, Texas, along the Houston Ship Channel completed its initial commercial production, as per the company's statement as of Sept. 10. "The launch of commercial production at our new world-class PP production line in La Porte clearly affirms Braskem's position as the North American polypropylene market leader," Braskem America CEO Mark Nikolich said in a statement. With a USD750 million investment, the new PP plant's construction started in October 2017 and was completed in June, 2020.

Braskem operates five other US PP plants in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with a cumulative capacity of 1.57 million mt/year that the company acquired. The new plant in La Porte, Texas, is Braskem America's first PP new build.

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.

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

SABIC declares force majeure on supplies from Wilton, UK

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC Europe declared a force majeure on its low density polyethylene (LDPE) supplies from Wilton, the UK on November 3, reported NCT with reference to a source close to the company.

The company had shut its LDPE plant for a maintenance work in the first half of October.

Meanwhile, the company could not be reached for confirmation at the time of publication.

The Wilton unit is able to produce 400,000 tons/year of LDPE.

As MRC informed earlier, the company started up this plant in September, 2009.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, September estimated LDPE consumption in Russia fell to 23,930 tonnes from 47,610 tonnes a month earlier. Russian producers reduced their domestic LDPE shipments due to shutdowns for maintenance at production capacities in Ufa, Tomsk and Kazan. Russia's estimated LDPE consumption totalled about 406,500 tonnes in January-September 2020, which virtually corresponded to the last year's figure.

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. SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
MRC