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MOSCOW (MRC) --Rocheleau Tool & Die
Co. has ordered dozens of Nordson Corporation’s Xaloy screws and barrels to
equip blow molding machines for use by manufacturers of pipettes that are
essential components of COVID-19 test procedures, said the
company.
International suppliers of products for medical testing have
invested heavily to expand production of plastic laboratory consumables to meet
global demand for COVID-19 testing. For the manufacture of LDPE pipettes,
Rocheleau has encountered a massive demand for its blow molding systems.
Rocheleau is equipping this machinery with Xaloy® components from Nordson,
including bimetallic barrels with X-800 linings and Fusion™ barrier screws.
The Xaloy Fusion screw was specified for the project because of its
ability to maintain a consistently low melt temperature while producing high
output rates, noted Rob Cook, Nordson manager of processor sales in the
Americas. “While regrind based on blow molding trim is more sensitive to process
variables than virgin resin, the Fusion screw ensures a uniform melt,” said Mr.
Cook. “The low melt temperature permits shorter cooling times and more parts per
minute, and it supports pipette manufacturers’ use of heat-sensitive additives
for certain products without the need to change the equipment setup."
The
X-800® lining for the Xaloy barrels is a nickel-based alloy with tungsten
carbide that provides a longer working life than alternative carbide
inlays.
Rocheleau’s drive to meet urgent demand for pipettes exemplifies
the important role that plastics have played in combating COVID-19, said Mr.
Rocheleau. “As a family-owned business, we are grateful for the opportunity to
make an impact on the pandemic by addressing an urgent, global demand for
pipettes. It has been very encouraging for our employees to make this happen,
knowing that they have made a contribution to the fight."
Xaloy screws
and barrels are basic components for the extrusion and molding of medical
products, personal protection equipment, and packaging used for combating
COVID-19, noted Seeni Congivaram, director of sales and marketing for Xaloy®
products. “Today, tubing and connectors, blood bags, procedure kits, and other
medical devices are playing critical roles in addressing the surge of hospital
cases caused by the pandemic. Film and sheet products have been essential for
preventing the spread of coronavirus infection. And packaging containers have
made it possible for millions of people in lockdown to get fresh food and hot
meals."
As MRC informed earlier,
crude oil prices settled at multimonth highs Nov. 23 as demand outlooks improved
amid reports of progress on a third COVID-19 vaccine. NYMEX January WTI
settled 64 cents higher at USD43.06/b, and ICE January Brent was up USD1.10 at
USD46.06/b.
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, excluding producers' inventories as of 1
January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer. |
