Arcanum starts operations, production at Raven Butene-1 facility in Bayport, Texas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arcanum (Houston, Texas) and Axens (Paris, France) say successful ongoing operations and production have been achieved at Arcanum’s Raven Butene-1 facility at Baytown, Texas, according to Chemweek.

The ethylene-to-butene-1 production asset is utilizing licensed Axens AlphaButol technology.

Startup activities began late last year and reached “full performance” around mid-year, says Raven Butene-1’s general manager Nicholas Stewart. The nameplate capacity of the on-purpose high purity butene-1 facility has so far not been given. Butene-1, a linear alpha-olefin, is used as comonomer in the production of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Production at the facility also marks the first startup of the technology on US soil, Axens says. There are now 40 AlphaButol licensed units operating worldwide using homogeneous catalysis, it says.

The Raven facility is operated by Arcanum subsidiary SBE Chemical Partners I LLC. Arcanum said in 2018 it would expand the capacity of its butene-1 facility, then under construction, by adding two more production lines. Long-term, fee-based offtake agreements from multiple buyers had been secured for “substantially all” of the first plant’s nameplate capacity, it said at the time. Startup of the unit was originally scheduled for late 2018.

As MRC reported earlier, Chevron Phillips Chemical, part of Chevron Corporation, still has not lifted force majeure on its polyethylene (PE) products after assessing the impact of Hurricane Laura to its Gulf Coast PE operations. The force majeure circumstances were declared on 1 September, 2020. CP Chem operates a 420,000 mt/year high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant in Orange, Texas, and an 855,000 mt/year cracker in Port Arthur. The company plans to minimize the impact of the event and return to full PE deliveries as soon as possible.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a business unit of Dow announces the commercial availability of a wide range of tenter frame, biaxially-oriented polyethylene (TF-BOPE) for linear low, medium and high density packaging films, said the company.

This offering has been developed through a joint value chain effort, combining Dow’s INNATETM TF80 technology with the production know-how and experience of Plastchim-T and Ticinoplast, leading producers in PE and BOPP, and the processing knowledge of machine manufacturer Bruckner Maschinenbau. These solutions enable customers to use printable, tough, stiff and visually appealing BOPE films to produce resource-efficient, mono-material packaging that is designed for recyclability.

Dow’s TF-BOPE-based solutions for oriented films are already commercially available in Asia-Pacific and appreciated for their remarkable appearance, and puncture and impact resistance. Applications range from downgauged frozen food films, to triplex laminates without BOPA, and duplex PE-based laminates used for home and personal care pre-made pouches.

"Building on our global experience with BOPE to design packaging for recyclability, the positive reaction of converters and brand owners in Asia has given us confidence to commercialize these solutions throughout Europe, Middle East, and Africa,” said Jaroslaw Jelinek, global marketing manager for oriented PE technologies, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. ”Our global teams have been working through Pack Studios to bring the success of this LLDPE1 based solution to other regions and to broaden the offering for the growing BOPE market."

"One main focus of our research work was to make BOPE a comprehensive offering and explore higher density spaces that would make this replacement viable and robust,” said Karlheinz Hausmann, global technical fellow, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. “As a result, we have developed a unique blend approach that gives converters of BOPE the flexibility to tailor the film performance to the needs of their customers as effectively and economically as possible."

"BOPE is a breakthrough technology in flexible packaging, comparable to the launch of BOPP in the 1970’s,” said Paolo Rossi, managing director of Ticinoplast. “BOPE needs strong technical efforts for the complete industrialization, and thanks to the active engagement of all value chain members, the development and production of BOPE is growing. We have already seen its benefits including excellent sealability and mechanical characteristics which are comparable to optics and printability available in current films. The joint efforts of the participants in this BOPE development will lead to recyclable flexible packaging solutions as requested by all stakeholders in the market."

"Our company is strategically focused on environmental protection, and the novel BOPE solutions are one of the few significant developments in the last years that will make a real difference,” added Aydin Faik, owner of Plastchim-T. “There’s a growing interest in tenter frame BOPE and its usage for different applications, which are designed to be recyclable and downgaugeable. The grades we have produced in cooperation with Ticinoplast and Dow have achieved very positive test results by converting companies across the globe."

"For us, BOPE opens the door to a new generation of biaxially oriented films to meet market demand while enabling a closed life-cycle for plastic packaging”, Sebastian Ruhland, sales manager at Bruckner Maschinenbau. “All the key factors needed – processing know-how, machine design, and various BOPE film grades – have been developed collaboratively. Now printable and metallizable BOPE-HD based films with high stiffness, low shrinkage and high transparency are ready for the market."

As MRC informed earlier, Dow develops simplified, lightweight design for face shields to help protect healthcare professionals, shares open-source design to encourage additional production. To help address the urgent need for personal protective equipment (PPE) among healthcare professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic, Dow developed a simplified face shield design and is sharing its design through an open-source file to help accelerate production rates of this critically-needed PPE. In addition, the Company is collaborating to produce 100,000 face shields for donation to the state of Michigan for distribution to hospitals.

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

According to MRC"s ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene (PS), polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Plastics USA, part of Formosa Petrochemical, started up its 400,000 tons/year low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant in Point Comfort, Texas, US, on 30 November, 2020, according to PlasticsNews.

The plant last was expected to become on-stream by late July or early August. The decision reportedly came after some workers tested positive for the coronavirus, which led to a reduction in workforce.

The new LDPE plant was originally due to become operational by the end of 2019 but it has been delayed multiple times since then.

As MRC reported earlier, Formosa Plastics' new 1.5 million mt/year cracker in Point Comfort, Texas, came online in H1 January, 2020, and was seen ramping up through January.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, October estimated LDPE consumption in Russia grew to 50,030 tonnes from 23,930 tonnes a month earlier. Russian producers increased domestic LDPE shipments after the September shutdowns for maintenance. Russia's estimated LDPE consumption was about 456,490 tonnes in January-October 2020, down by 1% year on year. Lower production was offset by higher imports.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company"s plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay says it is extending its partnership with Boeing by signing a long-term enterprise agreement to supply composites and adhesives across all Boeing commercial and defense aircraft programs, including primary and secondary structures, interiors, and surfacing, reported Chemweek.

"This contract renewal reinforces Solvay’s more than 30-year relationship with Boeing," says Carmelo Lo Faro, president/composite materials at Solvay. The company says that it supplies Boeing with a large portfolio of advanced materials including thermoset and thermoplastic composites, adhesives, and surfacing films from its locations in the US, Europe, and China.

"This contract enables Boeing to secure material supply for all our strategic programs and brings some certainty to a volatile environment," says Elizabeth Lund, vice president and general manager/commercial airplanes supply chain at Boeing.

As MRC informed earlier, in August, 2020, through the acquisition of the Solvay polyamide (PA) business, BASF enhanced its R&D capabilities in Asia Pacific with new technologies, technical expertise, and upgraded material and part testing services. BASF is planning to integrate the R&D centers from Solvay into its R&D existing facilities in Shanghai, China, and Seoul, Korea. The enhanced capabilities will boost BASF’s position as a solution provider to develop advanced material solutions for key industries.

We remind that BASF-YPC, a 50-50 joint venture of BASF and Sinopec, undertook a planned shutdown at its naphtha cracker on 30 April 2020. The company initially planned to start turnaround at the cracker on April 5, 2020. The plant remained under maintenance unitl 18 June, 2020. Located in Jiangsu, China, the cracker has an ethylene capacity of 750,000 mt/year and propylene capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing PE and PP.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) declared force majeure on polypropylene (PP) supplies from France, according to NCT with reference to a source familiar with the matter.

The news could not be confirmed directly by the company while the reason for the force majeure was not disclosed at the time of press.

As MRC reported earlier, in September 2020, LyondellBasell, the world’s largest licensor of polyolefin technologies, announced that Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company LLC (DRPIC) hds selected LyondellBasell’s world-leading PP and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) technologies for a new facility.

The new plants will comprise of a PP plant that will utilize LyondellBasell’s Spheripol PP process technology to produce 280,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of PP and a 480-m.t./yr high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant which will utilize LyondellBasell’s Hostalen ACP process technology and will be built in Al Duqm, Oman.once again the trust investors and operators place in our leading polyolefin expertise."

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.

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.
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