Solvay increased distributors composite and adhesive materials in the Americas

Solvay increased distributors composite and adhesive materials in the Americas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has now four authorized distributors: Boeing Distribution Services Inc., Composites One LLC, Integral Products, and NSL Aerospace, said the company.

These distributors will have access to select leading composite and adhesive material solutions that Solvay offers, including structural prepregs, DAPCO sealants, structural adhesives, surfacing films and tooling prepregs.

As developments to multiple advanced industries such as aerospace, automotive, industrial, electronics and e-mobility markets continue to move at a rapid pace, Solvay’s channel partnership strategy will be vital to delivering customer value. Solvay's authorised stocking distributors will bring expert sales and technical teams to respond to customer needs with advanced composite material solutions to drive sustainable progress and innovation.

As per MRC, Solvay, a science company delivering high performance materials for safe and reliable food packaging, has conducted a proof of concept showing that polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) has the potential to be recycled. PVDC is used in food, beverage and healthcare multilayer barrier packaging across the world.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,638,370 tonnes in the first eight months of 2021, up by 10% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 989,570 tonnes in the first eight months of 2021, up by 30% year on year. Deliveries of homopolymer PP and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas shipments of injection moulding PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of EUR10.2 billion in 2019. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels (SOLB) and Paris and in the United States, where its shares (SOLVY) are traded through a Level I ADR program.
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Gazprom neftekhim Salavat will build first production of superabsorbent polymers in Russia

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat will build first production of superabsorbent polymers in Russia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Gazprom neftekhim Salavat will build Russia's first production of superabsorbent polymers Gazprom neftekhim Salavat has signed an agreement for the development of a basic design and a license agreement for the use of Songwon Industrial technology for the production of superabsorbent polymers (SAP), said the company.

The company will continue the chain of converting acrylates into superabsorbent polymers at its production site. In Salavat, crude acrylic acid, butyl acrylate and glacial acrylic acid are already being produced at the facilities of the acrylic acid and butyl acrylate production complex commissioned in 2017. In the production of products, we use our own raw materials - propylene from EP-355 and butanol from shop No. 52.

The production of SAP will be a logical continuation of the development of acrylate processing. In addition, superabsorbents based on acrylic polymers are included in the “Action Plan for Import Substitution of the Chemical Industry of the Russian Federation” approved by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia dated 06.07.2021 No. 2471. The implementation of the import-substituting project will allow the company to cover 60-70% of the needs for superabsorbents in Russia. Investments in a new project with a capacity of 45 thousand tons / year will be approximately Rb11 bn.

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, GNS resumed the production of LDPE after the scheduled maintenance works from 1 October. The outage was quite long and started from 20 July. The plant"s annual production capacity is 45,000 tonnes.

OAO "Gazprom neftekhim Salavat" (formerly OAO "Salavatnefteorgsintez") is one of the leading petrochemical companies in Russia, carrying out a full cycle of processing hydrocarbon material. The list of products manufactured by the plant includes more than 140 items, including 76 grades of the main products: gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, toluene, solvent, liquefied gases, benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, butyl alcohols, phthalic anhydride and plasticizers, polyethylene, polystyrenes, silica gels and zeolite catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, elemental sulfur, ammonia and urea, glycols and amines, a wide range of household products made of plastics, surfactants and much more.
MRC

Olin to permanently shut down remaining chlor-alkali capacity by end of Q3 2022

Olin to permanently shut down remaining chlor-alkali capacity by end of Q3 2022

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Olin Corporation (Clayton, Missouri) has announced that it plans to permanently shut down the remaining diaphragm-grade chlor-alkali capacity at its McIntosh, Alabama facility, by the end of third quarter 2022, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The closure of approximately 200,000 electrochemical unit (ECU) tons is in addition to the 200,000 ECU tons shut down at McIntosh in first quarter 2021.

"When this shutdown is complete, Olin will have rationalized approximately 855,000 ECU tons of high-cost, low-value diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity since early 2021," remarked Scott Sutton, Olin Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. "This action reinforces our commitment to lift our ECU values to a more sustainable level."

As MRC reported earlier, in July 2021, Olin Corporation entered into an agreement with ASHTA Chemicals, Inc. to purchase and sell the chlorine produced at ASHTA's Ashtabula, OH facility. Existing contracts will be honored for chlorine customers of both companies.

We remind that June production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in Russia was 103,000 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) versus 105,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of caustic soda totalled 642,500 tonnes in the first half of 2021, down by 1.2% year on year.

Olin Corporation is a leading vertically-integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading US manufacturer of ammunition. The chemical products produced include chlorine and caustic soda, vinyls, epoxies, chlorinated organics, bleach, and hydrochloric acid. Winchester's principal manufacturing facilities produce and distribute sporting ammunition, law enforcement ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, and industrial cartridges.
MRC

COVID-19 - News digest as of 25.10.2021

1. Indian refiners crude oil processing edged higher in September

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indian refiners' crude oil throughput in September edged higher from the previous month, government data showed on Friday, as refineries boosted output to meet surging demand, reported Reuters. Refiners processed 4.45 MM barrels per day (bpd) (18.21 MM tons) of crude oil last month, up from the 4.36 MMbpd in August, which was the lowest in 10 mos. "Refiners have been boosting throughput in order to meet demand during the festive season. Demand is expected to increase compared to previous months, as people travel more during festivities," Refinitiv analyst Ehsan Ul Haq said.



MRC

Crude oil futures continue rising in Europe as supply outlooks hold firm

Crude oil futures continue rising in Europe as supply outlooks hold firm

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Crude oil futures continued its upward trajectory during mid-morning trade in Europe on Oct. 25 as supply sentiment remains firm while OPEC+ holds steady on crude oil production rises, reported S&P Global.

At 11:44 AM (1044 GMT) London time, the ICE December Brent futures contract was USD0.61/b (0.71%) higher from the previous close at USD86.14/b, while the NYMEX December light sweet crude contract was USD0.73/b (0.87%) higher at USD84.49/b.

"Comments from the Saudi energy minister which suggests that OPEC+ will continue to take a cautious approach in increasing output is likely providing some support to the market, particularly with other members of OPEC+ echoing the Saudi view," analyst from ING said Oct. 25.

Demand recovery from impacts of COVID-19 coupled with a conservative approach from the OPEC+ alliance to raise its crude oil production has been providing support to the complex lately.

The supply tightness is being further exacerbated by the inability of some OPEC+ countries to raise production quickly to match monthly increments in quotas.

Market participants are now gearing up for the next OPEC+ meeting scheduled for Nov. 4, where the alliance is expected to review production decisions for December.

Concerns over resurging rates of COVID-19 as many countries head into the winter months - a time when flu infection rates usually rise - have been subsided for now.

"For now, the market does not appear concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak in a number of provinces in China. China has, however, demonstrated multiple times that it is able to get outbreaks under control fairly quickly," they said.

As MRC wrote previously, China's September crude oil throughput extended its downtrend to dip 0.7% from August to a 17-month low of 13.7 million b/d amid a slow down in the economy and product destocking activity. The country's crude throughput was last lower at 13.16 million b/d in April 2020.

Meanwhile, China's crude oil imports fell 4.7% on the month to 10.03 million b/d in September, according to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, or GAC, on Oct. 13. The reduction indicated weak momentum for imports for the rest of the year, analysts said.

We remind that China's oil consumption is likely to peak around 2026 at about 16 million barrels per day and that of natural gas by around 2040, said a top executive of Sinopec Corp. in September 2021.

We also remind that in August 2021, China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, also known as Sinopec, the world's petrochemical major, launched the first phase of the Gulei refining complex in Zhangzhou city in China’s southeastern Fujian province. The refining complex, a 50:50 joint venture between Sinopec’s Fujian Petrochemical Company Ltd and Taiwan Xuteng Investment Company Ltd, invested 27.8 billion yuan (USD4.28 billion) in the first phase. That will result in an 800,000 tonnes per annum ethylene plant, a 600,000 tonnes per annum styrene unit and seven other downstream petrochemical units, Sinopec said.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,638,370 tonnes in the first eight months of 2021, up by 10% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 989,570 tonnes in the first eight months of 2021, up by 30% year on year. Deliveries of homopolymer PP and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas shipments of injection moulding PP random copolymers decreased significantly.
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