MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem announced the expansion of its circular polymer portfolio to include two new polypropylene grades with post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
Braskem's new PCR polypropylene grades can be used in a wide range of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food contact applications where polypropylene is used today, including consumer packaging, caps and closures, housewares, and a wide range of thermoforming applications.
Geoffrey Inch, Braskem North America Sustainability Director said, "today's announcement is another milestone in Braskem's journey to a carbon neutral circular economy, and reinforces our commitment to polypropylene as the polypropylene leader in North America. Not only will Braskem's new PCR polypropylene grades help our clients meet their commitments for recycled content in FDA food-contact markets, where PCR solutions are limited today, these developments will also keep us on track to reach our goals of providing 300,000 t of thermoplastic resins and chemicals with recycled content by 2025 and 1 MMt of thermoplastic resins and chemicals with recycled content by 2030."
Braskem's thermoforming grade contains 25% post-consumer recycled content and meets the requirements for certain FDA food contact applications, including high temperature packaging. This grade is best suited for thermoforming applications which can be utilized for a variety of applications including food retail and food service trays, coffee lids and several other packaging products.
Braskem's C&C grade contains 25% post-consumer recycled content and meets the requirements for certain FDA food contact applications. This grade is best suited for injection molded caps and closures in segments such as food and beverage, health, hygiene, and cosmetics.
As per MRC, Brazilian industrial conglomerate Novonor is considering exiting its majority stake in petrochemical company Braskem SA via a secondary share offering. Novonor, formerly known as Odebrecht, had previously organized a competitive merger and acquisition process in an attempt to attract bidders for its stake in Braskem. After that process failed, various media outlets, including Reuters, reported that Novonor was planning to exit Braskem via a share offering.
We remind that Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem's 450,000 mt/year 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.
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