Threat of PET cuts after third force majeure at BP Belgium PTA unit

(ICIS)-- European polyethylene terephthalate (PET) supply is under threat following the third declaration of force majeure upstream at BP's Geel, Belgium, purified terephthalate (PTA) plant, sources said on Friday.


⌠We are risking going on force majeure on PET because we may not be able to supply our contract customers, a PET producer said.


Another PET producer acknowledged that it too would have to run at ⌠very low capacity, lower even than it had been during BP's first two forces majeures.


A BP spokesman explained that the third force majeure was announced on Thursday on PTA 3 because of an agitator problem. For the time being, the unit was producing at full rates.


Market sources were preparing for further cutbacks, however.


⌠If PTA 3 does have problems we would need to come down to 25% [allocation]. It depends on how it performs this week and into next week, the BP spokesman said.


If BP withdrew such an important percentage of production from the European market in December, January and possibly February, the impact would hit the whole chain, another PTA producer said.


MRC

Investors buy Latrobe, Pa., blow molder

(PLASTICS NEWS ) -- A pair of Cleveland-based private equity firms and plastics industry veteran Chris Scarazzo have combined to buy a pair of related plastics businesses in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The firms being acquired are blow molder Premium Molding Inc. and its sister firm, blow molding toolmaker Accu-Mold Inc.


No purchase price was disclosed. Both Premium and Accu-Mold are housed at a 115,000 square foot location in Latrobe. The combined businesses have been renamed Premium Plastic Solutions LLC.


Premium makes parts from high density polyethylene and other resins for numerous markets, including medical waste, automotive, safety equipment, lawn and garden, recreational equipment and large capacity potable water bottles.


MRC

International Automotive Components Group to reopen Czech plant

(PRW) -- Global car parts group International Automotive Components Group is reported to be preparing to resume production later this year at a former interior components plant in Plzen Prestice, Czech Republic.


According to a Czech environmental impact assessment, the company intends to install new injection molding machines in the former plant. There, it will turn out polypropylene door panel parts for vehicle builders Skoda and Volkswagen, reports the East European Nov-Ost industry news portal.


IAC wants to add new injection molding capacity at the interior trim plant where it already has 4-6 injection presses. IAC also plans to add equipment for foaming and cutting semi-rigid polyurethane blocks, which will be used to make car ceiling panels.


IAC plans re-launch production in Prestice in March, and it expects to reach full capacity by May 2012. The site will employ 160.


MRC

Arkema teams with lab on photovoltaic project

(PLASTICS NEWS ) -- Arkema Group is teaming with Institut National de l'Energie Solaire (INES) to set up a joint research laboratory dedicated to polymers for photovoltaics.


The joint laboratory near Chambery, France, will combine Colombes-based Arkema's expertise in polymers, polymer films and nanomaterials, with INES researchers' knowledge of design and development of innovative photovoltaic modules, silicon and thin layers.


The project is part of a four-year agreement that the partners said will improve France's competitiveness in the photovoltaic sector.


MRC

Enduris sues Inteplast over cellular PVC decking

(PLASTICS NEWS ) -- A Florida company, Enduris Extrusions Inc., is suing Inteplast Group Ltd., accusing the giant plastic film and bag maker of misappropriating its trade secrets for capped, cellular PVC deck board to get into the decking market last year.


Inteplast, based in Livingston, N.J., announced last September that it has signed a licensing agreement with Cevn Corp. of Somerset, N.J. Cevn President Mark Ippolito has patented the technology, marketed by Inteplast as dual-color, dual-sided cellular PVC deck board.


But Enduris claims in the lawsuit that it developed the cellular PVC decking and a process for manufacturing the product. Enduris, of Jacksonville, Fla., introduced Endeck in early 2009, said John Polidan, president and CEO.


The lawsuit contends that in mid-2008, Enduris was approached by a company called Sundance Building Products, and the two firms discussed a possible business relationship that involved exchanging confidential information. While the talks were going on, Sundance changed its name to Cevn Corp.


Ultimately the companies were unable to form the relationship. But during the discussions, Cevn ⌠obtained trade secrets information about the proprietary Enduris processes, according to the lawsuit. Later, Cevn joined forces with Inteplast.


MRC