Tetra Pak unveiled three new closures

(Tetra Pak) -- Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions, unveils three new closures designed to meet the diverse needs of the global beverage market: DreamCap, an ergonomically designed closure specially for on-the-go consumption; LightCap, designed to keep plastic use and cost to a minimum and HeliCap, which combines one-step easy opening with distinctive tamper evidence.


Benefits are possible because of Tetra Pak's industry-first combination of Pre-Laminated Hole (PLH) and Direct Injection Moulding Concept (DIMC) technologies. DIMC technology ≈ already used by Tetra Pak customers for milk ≈ allows the base of the cap neck to be moulded as flat as possible to the underside of the packaging material, providing the maximum pouring area.

DreamCap, LightCap and HeliCap are cost effective solutions, which can be integrated with existing packages and Tetra Pak lines.

MRC

Long-term conflict with Gazprom neftechim Salavat concerning ethylene price didn't allow Kaustik to reach 100% utilization of capacities.

During modernization of Bashkir production in 2009 capacities of VCM-PVC output were increased to 200 KTa. Total volume of investments made RUB 2.6 bln.

In January production was also increased at Plastkard (Volgograd) and Sibur-Chimprom - up to 8.2 KT and 3.1 KT, respectively. On the contrary, Sayanskchemplast, the biggest PVC producer in Russia, decreased output to 24.3 KT.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Brent crude settled at US$111.72 after rising past US$114, while light, sweet crude on the Nymex settled at US$96.89. Earlier in the day, oil prices rose by 2% on news of shutdown of oil production in Libya and on fears that the unrest might spread to Saudi Arabia. However, prices recoiled on an announcement by Saudi state oil company Saudi Aramco that all demands for extra oil had been met coupled with news that Tobruk port in East Libya had reopened and a Chinese tanker was being loaded.

MRC

(ICIS) -- The cost of acetone in Europe is set to firm again because of tightness in supply and another increase in the cost of feedstock propylene, market sources said on Tuesday. In relation to the "high" and "unexpected" ┬80/tonne ($111/tonne) increase in the March propylene contract price, a European producer described it as "a disaster for our customers.

⌠This is a disaster for our customers. They are going to kill us. In just one or two hours the cost of propylene increased by ┬40/tonne. We were expecting it (the propylene contract) to increase by ┬20-40/tonne, the producer said.

On the back of another hike in feedstock costs, the producer said its target for spot acetone was now in the low ┬900s/tonne for the solvents market and the high ┬900s/tonne for the pharmaceutical sector.

Tightness in the European market was also fuelling the intention of acetone producers to raise spot and contract prices in March. A number of suppliers said they were totally sold out of material.

While the March propylene contract increased by ┬80/tonne, the March benzene contact price rolled over at ┬1,001/tonne.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Bayer posted a ┬145m ($199m) net loss in the fourth quarter of 2010 due to higher special charges, reversing a ┬153m profit made in the same period a year earlier, the German specialty chemicals maker said on Monday. Sales for the three months to December rose 14.5% year on year to ┬9.01bn, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) soared 34.9% to ┬1.51bn, Bayer said.

Bayer chairman Marijn Dekkers attributed the growths in sales and EBITDA to the strong growth in earnings at the company's material science business, and to positive currency effects.

MRC