Kabra Extrusiontechnik to acquire stake in an Overseas Company

(Kabra) -- Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd (KET), part of the USD 120 mln Kolsite Group of Companies, is India's largest manufacturer and largest exporter of plastic extrusion equipments. KET is the leader in the production of pipe, profile & blown film machinery. KET commands about 40% market share in its product range in India and has over 8.000 installations in 65 countries worldwide.

S. V. Kabra, Chairman & Managing Director of Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd said, ⌠KET has taken a leap forward, being the first plastic machinery company from India to invest in an overseas plastic machinery company. GEC is a highly technology-focused company and has consistently ranked among the world's top five high-end extrusion machinery manufacturers for the packaging industry. KET, through its minority investment in GEC, will gain exposure to customers in the North American, European and other western world markets.

GEC, Gloucester Engineering Company, has been a global leader in the plastics extrusion and converting market. GEC offers a range of innovative systems, that provide customers a competitive edge in applications that include bag making, foam and sheet extrusion, blown and cast film extrusion, and extrusion coating.

MRC

(ArabianOilAndGas) -- The Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and the Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON) signed a three-way agreement with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Riyadh aimed at developing industrialisation strategies for the Saudi cities of Al-Jouf, Tabuk, Hail, Jizan, Najran and Arar.

The agreement under which SABIC will be the sole sponsor was signed by Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC vice chairman and chief executive officer; Dr. Tawfig Alrabiah, director general of MODON and Thomas Bradtke, partner and managing director, BCG.

Commenting on the agreement, Al-Mady said that SABIC is supporting this study to contribute to the development of the industrial sector in Saudi Arabia.

The first phase of the study is expected to be completed within 12 weeks. It will incorporate the findings of previous studies, develop a clear understanding of the market potential, examine the attributes of each of the subject cities, identify the most appropriate industries (or combinations of industries), examine the key enablers and develop value propositions for each of the cities for investment attraction.

MRC

(BASF) -- BASF's Uvinul 4050 FF is the first monomeric hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) registered for food contact in polymer applications. The product is compliant with EU Directive 2002/72/EC as last amended in Regulation (EC) No. 975/2009 and with Food-Contact Notification (FCN) 647 in the US.

⌠Uvinul 4050 FF is the low-molecular-weight HALS with the broadest food contact approval in plastic applications. Consumers benefit from longer-lasting end products, while plastic converters no longer risk any non-food contact cross-contamination, says Klaus Koch, Global Product Manager for Light Stabilizers at BASF.

The specific light-stabilizing properties of Uvinul 4050 FF, together with food contact approvals, make it the product of choice for all appliances made from ABS. It can also be used in packaging applications that require food contact approval, such as polypropylene (PP) food crates and bulk bags made of PP tapes.

MRC

(Bayer) -- Bayer MaterialScience plans to invest roughly USD 100 mln in the expansion of the high-tech production plant for MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) at the Bayer Brunsbuttel Industrial Park in Germany. The project is part of the phased optimization concept announced previously for isocyanate production in Europe. The first of the coordinated phases is the construction of a new high-tech production plant for TDI (toluene diisocyanate) in Dormagen with an annual capacity of 300 KTa. The facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2014.

Somewhat later, the annual capacity of the existing MDI plant in Brunsbuttel will be expanded from 200 KT to a total of 420 KTa. The TDI plant at the site will be converted to MDI as part of this measure.

MRC

(PepsiCo) -- PepsiCo announced it has developed the world's first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources, enabling the company to manufacture a beverage container with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

PepsiCo's "green" bottle is 100 percent recyclable and far surpasses existing industry technologies. The bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. In the future, the company expects to broaden the renewable sources used to create the "green" bottle to include orange peels, potato peels, oat hulls and other agricultural byproducts from its foods business. This process further reinforces PepsiCo's "Power of One" advantage by driving a strategic beverage innovation via a food-based solution.

PepsiCo will pilot production of the new bottle in 2012. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the company intends to move directly to full-scale commercialization.

MRC