DAK Americas shutdowns Cape Fear site

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DAK Americas LLC (DAK) announced the planned closure of all operations at its Cape Fear Site, near Wilmington, NC. The site was built in the late 1960's and acquired by DAK Americas in 2001, said Fibre2fashion.

Approximately, 350 full service employees and 250 contract workers are employed on-site to produce PTA, PET resins and polyester staple fibers.

Jorge Young, DAK Americas' President stated: "We acknowledge that this business decision is very difficult for our employees and thank them for their dedication and commitment to our industry for more than 40 years. Closure of the site will allow us to further improve our low cost position by supplying the vast majority of the Cape Fear Site customers from our other North American facilities."

DAK Americas remains dedicated to the polyester value chain and supplying trade leading products and services through its six remaining production facilities in the Americas.

The closure of the site is expected to be completed by September 2013. Employees will be given timely notice and will be provided with a comprehensive separation package as part of the closure.

As MRC wrote earlier, Dak Americas, a subsidiary of Mexican conglomerate Alfa acquired the PET business of US plastic packaging company Wellman in a deal worth approximately USD 185mn in cash and the assumption of certain liabilities.

DAK Americas is one of the largest producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, used in carbonated soft drink and water bottles. It also makes terephthalic acid (TPA) monomers, used in PSF and PET products, and specialty polymers, sold in markets such as film and packaging and nonwovens. DAK Americas maintains manufacturing facilities in the Carolinas and Mississippi in the US as well as in Mexico. Alpek, a subsidiary of Mexican industrial giant Alfa, S.A. de C.V., owns DAK Americas.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - In Jan-May 2013, production of key goods made of polymers increased by 11% year on year.
However, some sectors of finished polymers products slowed down in May compared with April indexes, according to MRC analysts.

Long-term holidays in May led to a decline in the production of polymer films and bottles in comparison with the April figures. The production of other key polymers finished goods in May was not reduced.

In general, in January - May of this year, Russian producers of finished products from polymers showed quite high growth in output, the exception was only a pipe sector. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics, May production of films and sheets, non-porous and not combined with other materials totalled 72,300 tonnes, from 74,500 tonnes in April.

During the five months of this year, the total output of these products in Russia made 330,000 tonnes, up 2.4% year on year. The total volume of pipes, hoses and fittings made of polymers in the past month was 48,100 tonnes, up 3,2% over April figures.

In January - April of this year the total production of pipes, hoses and fittings made of polymer was 222,800 tonnes, down 3,7% year on year.

The production of plastic windows and sills in May of this year was 2.3 million sqm, which is 7.5% more than in April.
In general, over the five months of 2013 the total production of these products in Russia amounted to 8.3 million sqm. The volume of production of doors and boxes of plastic in the last month was 75,600 tonnes, down 2.7% less than in April. In January - May of this year the total production of these products amounted to 306,500 tonnes sqm, an increase of 3.4%.

May production of polymer plates and sheets made 13.7 million tonnes, up 2.3% from April. In the first five months of this year, production of these products in Russia amounted to 77,300 tonnes, which is 14.9% more than in January - May 2012.

The total volume of production of bottles, , flasks and other polymer goods in Russia in May of this year was 1.3 billion items, almost same as in April.

For five months, the total production of these products amounted to 5.73 billion items, down 7% year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - In May, imports of suspension PVC (PVC-S) to Russia fell by almost a third after record import volumes in the first quarter of the year, according to MRC DataScope.

Low demand for PVC-S in the domestic market and excessive imports in March-April forced ussian companies to reduce imports in May. May PVC-S imports was 37,100 tonnes, while in April this index made 54,700 tonnes. Supplies were cut in key areas: the United States and China.

In May 2013, PVC-S imports from the US amounted to 18,300 tonnes, whereas in April this index was 19,100 tonnes.

Imports of acetylene PVC from China fell last month by more than half from April and amounted to 13,100 tonnes.

Supplies of resin from Europe dropped by 27% to around 3,500 tonnes.

Overall, over the first five months of this year, PVC imports to Russia totalled 208,000 tonnes, up 49% year on year.

The current devaluation of the Russian rouble, excessive supply and prices of Russian PVC producers will further reduce import volumes in the near future.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Azerbaijani low density polyethylene (LDPE) producer "Etilen-Polyetilen" (a part of Socar) has shut down its production, according to MRC analysts.

The company was forced to suspend the production of the material due to technical issues. By Wednesday, the LDPE production had been resumed, though with the limited capacity utilization.

The Azerbaijani producer temporarily stopped PE shipments to foreign markets, except for the strategic market - Turkey, because of the limited capacity utilization of the plant.

The Azerbaijani plant "Etilen-Polyetilen" (Sumgait) was put into operation in January, 1988, as a petrochemical complex EP-300 at the Sumgait plant of synthetic rubber. The annual production capacity of ethylene is 300,000 tonnes and of LDPE - 138,000 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow Consumer & Industrial Solutions (DCIS), a business of The Dow Chemical Company, has announced the launch of two key ingredients for the personal care market in Japan, according to the company's press-release.

The launch of EPITEX 66 Polymer and MoistStar HA+ Moisturizing Technology brings advanced skin and sun care ingredients to Japanese formulators.

"Japan is one of the most advanced global markets for the personal care industry and offers Dow a great opportunity to present some innovative R&D solutions for the market," said Sudhir Shenoy, Asia Pacific Business Director of Dow Consumer & Industrial Solutions.

MoistStar HA+ Moisturizing Technology was designed to benefits consumers with longer lasting skin moisturization, and offers formulators ease of processing. In addition to notably improving moisturizing performance, MoistStar HA+ is a liquid and therefore easier to handle and incorporate into skin care formulations than Hyaluronic Acid (HA) powder. Furthermore, an independent lab found its handling to be as easy as conventional HA solutions.

EPITEX 66 Polymer is an emulsion that combines excellent water resistance with more pleasing skin aesthetics, as compared to conventional water resistance technologies. EPITEX 66 Polymer was designed to address low tack to improve the feel on skin when the personal care product is applied. Formulations containing EPITEX 66 Polymer can also incorporate UCON Fluid AP, a chemistry that offers a remarkably soft, smooth emollient feeling, to help further enhance the product’s skin feel.

We remind that, as MRC informed previously, last year Dow Polyurethanes, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, in cooperation with Cannon SpA, announced that PASCAL Polyurethane Insulation Technology for household refrigerators and freezers were developed to retrofit to existing production lines.

Dow Consumer & Industrial Solutions develops innovative, sustainable technologies and distinct chemistries that enhance the science of care. The company's technologies can be used in a variety of applications including household and institutional care, personal care and cosmetics, paints and coatings, metalworking fluids, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial segments.

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. It is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
MRC