BASF optimized thermoplastic polyurethane to be applied extensively and unpainted on the vehicle exterior

MOSCOW (MRC) -- As the first manufacturer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), BASF has successfully optimized the material so that it can be applied extensively and unpainted on the vehicle exterior, reported the company on its site.

The automotive manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen uses the new TPU grade Elastollan AC 55D10 HPM (High Performance Material) for cladding the Citroen C4 Cactus with so-called Airbumps. These are large air-filled cushion bumpers in contrasting colors:tThey are fitted on the sides as well as on the front and rear of the vehicle, protect the car exterior from impact and scratches and give the vehicle its distinctive look.

This world first is the result of many years of development work between the French automotive manufacturer, the supplier Rehau, Switzerland and BASF. Rehau manufactures the side Airbumps, while the company Faurecia, France produces the bumpers at the front and back.

The advantage of Elastollan HPM lies in its freedom of design and long-term durability together with attractive haptics and a high-class appearance. The new material combines the properties of conventional TPU, such as good tensile strength and abrasion resistance, elasticity, excellent impact resistance at low temperatures and high media resistance, with new features: It has outstanding surface properties even at low wall thicknesses, it is scratch-resistant, UV- and weather-resistant, is easy to clean and has a high service temperature of 120 to 150 C.

Good assembly properties: this makes it an ideal surface for the impact-absorbing Airbumps which give the C4 Cactus its characteristic graphic looks. The injection-molded Elastollan component is mounted to a polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) support shell, thus forming flexible cavities that can be dented and bounce back again. The entire structure is fixed to the metal chassis. Because of the good mounting properties of the HPM grade a tight assemblage is possible which conventional trim materials such as polypropylene do not achieve.

Elastollan HPM can be pigmented, so the Airbumps do not have to be painted. Thus, they do not require any special maintenance and in case of an accident help reduce the repair costs for the vehicle.

As MRC informed earlier, in September 2014, once again, PSA Peugeot Citroen presented awards to its best suppliers. BASF’s Coatings division received the award for its CathoGuard 800 cathodic e-coat. This is applied to the vehicle body to protect it from corrosion. The special benefit it offers PSA is its cost savings potential.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. BASF had sales of about EUR74 billion in 2013 and over 112,000 employees as of the end of the year.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The startup of two more propane dehydrogenation plants in China by mid-2015, coming on the heels of the four facilities that have begun operations over the past year, will exacerbate Asia's propylene glut and likely force the newcomers to curb output to defend their margins, reported Apic-online with reference to industry sources.

Some of the new plants may also be forced to continue reselling their contracted propane cargoes, in the hope of capitalizing on steady prices for offloading unwanted the feedstock during the winter (November through February), sources said.

In total, the six new PDH plants will be able to produce 3.51 million mt/year of propylene.

Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes is set to start up China's single-biggest PDH plant, located in Shandong province, next January or February, according to a source familiar with the matter. The new plant will be able to produce up to 750,000 mt/year of propylene and will consume up to 900,000 mt of propane and 600,000 mt of butane annually. The company had scheduled to commission the plant in December, though the source said the early-2015 startup is still in line with its original plan.

Oriental Energy now aims to start its 660,000 mt/year PDH plant in Jiangsu province around end-2014 or early-2015, according to another source familiar with that project, though others said the plant may not start until mid-2015. It had previously planned to launch phase one of the facility in the second half of 2014, a company source said in April.

The most recent startup, the 450,000 mt/year Shaoxing Sanyuan Petrochemical plant owned by China's top propylene importer, has been producing chemical-grade propylene since September 12. It is unclear if the plant is producing polymer-grade propylene yet, although a company source had said it was due to start last week.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Petrochemical Co. plans to invest in a project worth around USD1 billion to produce propylene in South Korea. The PDH project, a joint venture with South Korea’s SK Gas, is due to start up in H1-2016. The project, with annual production capacity of 600,000 tons, will be financed 40% equity and 60% debt. Advanced will hold a 35% stake in the project.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Flexible packaging manufacturer Scientex Bhd, based in Malaysia, is planning investment of 300 million Malaysia ringgits (USD91.4 million) over three years to expand its polyethylene and biaxially oriented polypropylene film production capacity, as well as enter the cast PP film market with new production lines, said Plasticsnews.

Scientex announced Sept. 24 it will construct a BOPP film manufacturing plant in Pulau Indah, Port Klang, Malaysia, in collaboration with Japan’s largest BOPP film producer Futamura Chemical Co. Ltd. In 2013, Scientex bought Malaysian BOPP film producer Seacera Polyfilms, and its new plant will expand group production capacity tenfold from the current 6,000 metric tons per year to 60,000 when it is completed in 2016.

Scientex’s wholly-owned subsidiary Scientex Great Wall will oversee the project and issue 10 million new shares to finance the project. The agreement with Futamura will see Scientex and Futamura inject capital of 40 million ringgits (USD12.1 million) each to acquire five million shares representing 5 percent equity stake in SGW. Futamura is also entitled to purchase up to 20% of the issued shares of SGW over the next five years.

The Japanese market is a key one for the Port Klang plant, and Futamura would be involved to oversee quality management to Japanese BOPP quality standards. Scientex said that Futamura plans to import 18,000 metric tons per year of BOPP films from SGW, which would account for more than 35 percent of Japan’s annual import market of 48,000 metric tons.

The project also involves Scientex starting cast PP film production in 2015 with annual capacity of 12,000 tonnes. Scientex’s also will boost its PE film production in Rawang to 48,000 metric tons per year from the current 24,000 by the end of 2014.

Scientex’s plans are supported by investments in new extrusion lines supplied by Japan Steel Works (JSW), Reifenhauser Group and Windmoeller & Holscher (W&H).

JSW will provide the machinery to SGW for the production of BOPP film, which is expected to achieve higher-performance BOPP film at a wider and higher speed than JSW’s previous model.

Reifenhauser said it is building two 5-layer cast PP film lines from its Midex series for the production of lamination film and metallizable film for SGW. Advanced components such as the Reicofeed 2.1 feedblock will be installed in the lines.

As MRC wrote before, Scientex Bhd reached an agreement to buy GW Plastics Holdings Bhd for 283.2 million Malaysian ringgit (USD92.63 million) in cash and guaranteeing current debts. Scientex subsidiary Scientex Packaging Film Sdn Bhd will take over Great Wall Plastic Industries Bhd and GW Packaging Sdn Bhd, GW Plastics said in a filing.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mexico's state oil company Pemex and Exxon Mobil Corp signed a non-commercial agreement on Thursday to jointly explore potential upstream and downstream business opportunities, said Reuters.

The agreement comes against the backdrop of the landmark constitutional reform, signed into law under Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto last year, that ended Pemex's 75-year-old oil and gas monopoly.

Next year, the company is expected to seek joint venture partners for the development of a range of oil and gas fields, thanks to the legislation.

The memorandum of understanding signed with Exxon Mobil aims to "establish the bases for dialogue and analysis of business opportunities in upstream and downstream areas," the statement said.

Upstream projects include exploration and production of crude oil or natural gas, while downstream ventures could include refining, storage or oil and gas transportation projects.

As MRC wrote before, Pemex signed a noncommercial agreement with Exxon Mobil to share technical and scientific information of mutual interest in April, 2013.

Pemex, Mexican Petroleum, is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. Pemex has a total asset worth of USD415.75 billion, and is the world"s second largest non-publicly listed company by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009. Company produces such polymers, as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS).

Exxon Mobil is the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, and produces in nonconventional areas like the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico on the U.S. side. Pemex is just starting exploration in the deep waters of the Mexican side of the Gulf.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has finalized the acquisition of Flux Schweib- und Lotstoffe GmbH (Flux), complementing its aluminum brazing capabilities and products with fast-growing formulations for automotive heat exchangers and stationary heat, ventilation and air conditioning units, as per companie's press release.

Flux, headquartered in Garbsen and with sales of EUR21 million in 2013, will become part of Solvay’s Global Business Unit (GBU) Special Chemicals whose Nocolok aluminum brazing products are recognized as the industry standard.

Combining Solvay’s fluorinated chemical research and innovative capabilities with Flux’s outstanding know-how in formulations and applications will form a strong global platform for growth, bringing innovative and tailor-made solutions to customers.

As MRC wrote before, Solvay SA and Ineos Group AG have given a name to their chlorovinyls joint venture, Inovyn, as the two firms prepare the launch the company by the end of 2014. The new company will officially open following divestments by both companies required by the European Commission. Until completion, Solvay and Ineos will continue to run their businesses separately.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.

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