Wacker and inpro developed new silicone adhesive for plastic oil pans

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Munich-based chemical Group Wacker, and inpro Innovationsgesellschaft fur fortgeschrittene Produktionssysteme in der Fahrzeugindustrie mbH have developed a silicone adhesive-sealant for mounting vehicle oil pans, reported Wacker on its site.

Sold under the name ELASTOSIL RT 779, the new product adheres to both aluminum and polyamide. Plastic oil pans can now be mounted without mechanical fasteners. ELASTOSIL RT 779 possesses good sealing properties and is highly resistant to oil, heat and dynamic loads. The adhesive can be applied by machine and rapidly cures at room temperature. Inpro is based in Berlin, Germany, and develops advanced production systems in the automotive industry.

Plastic oil pans for vehicles weigh much less than their steel counterparts. Thanks to ELASTOSIL RT 779 silicone adhesive-sealant from Wacker, components like these can be mounted and bonded permanently. The adhesive withstands all the various loads generated during vehicle operation and can be applied fully automatically with a two-component mixing and metering unit.

ELASTOSIL RT 779 is an advance on ELASTOSIL 76540, a silicone adhesive which was previously used for bonding both polyamide and aluminum oil pans. ELASTOSIL RT 779 outscores its predecessor in terms of processing properties, storage stability and resistance to hot engine oil under dynamic loads.

Thanks to the new Wacker product, the oil pan can now be mounted and sealed in one operation. This slashes the time needed for mounting. Compared with conventional mounting methods, far fewer bolted joints and drilled holes are needed for the crankcase.

As MRC wrote before, in 2013, Wacker Chemie AG officially launched its new production plant for ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site had, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.

inpro Innovationsgesellschaft fur fortgeschrittene Produktionssysteme in der Fahrzeugindustrie mbH, headquartered in Berlin, is a joint venture by the companies Daimler, Volkswagen, SABIC, Siemens and Thyssen-Krupp. Its objective is to drive forward innovations in automotive production and to transfer research results to industrial applications.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bologna, Italy-based thermoforming plastic packaging company ILIP srl has announced that it is ready to start producing food packaging products made from 100% recycled PET, said Plasticsnews.

ILIP is the main division of the ILPA Group, which recently completed the installation of a recycled PET decontamination process. The company states that this system gained the approval from the EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) in 2014, as a necessary prerequisite for producing packaging products designed for direct food contact compliant with regulations.

The company states that it is one of the first in Europe to have implemented a closed-loop recycled PET process, which means the recovery of the plastic is managed internally: from the washing and grinding of the post-consumer products, to the extrusion of the recycled PET material and the production of the finished products.

As MRC wrote before, PET is the largest plastic material recycled in Europe. Demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and recycled PET (RPET) continues to outpace supply. With additional RPET production capacity coming online recently and announcements of future expansions on the part of companies such as US Fibers and Perpetual Recycling Solutions, demand is likely to continue exceeding supply, which will affect pricing for RPET and PET bales.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay Silica is unveiling Efficium a breakthrough Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) , an innovative reinforcing filler which allows for higher productivity and greater flexibility in producing green passenger car and truck tire compounds, said the producer in its press realese.

The unveiling is taking place this week at the Tire Technology Expo in Cologne, Germany. Highly Dispersible Silica is a benchmark for energy-saving and high-performance tires for passenger cars. Efficium offers breakthrough benefits for the automotive industry, allowing for increased productivity due to its impact on mixing and extrusion throughput and adding flexibility thanks to its silanization control and reformulation opportunities without compromising on rolling resistance, wear and grip. Efficium strongly facilitates the conversion from carbon black to HDS compounds.

Efficium‘s wider operating window is characterized by lower Mooney viscosity, lower temperature sensitivity, better dimensional stability during extrusion and extended storage life of uncured rubber. All of these advantages result in a more versatile product for a broader range of passenger car, commercial vehicles and heavy-duty truck applications.

"The benefits of Efficium have been analyzed and confirmed at industrial scale under realistic conditions. Both passenger car and heavy-truck were manufactured tires then road tested with substantial results," said Jean-Francis Spindler, Research & Innovation Director of Solvay Silica. "For truck tire tread compounds, Efficium® HDS delivers significant productivity benefits of up to 30 percent in mixing and extrusion, while rolling resistance and wear meet and even exceed reference levels."

Tire makers are experts when it comes to balancing conflicting criteria, seeking to combine minimum rolling resistance, optimum wet grip and cost-effective production. Efficium offers all these characteristics in one package that addresses productivity and performance without compromise and answering the needs of all stakeholders.
To meet expected demand beyond current trial and testing by major tire manufacturers, Solvay is making Efficium® HDS globally available from three different production sites consistently with its business continuity management policy.

mrcplasr.com

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The overall polyethylene (PE) imports into the Republic of Belarus increased by 5.3% in 2014. Demand for linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) from the local market grew significantly, whereas imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) dropped, reported MRC analysts.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of Belarus, December PE imports to Belarus totalled 10,400 tonnes versus 10,900 tonnes a month earlier. Overall, the last year's PE imports rose to 111,700 tonnes from 106,100 tonnes over the same period a year earlier.

The structure of PE imports to Belarus by grades looks the following way over the stated period.

Last year's LDPE imports to the local market dropped to 14,900 tonnes from 15,700 tonnes a year earlier. Russian LDPE accounted for about 48% of the total imports. Producers from Germany and Austria also had a significant share in imports of this PE grade to the local market.

The overall LLDPE imports to Belarus exceeded 40,100 tonnes in 2014, up by 31% year on year. Film grade LLDPE accounted for the main increase in demand. Saudi Arabian producers with a share of about 85% were they key suppliers of this PE grade to the local market.

Last year's HDPE imports fell to 56,600 tonnes versus 59,700 tonnes a year earlier. Russian producers with a share of about 37% and German producers with a share of about 19% were the key HDPE suppliers to the local market.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indian Oil, India's largest refiner and oil marketing company, has launched a high productivity HDPE grade, Propel HDPE 080M60, for injection moulding applications, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The new high productivity polyethylene grade in injection moulding sector is being introduced for the first time by a polymer resin manufacturer in the world, thereby bringing cutting edge competitive advantage to end customers.

It offers significant improvement in product performance in injection moulding applications such as material handling crates, caps and closures, household articles and thin walled products, resulting in increased productivity, energy saving, enhanced product aesthetics and excellent dimensional stability.

As MRC wrote before, Indian Oil Corporation's Rs 34,555-crore 15 million tonnes per annum Paradip Refinery will be commissioned in phases from March 2015 onwards. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), is conducting feasibility studies to set up a petrochemical complex at Paradip in Odisha for Rs 20,000 crore. The petrochemical complex would be built in the vicinity of the company’s to-be-commissioned 15-mln tpa greenfield refinery at Paradip. The petrochemical complex would be in addition to the already announced Rs 3,150-crore polypropylene project at the same location, the foundation stone for which was laid by MOS for petroleum and natural gas.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters in New Delhi, India.
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