LyondellBasell receives European Innovation Award for a smart polymer with "self-healing" properties

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has received a European Innovation Award from Plastics Europe and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in the category "Material Innovation", as per the company's press release.

LyondellBasell was honored with a "Material Innovation" award from Plastics Europe and the Society of Plastics Engineers for the development of Koattro KT MR05, a new plastomer with “self-healing” properties. The energy injected by the cutting instrument melts the amorph-soft surface and the two components can be joined together before the surface recrystallizes.

This material could be used to advance the production of seals for aluminum, plastic and wooden windows and doors. The components are cut and pressed onto the carrier surface without the use of glues, adhesives, special tooling or the need for extensive preparation work.

"We are honored to receive this Innovation Award from Plastics Europe," said Richard Roudeix, LyondellBasell's senior vice president olefins and polyolefins for Europe, Asia and international. "Innovation is a part of our DNA and our extensive R&D and Technical Service teams around the world are helping our customers advance their product portfolio, making more sustainable production processes a reality."

The European Innovation Award was launched by The Society of Plastics Engineers and Plastics Europe to raise awareness about the potential of plastic materials. With this award, Plastics Europe and SPE honor companies that have excelled with regard to innovation in the plastics industry. All companies that play a role in the value chain of plastics products, from the larger chemical companies to the plastic converting SMEs, are eligible for the award.

The Koattro family of high performance plastomers based on Butene-1 is characterized by several unique properties such as transparency, softness, flexibility without the use of plasticizers and products that are elastic without any cross-linking. This new family of products is the latest example of LyondellBasell's ability to translate material science into applications that advance traditional polymers into next generation materials.

As MRC wrote earlier, in late August 2017, LyondellBasell's Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (ACP) polyethylene technology was selected by Shandong Shougang Luqing for a planned 350kta high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit in China. The unit will be built in Shandong’s petrochemical complex at Bohai Industry Park in the Shandong Province. The Hostalen ACP technology is claimed to increase flexibility and versatility to manufacturers in the production of multimodal HDPE resins, which have a strong impact and stress cracking resistance.

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies. The company manufactures products at 57 sites in 18 countries. LyondellBasell products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive parts, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global chemical producer, and Toyobo, announced a license agreement that provides IVL with rights to Toyobo’s aluminum catalyst technology for the production of PET resin, said the company on its website.

Under the terms of the license and agreement, IVL may use this polymerization technology in its manufacture of PET resin globally through a Tokyo-based sales agent, Iwatani Corporation.

PET resin production requires raw materials and a catalyst to facilitate a polymerization reaction. Conventionally, a heavy metal or rare metal compound has been used as a catalyst. TOYOBO GS Catalyst® was developed in 2002 as sustainable way forward. Furthermore, the aluminum catalyzed PET resin is easy to recycle, contributing to a reduction of the environmental impact. Indorama Ventures has started manufacturing PET resin with TOYOBO GS Catalyst® for beverage bottles for Suntory Holdings Limited.

Mr. Dilip Kumar Agarwal, CEO of Feedstock and PET Business of Indorama Ventures, commented "We have been very pleased with the success to-date of our strong partnership with Toyobo, and are excited to extend the collaboration to this specific polymerization technology. We believe this agreement will enable IVL to offer our customers what we believe to be an industry-leading solution, and respond to growing interest in sustainable products. The technology delivers many expected benefits, including excellent transparency, thermal stability and recyclability, thus making our products more competitive in the market."

"Toyobo is one of our closest partners. This collaboration shows the commitment from both parties to creating great products that will contribute to a better future for society, and will strengthen IVL’s position as a preferred, sustainable supplier of PET. We look forward to continuing this successful and trusted partnership", Mr. Agarwal concluded.

Indorama Ventures has a long-established relationship with Toyobo since its first joint acquisition of PHP Fibers GmbH, a Germany-based manufacturer of filament yarns for airbags in 2014, and extending to the joint venture Bicomponent Fiber plant at Indorama Polyester Industries in Rayong, Thailand in 2015.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Ufaorgsintez "(UOS, a petrochemical asset of Bashneft, controlled by Rosneft) resumed the production of polypropylene (PP) following scheduled maintenance works, according to the ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Ufaorgsintez resumed PP production last weekend after scheduled maintenance works. The outage was short and lasted 12 days. The plant's annual production capacity is 120,000 tonnes.

As it was written earlier, Stavrolen shut its PP capacities for long preventive maintenance on 6 September. SIBUR Tobolsk resumed production of PP on 18 September after a forced turnaround on 2 September due to technical problems.

PJSC Ufaorgsintez produces phenol, acetone, synthetic ethylene-propylene rubber, high and low pressure polyethylene, polypropylene, more than 30 types of petrochemical products and over 25 consumer products.

The authorized capital of the enterprise is 112 million 933,431 thousand roubles, it is divided into 97 million 768,681 thousand ordinary and 15 million 164.75 thousand preferred shares with a par value of 1 rouble.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) — Sri Lanka is in talks with two Chinese companies about investing up to USD3 B to build in a new refinery at its Chinese-controlled port, a top government official said on Friday, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Sri Lanka wants to build a new refinery in its southern Hambantota port, where China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPH) has a 99-yr lease to handle commercial operations. Located near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe, Hambantota port is likely to play a key role in China's "Belt and Road" trade route initiative.

Mangala Yapa, a director at the state-run Board of Investment, said two Chinese companies had put forward a joint venture proposal for the refinery, which is expected to produce 5 MMtpy with an investment between USD2.5 B and USD3 B. He did not name the Chinese firms.

"The investment is large and we are discussing with the two companies on that basis," he told Reuters, adding the joint venture plan was chosen from three bids including one from a US company through a local partner. "The refinery needs around 500 acres of land and we can't reserve the land. Many people try to get the land first and then look for investors."

Yapa did not elaborate on the plans of the proposed refinery. China's influence over Hambantota port has sparked widespread anger in Sri Lanka.

The deal with CMPH, which has a majority stake in the lease, fueled speculation the port could be used for Chinese naval vessels. CMPH is also in talks with the government to develop an industrial zone next door.

This year, the government revised its original deal with CMPH to give greater influence to the Sri Lankan Ports Authority to try to allay concerns—including from Japan, the United States and India—that the port might be used for military purposes.

The investment zone deal is yet to be signed. The Hambantota refinery will be the second new refinery the island nation has planned in the country.

Sri Lanka already has a deal for a 100,000-bpd-plus refinery with Indian Oil Corp at the country's eastern port city of Trincomalee with the aim of exporting fuel.

Sri Lanka's sole oil refinery, state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation's decades-old 50,000 bpd plant, was originally configured to run on Iranian crude and Sri Lanka had to import more refined oil products after US sanctions led it to stop imports from Iran.
mrcplast.rcom

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of polyethylene (PE) into the Ukrainian market dropped in the first eight months of 2017 by 4% year on year to 166,000 tonnes. Demand for low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) subsided, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Last month, external deliveries of polyethylene to Ukraine actually remained at the level of July and amounted to about 21,700 tonnes, there was a strong demand for HDPE and linear polyethylene (LLDPE) from local companies. Overall PE imports decreased 166,000 tonnes in January-August 2017, compared to 173,500 tonnes a year earlier, on lower demand for LDPE and HDPE, while demand for other ethylene polymers increased.

Structure of PE imports over the reported period was as follows.

Last month, imports of HDPE into the Ukrainian market increased, and some local companies actively built up additional stocks of pipe and injection HDPE. August HDPE imports into the country were about 8,100 tonnes, compared with 7,900 tonnes in July. Overall HDPE imports reached 68,700 tonnes in the first eight months of 2017 versus 81,400 tonnes a year earlier, shipments of film grade HDPE fell by almost a quarter, demand for pipe PE subsided by 11%.

August LDPE imports decreased to 6,100 tonnes from 6,800 tonnes a month earlier, with Russian producers accounting for the main decrease in shipments. Overall LDPE imports exceeded 43,900 tonnes over the stated period, down by 2% year on year.

August imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) into the country were about 5,800 tonnes, which was close to the previous month level. Overall LLDPE imports grew to 42,800 tonnes in January-August 2017 from 38,500 tonnes a year earlier. Producers of film products, particularly, of stretch films, accounted for the main increase in demand.

Imports of other PE grades, including ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), totalled about 10,500 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 8,800 tonnes a year earlier.


MRC