Kraiburg TPE portfolio for automotive and consumer applications expanded

MOSCOW (MRC) -- KRAIBURG TPE is highlighting its market-driven and customer-oriented development expertise at the 26th International Trade Fair Fakuma held from October 16 to 20, 2018 at Friedrichshafen Exhibition Center. In addition to current applications for its thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), the company will also be showcasing two advanced new material series that provide excellent properties for automotive interior and consumer applications, as per the company's press release.

"Fakuma is the largest trade fair specializing in plastics processing in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)," emphasizes Franz Hinterecker, CEO of KRAIBURG TPE. "With our comprehensive materials expertise, sound knowledge of the market and consistently close customer relations, we'll be offering visitors to the fair a comprehensive demonstration of competence covering every aspect of thermoplastic elastomers."

With FG/SF, the new THERMOLAST K series and latest innovation for the automotive industry, KRAIBURG TPE is expanding its portfolio in this growing market segment. The series comprises several compounds in the Shore A hardness range between 50 and 80 with excellent surface properties for automotive interior parts - properties that include reliable adhesion to polypropylene (PP) and good abrasion resistance. The materials can be processed at relatively low pressures. Along with the standard black and natural colors, customer-specific colors are also available.

The new FG/SF compounds also comply with all common OEM standards for components used in automotive passenger compartments in relation to emission and smell as well as UV-resistance. The target applications range from floor mats and anti-slip mats with complex geometry that require enhanced surface quality to decorated surfaces and functional parts with a pleasantly soft touch, such as thumb wheels and switches.

The new compounds in the FC/AD/PA THERMOLAST K series are aimed at manufacturers in the consumer and food industries. These materials have been developed specifically for food contact and feature excellent adhesion to polyamides. The natural-colored compounds are available in hardness degrees ranging from 40 to 80 Shore A. They are not only characterized by easy processing and colorability, but also by high tensile strength and elongation at break.

This makes the TPE family particularly suitable for a wide range of applications with direct food and mouth contact such as container and packaging seals, and parts of kitchen utensils and tableware. Other applications include sports items and cosmetics, as well as seals for hearing aids.

As MRC reported earlier, in December 2017, Kraiburg TPE presented a new series of thermoplastic elastomers from its Thermolast K family that was specially developed for excellent adhesion and UV resistance in two-component applications with ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM). The new compounds are intended for automotive applications such as EPDM window trim and sealing profiles with moulded TPE corner joints and end elements.

Kraiburg Rubber (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. was established in 2005 and is part of the Waldkraiburg-based German company Kraiburg Holding GmbH & Co. KG. The company produces a wide range of standard rubber compounds (based on NR, EPDM, CR, AEM, SBR, FKM, etc.) for automotive, building and construction applications, and other industrial markets as well as highly customised products for all kinds of industries at its Suzhou site. The compounds are produced on highly automated and fully process-controlled mixing lines, based on state-of-the-art technology. The company has 130 employees.
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MOSCOW (MRC) - Venezuela’s September crude sales to the United States rose to their highest in over a year, boosted by purchases by Citgo Petroleum, the U.S. refining arm of Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA, and Valero Energy, according to Refinitiv Eikon trade flows data, said Reuters.

A collision in August at a dock of Venezuela’s main oil port of Jose has limited exports in large vessels to Asia, spurring loading of more medium-size tankers including those typically covering routes to the United States.

Venezuela’s overall crude exports fell 14 percent in September to 1.105 million bpd due to declining oil output and dock woes at Jose terminal. The OPEC-member country’s crude production fell for third time in a row to 1.448 million bpd in August, according to official figures.

The United States imported 601,505 barrels per day (bpd) of Venezuelan crude last month, a 28-percent increase versus August and the highest monthly average since August 2017, according to the Refinitiv Eikon data.

Valero and Citgo bought over 250,000 bpd each of Venezuelan crude last month compared with an average of 170,000 bpd earlier this year, according to the data.

A total of 38 cargoes were purchased by U.S. customers from PDVSA and its joint ventures in September. At least three of those shipments were co-loaded in different Venezuelan ports to avoid problems at Jose, where repairs are expected to take at least one more month to be completed.

PDVSA’s exports last month included more light and medium crudes, generally produced at very low levels in Venezuela and leaving less of these grades for PDVSA’s domestic refineries to produce fuels.

In September, PDVSA sold Citgo and Valero some 84,000 bpd of Santa Barbara, Mesa and Leona crudes, which are typically processed at Venezuelan refineries.

PDVSA regularly imports gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and refining feedstock to offset low production at its refineries.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Negotiations over October shipments of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) began in the Russian market in the first week of the month. Some producers managed to achieve a further price increase, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Contrary to many converters' expectations, October did not become a month of price reduction. Some Russian producers still managed to achieve a price increase of Rb1,000/tonne from September. Some converters still agreed prices at the lat month's level.

Demand for PVC began to subside in the Russian market in September under the pressure of seasonal factors, and some producers started to increase their exports, especially since the rouble devaluation against the dollar virtually equalized prices of export material, to be shipped to certain countries, with domestic prices.

Some converters maintained September volume of PVC purchasing in October, but overall demand for resin continued to decline gradually. Producers are going to sell for export the freed from the domestic market quantities of polymer.

PVC imports were insignificant in the past few months. Export prices for acetylene resin went down significantly in China in October, and some companies have already expressed their willingness to purchase resin. But due to the delivery complexity, the current external purchases do not put pressure on the Russian market.

Traditionally, many converters were in no hurry to agree on deals for October shipments, and PVC purchases before the start of the winter season corresponded only to the current needs.

Overall, October deals for resin with K=64/67 were negotiated in the range of Rb78,000-79,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT, for lots of less than 500 tonnes. Resin with K=58/70 was contracted at the prices, which were by an average of Rb1,000/tonnes higher.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Elliott Group announced that it is moving forward with plans to relocate manufacturing and testing of cryogenic pumps and expanders to Jeannette, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The pumps and expanders, which are used in gas liquefaction applications, are a new addition to Elliott’s product lines following the acquisition last October of Ebara International Corporation’s Cryodynamics Division located in Sparks, Nevada.

The cryogenic pumps and expanders will be manufactured at Elliott’s global headquarters at 901 North Fourth Street, Jeannette. The ability to test these products prior to shipping is a key element of the manufacturing process and is essential to Elliott’s expansion plans. A new, separate test facility is required for this purpose. The site under purchase agreement for the new test facility is the former Jeannette Glass property currently owned by the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation (WCIDC). The sale is contingent upon meeting all environmental, air quality, and zoning requirements.

"Elliott’s decision to expand our business in Jeannette is based upon our long history in the community and the synergies between our existing manufacturing capabilities and the new test facility that we intend to build,” said Carol Gatewood, Vice President, Legal Affairs and General Counsel for Elliott Group. “Throughout this project development process, we have worked closely with WCIDC, the Jeannette City Council, the Jeannette Zoning Commission, the Westmoreland Conservation District, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) to ensure that the new facility will meet or exceed all state and local regulatory requirements."

To date, environmental remediation of the site is complete, and WCIDC has received Act 2 clearance from PA DEP. Elliott is awaiting approval from PA DEP of the company’s air quality plan which was submitted in August. The next step in the process is to seek approval for conditional use as a heavy manufacturing site. This must be approved by the Jeannette Planning Commission and the Jeannette City Council. Elliott will present site plans and request approval of conditional use at a public meeting of the Planning Commission scheduled for October 3, 2018.

The company anticipates an increase to its workforce of approximately 110 to 140 as a result of this expansion. “If all goes as planned, we expect to begin construction in 2019, with operations to begin in 2020,” said Gatewood.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS Phenol announced that it is planning to expand the capacity of its plant in Mobile, Alabama (US) up to 850,000 tonnes a year, making it the largest phenol production unit in the world, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Hans Casier, CEO INEOS Phenol said "An investment to increase the capacity of our Mobile production facilities up to 850 kt will make our plant the largest unit in the world. This expansion will meet anticipated growth in demand and shows a clear commitment to our customers to meet their long-term needs in North America."

"The Mobile asset is already the largest and most efficient single train plant in the USA and the expansion will build on this key strength. It also takes full advantage of our Gulf Coast location and our propriety best in class operating technology."

The INEOS Phenol business is the largest producer of Phenol and Acetone in the world, and the only Phenol and Acetone manufacturer with production facilities spanning Europe and America. Its products are used in a diverse range of end-markets including the automotive, construction, electronics and fibre industries.

As MRC wrote before, in August 2017, INEOS Phenol unveiled plants to invest in world-scale cumene unit in Germany. The construction of a new cumene plant will support customer demand improve the security of raw material supply to INEOS phenol and acetone plants located in Gladbeck and Antwerp. INEOS Phenol is a producer of phenol and acetone and the largest consumer of cumene, which is an essential raw material. This investment reinforces its commitment to its customers across its world markets.

INEOS Group Limited is a privately owned multinational chemicals company consisting of 15 standalone business units, headquartered in Rolle, Switzerland and with its registered office in Lyndhurst, United Kingdom. It is the fourth largest chemicals company in the world measured by revenues (after BASF, Dow Chemical and LyondellBasell) and the largest privately owned company in the United Kingdom.
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