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05 Jun 2012
Camlin Fine Chemicals Ltd has informed BSE that the members at the 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on July 29, 2011, inter alia, have unanimously accorded their approval to Change in name of the Company from "Camlin Fine Chemicals Ltd" to "Camlin Fine Sciences Ltd" and as per provisions of the Companies Act, members have also approved through postal ballot amendment to the main object clause by overwhelming majority.
Thereafter Company made an application to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) for its approval and on August 27, 2011 the Company has received approval from the Registrar of Companies Maharashtra Mumbai for the same.
2nd-Sep-2011 18:48Source: BSE
Camlin Fine Chemicals Ltd has informed BSE that the members at the 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company held on July 29, 2011, inter alia, have unanimously accorded their approval to Change in name of the Company from "Camlin Fine Chemicals Ltd" to "Camlin Fine Sciences Ltd" and as per provisions of the Companies Act, members have also approved through postal ballot amendment to the main object clause by overwhelming majority.
Thereafter Company made an application to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) for its approval and on August 27, 2011 the Company has received approval from the Registrar of Companies Maharashtra Mumbai for the same.
2nd-Sep-2011 18:48Source: BSE
18 April 2012
Source: Japan Chemical Web
Worldwide acrylonitrile demand is projected to surpass 5,300,000
tonnes, a record high, in 2012, with downstream demand recovering for
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic after declining in 2011, and is
stable for acrylic fibres in Asia, the primary market. Demand is also seen
to grow for other derivatives such as acrylamide and adiponitrile. Industry
sources predict that global demand will reach 5,370,000 tonnes in 2012,
beating the previous record of 5,230,000 tonnes in 2007. In 2011, global
acrylonitrile demand dropped by 1.3% to 5,089,000 tonnes from 5,157,000
tonnes in 2010.
Released to ICIS 27 Apr 2012
01 June 2012 10:41 [Source: ICIS news]
LONDON (ICIS)--Shell Chemicals has declared force majeure on butadiene (BD) production from its site at Moerdijk in the Netherlands, the company said on Friday.
The producer declared force majeure on 23 May, explaining in its statement that: “Due to unavailability of the butadiene tank at Moerdijk, Shell Chemicals Europe will not be able to meet its supply obligations for butadiene.
“The product is still contained within the tank and there has been no release of product. The manufacturing teams have completed a full HSSE [health and safety]assessment and concluded that at no time has there been or is there a threat to the environment or personal safety.”
The statement said that repairs are ongoing, and no estimate of a restart date was provided.
Shell’s BD plant at Moerdijk has a nameplate production capacity of 115,000 tonnes/year, according to ICIS data.
01 March 2012 21:04 [Source: ICIS news]
HOUSTON (ICIS)--Arkema has begun to convert its Bayport butyl acrylate (butyl-A) unit in Texas to a 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) facility, a company source said on Thursday.
The converted 2-EHA plant will have a production capacity of 40,000 tonnes/year, according to Arkema.
The company would not comment on the rationale behind its decision to switch products made at the plant, but said the unit was built in 2002 to produce only butyl-A.
Consequently, Arkema’s butyl-A production is being consolidated at its Clear Lake plant in Texas.
24 May 2012 17:47 [Source: ICIS news]
SANYA, China (ICIS)--Chinese oil producer Chinese National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) expects to start up its new 200,000 tonne/year crude acrylic acid (CAA) and acrylate esters plant in July, a company official said on Thursday.
The facility, which is located at Daya Bay Industrial Park, is CNOOC’s largest investment program in the area of intensive processing of petrochemicals, with a total cost of around yuan (CNY) 2.8bn ($442m), said Yang Xuejun, general manager at CNOOC.
He was speaking at the 9th China International Acrylate and MMA Forum in Sanya, China.
The plant will be able to produce 40,000 tonnes/year of CAA, 20,000 tonnes/year of methyl acrylate (MA), 20,000 tonnes/year of ethyl acrylate (EA), 100,000 tonnes/year of butyl acrylate (BA) and 20,000 tonnes/year of iso-octyl acrylate.
($1 = CNY6.33)
27 avril 2012
(c) 2012 The Chemical Daily Co., Ltd.
Concerns are mounting over the possibility of hydroquinone supply entering a shortage situation as a result of the occurrence of an explosion and fire at Mitsui Chemicals' Iwakuni-Ohtake works on April 22, which led to the shutdown of virtually all production facilities for over 10 products, including hydroquinone.
The Iwakuni-Ohtake works in Yamaguchi Prefecture houses an 11,500-t/y plant for hydroquinone production, Asia's biggest. In an already tight global market, demand, estimated at 55,800 tons in 2011, is forecast to grow at an annual rate of more than 3%. Hydroquinone's main use, accounting for 40% of total demand, is as a polymerization inhibitor to prevent the polymerization of methyl methacrylate and acrylic acid. Its other user segments include photographic developers and agrochemicals.
Mitsui has enough stock to meet its customers' needs for two months because it had built up inventory ahead of a routine plant shutdown for maintenance scheduled for May to June, but industry sources say that a critical shortage would ensue if production suspension lasts longer than two months.
Other major producers include Ube industries, Rhodia and Eastman Chemical. Ube, whose 2,500 t/y of output capacity is the only other capacity in Japan, is also due to conduct a routine plant shutdown for maintenance in May to June and said that it would not be able to increase its supply volumes.
29 March 2012 10:02
[Source: ICIS news]
By Monica Cai
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s domestic methyl methacrylate (MMA) prices are expected to rise further on healthy downstream demand and tight supply as a result of several facilities scheduled to shut down between March to June, industry sources said on Thursday.
MMA spot prices were assessed at yuan (CNY) 16,000-16,100/tonne ($2,540-2,556/tonne) ex-tank east China on 28 March, up by CNY700-1,100/tonne ex-tank from values as of 1 February, according to Chemease, an ICIS service in China.
Whereas in south China MMA spot prices increased by CNY700/tonne DEL (delivered) south China to CNY16,300-16,500/tonne DEL on 28 March from spot values as of 1 February, the data showed.
Domestic prices are on an upward trend because of limited bulk imports into the country, especially from Japan and Taiwan where some plant turnarounds are taking place, a trader said.
“Selling offers for bulk imports were estimated at $2,200/tonne (€1,650/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) China or higher, almost $100/tonne more compared to last month,” a market player said.
“Regional producers are experiencing low inventories due to the recent turnarounds,” said a trader.
Most buyers said they were likely to purchase according to their need currently because order for goods were modest.
“We are monitoring the market situation this week and are likely to raise offers for next month,” a producer said.
Several MMA producers have taken their plants off line or are planning to for regular maintenance.
China’s biggest MMA producer Jinlin Petrochemical, a subsidiary of PetroChina, is plans to shut its acetone cyanohydrin (ACH)-based 100,000 tonne/year MMA unit for maintenance in late May, a company source said.
Another major MMA producer, Huizhou MMA, is planning to shut its C4-based 90,000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit at Guangdong for two weeks starting in May, a company source said
China’s Huizhou MMA is planning to shut its 90,000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit at Guangdong for two weeks starting in May, a company source said.
MMA is polymerised to make homopolymers and copolymers with the largest application being the casting, moulding or extrusion of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or modified polymers. PMMA goes into making of LED and LCD screens for televisions.
($1 = €0.75 / $1 = CNY6.30)
By Monica Cai
SINGAPORE (ICIS)--China’s domestic methyl methacrylate (MMA) prices are expected to rise further on healthy downstream demand and tight supply as a result of several facilities scheduled to shut down between March to June, industry sources said on Thursday.
MMA spot prices were assessed at yuan (CNY) 16,000-16,100/tonne ($2,540-2,556/tonne) ex-tank east China on 28 March, up by CNY700-1,100/tonne ex-tank from values as of 1 February, according to Chemease, an ICIS service in China.
Whereas in south China MMA spot prices increased by CNY700/tonne DEL (delivered) south China to CNY16,300-16,500/tonne DEL on 28 March from spot values as of 1 February, the data showed.
Domestic prices are on an upward trend because of limited bulk imports into the country, especially from Japan and Taiwan where some plant turnarounds are taking place, a trader said.
“Selling offers for bulk imports were estimated at $2,200/tonne (€1,650/tonne) CFR (cost and freight) China or higher, almost $100/tonne more compared to last month,” a market player said.
“Regional producers are experiencing low inventories due to the recent turnarounds,” said a trader.
Most buyers said they were likely to purchase according to their need currently because order for goods were modest.
“We are monitoring the market situation this week and are likely to raise offers for next month,” a producer said.
Several MMA producers have taken their plants off line or are planning to for regular maintenance.
China’s biggest MMA producer Jinlin Petrochemical, a subsidiary of PetroChina, is plans to shut its acetone cyanohydrin (ACH)-based 100,000 tonne/year MMA unit for maintenance in late May, a company source said.
Another major MMA producer, Huizhou MMA, is planning to shut its C4-based 90,000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit at Guangdong for two weeks starting in May, a company source said
China’s Huizhou MMA is planning to shut its 90,000 tonne/year methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit at Guangdong for two weeks starting in May, a company source said.
MMA is polymerised to make homopolymers and copolymers with the largest application being the casting, moulding or extrusion of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or modified polymers. PMMA goes into making of LED and LCD screens for televisions.
($1 = €0.75 / $1 = CNY6.30)
28 May 2012 00:00 [Source: ICB]
USES
Nearly all methyl methacrylate (MMA) is polymerized to make homopolymers and copolymers. The largest application is in the casting, molding or extrusion of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or modified polymers.
MMA butadiene styrene copolymers are used for clear rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as an impact modifier, and they are also used in food and pharmaceutical packaging.
MMA polymers and copolymers have a major application in surface coatings and impregnation resins, where they give colorfastness and weather resistance to latex paints, lacquer resins and stoving enamels.
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Since most production of MMA in the US market goes into the coatings industry, followed by cast and acrylic sheet uses, demand for MMA is strongly tied to the construction market.
In late March and early April 2012, the US coatings market saw a sharp spike in demand, as weather across the country was warmer than normal.
This led to some hopes that the overall coatings season would be robust through July and August, but demand from this market has slowed. Several market players speculate that the US coatings season started earlier than normal and that it is likely to end earlier than normal.
Others attribute the slowdown to high prices, as buyers built inventories of less expensive material and are relying on those until MMA prices fall.
With the US construction sector still idling, demand for cast and acrylic sheet applications has been steady to slightly higher, but is well below peak pre-2008 years.
An increase in demand for MMA from the growing South American market, mostly for paints and consumer electronics applications, spurred US-based Lucite International to decide to restart its 155,000 tonne/year Beaumont, Texas, facility by the summer. The company had mothballed the facility in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Also, Germany-based Evonik has been working to expand its capacity at its 150,000 tonne/year MMA plant in Fortier, Louisiana. No new capacity estimates have been made available. Supply has been tight because of the work needed for expansion.
PRICES
US May MMA prices recently settled at $1.24-1.30/lb ($2,734-2,866/tonne, €2,160-2,264/tonne) on an FD (free delivered) basis.
This represented a tightening of prices, as the US average price was steady from April's midpoint of $1.27/lb FD. US MMA prices are expected to fall in June and July, tracking an overall weaker commodities market.
Feedstock US barge acetone contract prices for May have not been set, but are expected to drop by 10-15 cents/lb ($220-331/tonne), which could push MMA prices lower by a similar amount.
However, demand for MMA is expected to remain healthy, keeping a floor on how far prices will fall.
Several buyers added that they have started receiving offers on Asia material, which is cheap enough to open an arbitrage window into the US. However, the recent drop in MMA feedstock prices has convinced most buyers to hold off on purchasing Asia material in hopes that US product will bottom out during the summer and fall.
TECHNOLOGY
MMA was first produced in the mid-1930s by an acetone cyanohydrin route still used in many plants today.
Acetone and hydrogen cyanide are first reacted to produce acetone cyanohydrin. Sulfuric acid converts the cyanohydrin to methacrylamide sulfate. This is then treated with a methanol/water mixture and heated to form MMA and ammonium bisulfate.
Problems with disposing the bisulfate waste however have driven efforts by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Evonik, Lucite and Eastman Chemical to solve waste disposal.
OUTLOOK
The US MMA market is expected to continue to see growth at 3-5 percentage points above GDP, based on a steadily improving coatings market in the country and the opportunity for strong exports into South America.
Producers and some buyers say demand from the coatings market remains robust, tracking an increase in painting and an improving US construction market. However, several other buyers say painting demand has slipped, but is still higher year on year.
The difference in opinion is expected to keep market players somewhat cautious about where overall sales levels will finish for the US coatings season.
MMA and PMMA remain the preferred material for LED light, flat-screen TV and liquid crystal displays, keeping investment levels in the market healthy.
However, with the US construction market failing to return to pre-recession levels, as well as struggling to post consistent growth, the upside for the coatings market remains slightly limited.
MMA supply is likely to be balanced at best because buyers won't suffer from tightness of feedstock acetone. They will be able to get imported acetone, even as operating rates at domestic phenol-acetone plants are low.