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RELEASED ON 07/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
OMV (Vienna) has earmarked €230 million ($301.6 million) to build a new butadiene plant at its Burghausen, Germany site and upgrade its existing butadiene plant at Schwechat, Austria, the company announced today. "We are investing in these facilities in order to build on the synergies from our sites in Burghausen and Schwechat as regards petrochemicals. By optimizing our production portfolio we gain a significant additional increase in earnings potential and can improve our competitive position long-term," says Manfred Leitner, board member/refining and marketing at OMV. The expanded butadiene plant at Schwechat is expected to start operations in June 2014. OMV's Schwechat site currently has capacity for 50,000 m.t./year of butadiene. Start-up of the new plant at Burghausen is planned for the second quarter of 2015. Planned capacity figures were not disclosed.
SOURCE Chemweek's Business Daily
OMV (Vienna) has earmarked €230 million ($301.6 million) to build a new butadiene plant at its Burghausen, Germany site and upgrade its existing butadiene plant at Schwechat, Austria, the company announced today. "We are investing in these facilities in order to build on the synergies from our sites in Burghausen and Schwechat as regards petrochemicals. By optimizing our production portfolio we gain a significant additional increase in earnings potential and can improve our competitive position long-term," says Manfred Leitner, board member/refining and marketing at OMV. The expanded butadiene plant at Schwechat is expected to start operations in June 2014. OMV's Schwechat site currently has capacity for 50,000 m.t./year of butadiene. Start-up of the new plant at Burghausen is planned for the second quarter of 2015. Planned capacity figures were not disclosed.
SOURCE Chemweek's Business Daily
RELEASED ON 07/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Jilin Petrochemical has restarted its No.4 acrylonitrile (ACN) plant.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant restarted operations on May 5, 2013. It was shut on April 19, 2013 for maintenance turnaround.
Located in Jilin, China, the plant has a production capacity of 120,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Icis News
Jilin Petrochemical has restarted its No.4 acrylonitrile (ACN) plant.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant restarted operations on May 5, 2013. It was shut on April 19, 2013 for maintenance turnaround.
Located in Jilin, China, the plant has a production capacity of 120,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 10/05/13 (DD/MM/YY
)
Yochun Naphta Cracking Centre (YNCC) has shut a butadiene extraction unit (BEU) for maintenance turnaround. A Polymerupdate source in South Korea informed that the unit was shut on May 9, 2013. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month. Located in Yeosu, South Korea, the unit has a production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Icis News
Yochun Naphta Cracking Centre (YNCC) has shut a butadiene extraction unit (BEU) for maintenance turnaround. A Polymerupdate source in South Korea informed that the unit was shut on May 9, 2013. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month. Located in Yeosu, South Korea, the unit has a production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 22/04/13 (DD/MM/YY)
The Californian biofuel and bio-sourced chemicals specialist Cobalt has completed a test production run of over 100,000 litres of N-butanol through a subcontractor. This is a key stage in developing a commercial scale project with a 10-fold increase in production. The firm is currently building a production unit in Brazil in association with Solvay.
Cobalt is also collaborating with 2 unnamed Asian partners for another project. The partners are developing a process to produce butadiene from biomass. The development phase is scheduled for completion in 2014 and will be followed by the construction of a first production unit. The Asian partners will take a stake in Cobalt capital.
SOURCE Chimie Pharma Hebdo
The Californian biofuel and bio-sourced chemicals specialist Cobalt has completed a test production run of over 100,000 litres of N-butanol through a subcontractor. This is a key stage in developing a commercial scale project with a 10-fold increase in production. The firm is currently building a production unit in Brazil in association with Solvay.
Cobalt is also collaborating with 2 unnamed Asian partners for another project. The partners are developing a process to produce butadiene from biomass. The development phase is scheduled for completion in 2014 and will be followed by the construction of a first production unit. The Asian partners will take a stake in Cobalt capital.
SOURCE Chimie Pharma Hebdo
RELEASED ON 16/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
BASF PETRONAS Chemicals plans to beef up production at its propylene-based oxo-alcohol and acrylic acid/acrylate esters plants at Gebang industrial zone in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, next week, a company source said on Thursday. “The company will ramp up production at the respective units during the week starting on 20 May,” the source said.
On 9 May, BASF PETRONAS has yet to lift the FM, the company source said. “Currently, we can fulfil contractual needs to a minimum of 35%,” the source said. New orders from contractual businesses can be accepted accordingly, and on a pro-rated allocation basis, the source added.
The company’s regular propylene supplier will start ‘normalising’ supply in early June, according to the source.
“Right now, BASF PETRONAS has been outsourcing feedstock propylene cargoes to bridge the gap, until regular flow of propylene from our main suppliers are secured,” the source added.
The fulfilment of contractual needs will depend on three main factors; the restart of the facilities restart as scheduled, the arrival of propylene as scheduled, and the company’s regular propylene supplier to provide as planned, he said.
BASF PETRONAS has an oxo-alcohols facility with a nameplate capacity at 240,000 tonne/year, that is able to produce 160,000 tonne/year of n-butanol (NBA) and 80,000 tonne/year of 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH).
BASF-PETRONAS also produces 160,000 tonnes/year of crude acrylic acid; 75,000 tonnes/year glacial acrylic acid; 100,000 tonnes/year of butyl acrylate (butyl-A) unit; and 60,000 tonnes/year of 2-ethyhexyl acrlyate (2EH-A).
SOURCE Icis News
BASF PETRONAS Chemicals plans to beef up production at its propylene-based oxo-alcohol and acrylic acid/acrylate esters plants at Gebang industrial zone in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, next week, a company source said on Thursday. “The company will ramp up production at the respective units during the week starting on 20 May,” the source said.
On 9 May, BASF PETRONAS has yet to lift the FM, the company source said. “Currently, we can fulfil contractual needs to a minimum of 35%,” the source said. New orders from contractual businesses can be accepted accordingly, and on a pro-rated allocation basis, the source added.
The company’s regular propylene supplier will start ‘normalising’ supply in early June, according to the source.
“Right now, BASF PETRONAS has been outsourcing feedstock propylene cargoes to bridge the gap, until regular flow of propylene from our main suppliers are secured,” the source added.
The fulfilment of contractual needs will depend on three main factors; the restart of the facilities restart as scheduled, the arrival of propylene as scheduled, and the company’s regular propylene supplier to provide as planned, he said.
BASF PETRONAS has an oxo-alcohols facility with a nameplate capacity at 240,000 tonne/year, that is able to produce 160,000 tonne/year of n-butanol (NBA) and 80,000 tonne/year of 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH).
BASF-PETRONAS also produces 160,000 tonnes/year of crude acrylic acid; 75,000 tonnes/year glacial acrylic acid; 100,000 tonnes/year of butyl acrylate (butyl-A) unit; and 60,000 tonnes/year of 2-ethyhexyl acrlyate (2EH-A).
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 16/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Acrylic acid (AA) producer Momentive Specialty Chemicals will restart its plant in Sokolov, Czech Republic this weekend, following a planned turnaround, a source from the company said on Wednesday. “Our turnaround is nearly done and we will be starting up this weekend again. We are in good shape,” the source said. The producer shut down one of its two AA lines, at the end of April for planned maintenance.
Momentive has the capacity to produce 55,000 tonnes of AA per year.
AA and its esters readily combine with themselves or other monomers, forming homopolymers or copolymers that are used in the manufacture of various plastics, coatings, adhesives, elastomers, floor polishes and paints.
SOURCE Icis News
Acrylic acid (AA) producer Momentive Specialty Chemicals will restart its plant in Sokolov, Czech Republic this weekend, following a planned turnaround, a source from the company said on Wednesday. “Our turnaround is nearly done and we will be starting up this weekend again. We are in good shape,” the source said. The producer shut down one of its two AA lines, at the end of April for planned maintenance.
Momentive has the capacity to produce 55,000 tonnes of AA per year.
AA and its esters readily combine with themselves or other monomers, forming homopolymers or copolymers that are used in the manufacture of various plastics, coatings, adhesives, elastomers, floor polishes and paints.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 07/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical is planning to shut its glacial acrylic acid (GAA) and acrylic esters plants at Yokkaichi for maintenance in the middle of May this year, a company source said late on Wednesday.
The producer operates an 110,000 tonne/year GAA plant, according to ICIS data. The source declined to disclose the acrylic esters plant capacities.
“The shutdown of our acrylic acid and acrylic esters plants is about one month,” the source said without providing exact dates. The shutdowns might tighten supply in the Japanese market, said a buyer.
SOURCE Icis News
Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical is planning to shut its glacial acrylic acid (GAA) and acrylic esters plants at Yokkaichi for maintenance in the middle of May this year, a company source said late on Wednesday.
The producer operates an 110,000 tonne/year GAA plant, according to ICIS data. The source declined to disclose the acrylic esters plant capacities.
“The shutdown of our acrylic acid and acrylic esters plants is about one month,” the source said without providing exact dates. The shutdowns might tighten supply in the Japanese market, said a buyer.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 15/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
China’s Anqing Petrochemical had to shut down its 130,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in Anqing city of Anhui province on 14 May due to interruption in power supply, a company source said on Wednesday. The power failure in the morning of 14 May also caused the shutdown of upstream refinery, the source added.
The company had begun the restart of the refinery plant but the 130,000 tonne/year ACN plant may restart around 18-19 May, the source said.
The company also had to delay the restart of its other 80,000 tonne/year ACN plant which was taken off line on 25 April for a period of 20 days, the source said. Now the restart date has been pushed back to the successful restart of the 130,000 tonnes/year ACN plant, the source added.
The 130,000 tonne/year ACN plant had been running at 100% after the 80,000 tonne/year ACN plant shut down on 25 April, the source said. A downstream 70,000 tonne/year acrylic fiber (AF) plant was also shut down because of the power failure but it was restarted soon after electricity was restored. The AF plant was running at 85% at its capacity due to the poor downstream demand, the source added.
SOURCE Icis News
China’s Anqing Petrochemical had to shut down its 130,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in Anqing city of Anhui province on 14 May due to interruption in power supply, a company source said on Wednesday. The power failure in the morning of 14 May also caused the shutdown of upstream refinery, the source added.
The company had begun the restart of the refinery plant but the 130,000 tonne/year ACN plant may restart around 18-19 May, the source said.
The company also had to delay the restart of its other 80,000 tonne/year ACN plant which was taken off line on 25 April for a period of 20 days, the source said. Now the restart date has been pushed back to the successful restart of the 130,000 tonnes/year ACN plant, the source added.
The 130,000 tonne/year ACN plant had been running at 100% after the 80,000 tonne/year ACN plant shut down on 25 April, the source said. A downstream 70,000 tonne/year acrylic fiber (AF) plant was also shut down because of the power failure but it was restarted soon after electricity was restored. The AF plant was running at 85% at its capacity due to the poor downstream demand, the source added.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 15/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Taiwan’s Dairen Chemical Corporation plans to achieve on-spec production of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) at its new 350,000 tonne/year plant on Jurong Island, Singapore, at the end of May, according to several sources close to the company on Wednesday.
Sources said that the company started commercial production at the plant between 12 to 14 May.
“They will offer June shipments,” one of them said. However, several other sources added that most of the VAM product will be meant for the company’s internal consumption in Malaysia.
The company operates a subsidiary factory in Tanjung Langsat, Johor, Malaysia, producing vinyl acetate-ethylene emulsion, ethylene-vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride emulsion and ethylene-vinyl chloride emulsion.
Sources added that the VAM plant may take three to six months to stabilise their production process before operating rates could be raised to 80-90%. “Dairen may keep operating rates at 60-70% capacity in order to protect the catalyst and usually it is a three to six month duration to stabilise the production process,” one of the sources added. Dairen company officials declined comment.
Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) is a joint venture between Chang Chun Group (Chang Chun Petrochemical and Chang Chun Plastics) and Nan Pao Resins. The company operates two other VAM plants in Mailiao, Taiwan with a combined production capacity of 650,000 tonnes/year.
SOURCE Icis News
Taiwan’s Dairen Chemical Corporation plans to achieve on-spec production of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) at its new 350,000 tonne/year plant on Jurong Island, Singapore, at the end of May, according to several sources close to the company on Wednesday.
Sources said that the company started commercial production at the plant between 12 to 14 May.
“They will offer June shipments,” one of them said. However, several other sources added that most of the VAM product will be meant for the company’s internal consumption in Malaysia.
The company operates a subsidiary factory in Tanjung Langsat, Johor, Malaysia, producing vinyl acetate-ethylene emulsion, ethylene-vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride emulsion and ethylene-vinyl chloride emulsion.
Sources added that the VAM plant may take three to six months to stabilise their production process before operating rates could be raised to 80-90%. “Dairen may keep operating rates at 60-70% capacity in order to protect the catalyst and usually it is a three to six month duration to stabilise the production process,” one of the sources added. Dairen company officials declined comment.
Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) is a joint venture between Chang Chun Group (Chang Chun Petrochemical and Chang Chun Plastics) and Nan Pao Resins. The company operates two other VAM plants in Mailiao, Taiwan with a combined production capacity of 650,000 tonnes/year.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 13/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Kashima Chemical Company is operating its styrene monomer (SM) plant at lower rates.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is presently operating at 80% of production capacity.
Located at Ibaraki, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 320,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
Kashima Chemical Company is operating its styrene monomer (SM) plant at lower rates.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is presently operating at 80% of production capacity.
Located at Ibaraki, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 320,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
RELEASED ON 16/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Celanese on 15 May shut its 300,000 tonne/year vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant at Nanjing in China for a turnaround, a company official said on Thursday. “The scheduled maintenance [shutdown] will last for about two weeks,” the source added.
Some buyers said the shutdown is expected to tighten supply and that Celanese has raised its spot offers by yuan (CNY) 50-100/tonne ($8-16/tonne).
Traders have also raised their offers, to CNY6,750-6,800/tonne ex-tank from CNY6,700-6,750/tonne, the buyers added.
Celanese is major VAM producer and is located at Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu province. The company operates three other VAM plants in the US, France and Singapore.
SOURCE Icis News
Celanese on 15 May shut its 300,000 tonne/year vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant at Nanjing in China for a turnaround, a company official said on Thursday. “The scheduled maintenance [shutdown] will last for about two weeks,” the source added.
Some buyers said the shutdown is expected to tighten supply and that Celanese has raised its spot offers by yuan (CNY) 50-100/tonne ($8-16/tonne).
Traders have also raised their offers, to CNY6,750-6,800/tonne ex-tank from CNY6,700-6,750/tonne, the buyers added.
Celanese is major VAM producer and is located at Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu province. The company operates three other VAM plants in the US, France and Singapore.
SOURCE Icis News
RELEASED ON 13/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
Styron Europe is in plans to restart a styrene monomer (SM) plant.
A Polymerupdate source in the Netherlands informed that the plant is planned to be restarted this week. It was shut in early May 2013 owing to weak demand fundamentals.
Located at Terneuzen, the Netherlands, the plant has a production capacity of 500,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
Styron Europe is in plans to restart a styrene monomer (SM) plant.
A Polymerupdate source in the Netherlands informed that the plant is planned to be restarted this week. It was shut in early May 2013 owing to weak demand fundamentals.
Located at Terneuzen, the Netherlands, the plant has a production capacity of 500,000 mt/year.
SOURCE Polymer Update
RELEASED ON 13/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
The lithium-air battery could store up to four times as much energy per weight as lithium-ion batteries, but the electrochemistry is poorly understood.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Laboratories have used transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging to observe, at a molecular level, what goes on during a reaction called oxygen evolution as lithium-air batteries charge; this reaction is thought to be a bottleneck limiting further improvements to these batteries. The TEM technique could help in finding ways to make such batteries practical in the near future.
The new observations show, for the first time, the oxidation of lithium peroxide, the material formed during discharge in a lithium-air battery. At high charging rates, this oxidation occurs mostly at the boundary between the lithium peroxide and the carbon substrate on which it grows during discharge — in this case, multi-wall carbon nanotubes used in the battery electrode.
The confinement to this interface shows that it is the resistance of lithium peroxide to a flow of electrons that limits the charging of such batteries under practical charging conditions.
An electrolyte-coated probe tip serves as the opposing electrode for removing lithium ions during charging, as electrons flow through the nanotube framework to the external circuit. During charging, the lithium peroxide particles shrink, beginning at the nanotube-peroxide interface, showing that oxidation occurs where it is easiest to remove electrons.
According to the researchers, the lithium transport can keep up, which indicates that electron transport could be a critical limit on charging of batteries for electric vehicles.
In fact, the rate of lithium peroxide oxidation in these experiments was approximately 100 times faster than the charging time for laboratory-scale lithium-air batteries, and approaches what is needed for applications. This demonstrates that if these batteries’ electron-transfer characteristics can be improved, it could allow for much faster charging while minimising energy losses.
The researchers believe this is the first direct evidence that electron transport is limiting the charging. Lithium-air battery performance would improve if electrodes had a high-surface-area structure to maximise contact between lithium peroxide and the carbon required to transport electrons away during charging.
The critical next step will be to measure actual currents during charging.
SOURCE MIT
The lithium-air battery could store up to four times as much energy per weight as lithium-ion batteries, but the electrochemistry is poorly understood.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Laboratories have used transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging to observe, at a molecular level, what goes on during a reaction called oxygen evolution as lithium-air batteries charge; this reaction is thought to be a bottleneck limiting further improvements to these batteries. The TEM technique could help in finding ways to make such batteries practical in the near future.
The new observations show, for the first time, the oxidation of lithium peroxide, the material formed during discharge in a lithium-air battery. At high charging rates, this oxidation occurs mostly at the boundary between the lithium peroxide and the carbon substrate on which it grows during discharge — in this case, multi-wall carbon nanotubes used in the battery electrode.
The confinement to this interface shows that it is the resistance of lithium peroxide to a flow of electrons that limits the charging of such batteries under practical charging conditions.
An electrolyte-coated probe tip serves as the opposing electrode for removing lithium ions during charging, as electrons flow through the nanotube framework to the external circuit. During charging, the lithium peroxide particles shrink, beginning at the nanotube-peroxide interface, showing that oxidation occurs where it is easiest to remove electrons.
According to the researchers, the lithium transport can keep up, which indicates that electron transport could be a critical limit on charging of batteries for electric vehicles.
In fact, the rate of lithium peroxide oxidation in these experiments was approximately 100 times faster than the charging time for laboratory-scale lithium-air batteries, and approaches what is needed for applications. This demonstrates that if these batteries’ electron-transfer characteristics can be improved, it could allow for much faster charging while minimising energy losses.
The researchers believe this is the first direct evidence that electron transport is limiting the charging. Lithium-air battery performance would improve if electrodes had a high-surface-area structure to maximise contact between lithium peroxide and the carbon required to transport electrons away during charging.
The critical next step will be to measure actual currents during charging.
SOURCE MIT
RELEASED ON 14/05/13 (DD/MM/YY)
A nanotechnology research project to explore new battery chemistries that could lead to high-density energy storage has been awarded funding from Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative.
Led by Professor Linda Nazar of the Faculty of Science and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo, the study will examine completely new approaches to materials and chemical components of batteries that could result in more powerful, and longer-lasting batteries for hybrid electric or electric cars.
“The funding from Natural Resources Canada allows us to expand our electrochemical energy storage laboratory here at Waterloo to explore beyond lithium-ion batteries using nanotechnology and completely different approaches to battery chemistry,” said Professor Nazar, a Canada Research Chair in Solid State Energy Materials. “This research is high-risk, but it has the potential to create batteries with much greater storage capacity and at lower costs.”
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is providing $1.8 million over four years to Professor Nazar for her work titled High Energy Density Storage for Automotive Applications. Partnerships on the project include Hydro-Quebec, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, and BASF (SE).
“One of the greatest challenges to the sustainable energy field is adequate electrochemical energy storage. Although there are improvements that can be made using existing battery chemistry to make an electric car last longer before needing a recharge, we expect that improvements to the amount of storage in current rechargeable batteries will reach their limit within the next five years,” said Professor Nazar. “This research could have a significant effect on the long-term future of electric cars.”
SOURCE Canada Business News Network
A nanotechnology research project to explore new battery chemistries that could lead to high-density energy storage has been awarded funding from Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative.
Led by Professor Linda Nazar of the Faculty of Science and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo, the study will examine completely new approaches to materials and chemical components of batteries that could result in more powerful, and longer-lasting batteries for hybrid electric or electric cars.
“The funding from Natural Resources Canada allows us to expand our electrochemical energy storage laboratory here at Waterloo to explore beyond lithium-ion batteries using nanotechnology and completely different approaches to battery chemistry,” said Professor Nazar, a Canada Research Chair in Solid State Energy Materials. “This research is high-risk, but it has the potential to create batteries with much greater storage capacity and at lower costs.”
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is providing $1.8 million over four years to Professor Nazar for her work titled High Energy Density Storage for Automotive Applications. Partnerships on the project include Hydro-Quebec, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, and BASF (SE).
“One of the greatest challenges to the sustainable energy field is adequate electrochemical energy storage. Although there are improvements that can be made using existing battery chemistry to make an electric car last longer before needing a recharge, we expect that improvements to the amount of storage in current rechargeable batteries will reach their limit within the next five years,” said Professor Nazar. “This research could have a significant effect on the long-term future of electric cars.”
SOURCE Canada Business News Network
RELEASED ON 09/05/13 (DD/YY/MM)
BASF PETRONAS Chemicals has declared a force majeure (FM) on its oxo-alcohol and acrylate acid and esters plants at Gebang industrial zone in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, on Thursday afternoon, citing lack of feedstock propylene supply, a company source said.
The company received a similar force majeure notice from its key propylene supplier, the source said. “We are currently unable to ascertain the length of the FM, but we will update in a week's time,” the source said. The FM applies to 11 propylene-based products that the company produces, the source said.
BASF PETRONAS has an oxo-alcohols facility with a nameplate capacity at 240,000 tonne/year, that is able to produce about 160,000 tonne/year of n-butanol (NBA) and 80,000 tonne/year of 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH).
The company also produces 25,000 tonnes/year of iso-butanol, 100,000 tonnes/year of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and isobutyl aldehyde, according to ICIS data. Side products of the oxoalcohol manufacturing processes such as Oxo oil 800 and Oxo oil 840 are also affected, the source said.
BASF-PETRONAS also produces 160,000 tonnes/year of crude acrylic acid; 75,000 tonnes/year glacial acrylic acid; 100,000 tonnes/year of butyl acrylate (butyl-A) unit; and 60,000 tonnes/year of 2-ethyhexyl acrlyate (2EH-A).
SOURCE Icis News
BASF PETRONAS Chemicals has declared a force majeure (FM) on its oxo-alcohol and acrylate acid and esters plants at Gebang industrial zone in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, on Thursday afternoon, citing lack of feedstock propylene supply, a company source said.
The company received a similar force majeure notice from its key propylene supplier, the source said. “We are currently unable to ascertain the length of the FM, but we will update in a week's time,” the source said. The FM applies to 11 propylene-based products that the company produces, the source said.
BASF PETRONAS has an oxo-alcohols facility with a nameplate capacity at 240,000 tonne/year, that is able to produce about 160,000 tonne/year of n-butanol (NBA) and 80,000 tonne/year of 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH).
The company also produces 25,000 tonnes/year of iso-butanol, 100,000 tonnes/year of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and isobutyl aldehyde, according to ICIS data. Side products of the oxoalcohol manufacturing processes such as Oxo oil 800 and Oxo oil 840 are also affected, the source said.
BASF-PETRONAS also produces 160,000 tonnes/year of crude acrylic acid; 75,000 tonnes/year glacial acrylic acid; 100,000 tonnes/year of butyl acrylate (butyl-A) unit; and 60,000 tonnes/year of 2-ethyhexyl acrlyate (2EH-A).
SOURCE Icis News