DATE : 2014-08-27
Styrindo Mono Indonesia (SMI) is in plans to shut its No.2 styrene monomer (SM) plant ahead of schedule.
A Polymerupdate source in Indonesia informed that the plant is likely to be shut in mid-September 2014. It was initially scheduled for a shutdown in October 2014.
The revised maintenance schedule has been attributed to technical issues at the plant.
Located at Merak in Indonesia, the plant has a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-08-27
Bayer CropScience announced its plans to release a new broadleaf corn herbicide, DiFlexx. DiFlexx will offer growers flexibility for a broad range of application while also fitting a variety of soil and weather conditions. DiFlexx will be available to growers in 2015, pending regulatory approvals.
DiFlexx is a blend of dicamba and Crop Safety Innovation (CSI) Safener technology, which enables corn plants to better withstand herbicidal activity, for excellent crop safety. With a liquid formulation, DiFlexx will have a wide window of application from burndown to V10. More importantly, DiFlexx will effectively target tough weeds like Palmer amaranth, lambsquarters and waterhemp while also targeting more than 100 annual and perennial weeds, including those resistant to glyphosate-, PPO-, and ALS-based herbicides.
“Bayer CropScience is excited to offer growers innovative solutions to help them control their most troublesome weeds,” said Jeff Springsteen, Bayer CropScience US product manager. “Once commercialized, DiFlexx will offer growers the option to use an effective broadleaf herbicide from pre-plant burndown through post-emergence, improve overall plant health and ultimately increase yields.”
DiFlexx with CSI Safener technology will work to improve soil and foliar uptake of plants. DiFlexx will also have the capability of being applied to all soil types making it applicable for silage, white corn, seed corn and popcorn crops. Additionally, DiFlexx can be safely combined with MSO (Methylated Seed Oil) or COC (Crop Oil Concentrate) for improved weed control as compared to non-safened dicamba.
When applied as a pre-emergence herbicide, DiFlexx will safen amide products applied in the same tankmix. When applied postemergence, DiFlexx can be tankmixed with other postemergence herbicides, such as Capreno or Laudis. Such a postemergence tankmix will provide an additional mode of action to further control herbicide-resistant weeds.
Jody Wynia, Bayer CropScience US corn marketing manager, added the benefit of DiFlexx will extend beyond weed control alone.
“Growers are encountering dicamba shortages at an increasing rate,” Wynia explained. “DiFlexx will be a dicamba option, but with more crop safety than they find with other dicamba products.”
*Registration pending. DiFlexx is not currently registered for sale or use in the United States.
SOURCE AG Professionnal
DATE : 2014-08-27
Abel Chemical is in plans to start a new styrene monomer (SM) plant. A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is likely to start-up in October 2014.
Located in Taixing, China, the plant has a production capacity of 500,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-08-27
Sinopec Great Wall Energy and Chemical Co will start trial runs at a new vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant.
A Polymerupdate source in China informed that trial runs at the plant will commence on August 26, 2014.
Located in Yinchuan, China, the plant has a production capacity of 450,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-08-27
American Acryl will begin the restart process of a plant at its Bayport site in Seabrook, Texas, the company told a community hotline on Tuesday.
The process should last a few days, the company said on the CAER line, which is maintained by the East Harris County Manufacturers Association.
The company did not specify what unit it was restarting or how long it was down.
The company owns a 120,000 tonne/year acrylic acid plant at the Bayport site.
American Acryl is a joint venture of Arkema and Nippon Shokubai subsidiary NA Industries.
The company had turned around the acrylic acid plant earlier this year.
Arkema did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-08-26
IRPC Plc, a SET-listed integrated petrochemicals maker, has resumed plans for a joint investment with its sister company to expand capacity of aromatics and styrene monomer to serve rising demand, the Bangkok Post reports.
Kritch Chairuangyoth, vice-president for finance and investor relations, said IRPC last year decided to conduct a feasibility study in mid-2014 but postponed the plan due to sluggish demand and the price of these products in the first half of this year.
The situation began to improve rapidly in the second quarter, so the partners have resumed the plan, he said.
Capacity expansion is needed to improve economies of scale and maintain costs in the face of tough competition.
"The paraxylene price has been rising since late in the second quarter and justifies our idea to resume the expansion plan," said Mr Kritch.
IRPC is set to spend 38.4 billion baht this year on six projects due to operate between now and 2016.
The investment will drive its gross integrated margin to grow by US$2-4 a barrel next year after the expansion. It has projected a margin of $8 a barrel this year and is maintaining the target despite a downturn in oil refining in the second half.
IRPC is also studying the feasibility of producing biodiesel and high-value petrochemical products in the aromatic chain with an investment of 65.2 billion baht. The projects could start in 2017 and 2018.
IRPC voiced concern it may face a stock loss in the second half, as new supply from Middle East refineries was expected to depress product prices to lower levels than the costs of inventories.
But the new refineries are likely to affect only the oil sector with no effect on petrochemical products, which are on the rise in line with a recovery of demand in Asia.
Polyethylene prices are supported by demand from the agriculture sector and a fall in supply due to maintenance shutdowns at many plants in the third quarter.
Mr Kritch said IRPC is in talks with two potential buyers for its vacant land plots in Rayong province.
IRPC shares closed yesterday on the SET at 3.32 baht, down two satang, in trade worth 84 million baht.
SOURCE Thai New Service
DATE : 2014-08-24
Asahi Kasei has shut an acrylonitrile (ACN) plant permanently.
A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant was idled as part of the company’s restructuring exercise.
Weak demand fundamentals and erosion in profit margins also compelled the company to take the closure decision.
Located in Kawasaki, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 150,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PoIymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-08-22
BASF’s new 155,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD) extraction unit in Antwerp, Belgium, is mechanically complete and remains on track to start up within the third quarter, a company source said on Friday.
“The equipment is there, its mechanically complete,” the source said without disclosing more specific timing.
BASF announced the BD capacity project in July 2012.
BASF already operates a 105,000 tonne/year BD unit in Mannheim, Germany, which is due to go into planned maintenance in September, according to market sources.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-08-23
China’s Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical is operating its new 90,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD) unit at 50% capacity, market sources said.
The new BD unit started commercial production on 11 August, market sources said.
Shanghai SECCO has an existing 90,000 tonne/year BD unit at the same site in Shanghai, which is now running at 95-100% capacity.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-08-23
SP Chemical is in plans to restart a styrene monomer (SM) plant. A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is planned to be restarted on August 23, 2014.
It was shut for a brief maintenance turnaround of around 3 days. Located in Jiangsu province, China, the plant has a production capacity of 320,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-08-22
China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced on Thursday final rulings against Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) imports from India, saying that TBHQ from India has been dumped on the Chinese market and such imports have caused substantial damage to the local industry.
The MOC launched an anti-dumping probe into imported Indian TBHQ on August 22 last year.
TBHQ is a kind of antioxidant, which can be used in instant noodles, bacon, dried food cans and fried food.
SOURCE Xinhua News Agency
DATE : 2014-08-21
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) and Celgene (CELG) announced the establishment of a clinical trial collaboration to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of a combination regimen ofBristol-Myers Squibb's investigational PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, OPDIVO and Celgene's nab technology-based chemotherapy ABRAXANE in a Phase I study. Multiple tumor types will be explored in the study including HER-2 negative metastatic breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The proprietary name OPDIVO has been proposed in the U.S. and other countries, but remains subject to health authority approval.
The study, which is expected to begin in 4Q14, will be conducted by Celgene. Patients with HER-2 negative breast cancer will be treated with ABRAXANE and OPDIVO, patients with NSCLC will be treated with the combination of ABRAXANE, carboplatin and OPDIVO, and patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma will be treated with ABRAXANE, gemcitabine and OPDIVO.
Additional details of the collaboration were not disclosed.
SOURCE Theflyonthewall.com
DATE : 2014-08-19
Chiba Butadiene has reduced operating rates at its two butadiene (BD) plants.A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant has reduced run rates at its butadiene plant to 60% of production capacity after the closure of a synthetic rubber plant of Ube Industries following a fire.
Ube Industries procures butadiene feedstock from Chiba Butadiene and it could not be ascertained as to when it would restart its synthetic rubber plant.Chiba Butadiene operates two butadiene plants in Chiba with a combined capacity of 175,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2014-08-19
A new study by Grand View Research Inc reveals that the global market for acrylic acid is projected to reach $22.78 bn by 2020. Over the next six years, it is anticipated that the growing adoption of super absorbent polymers in emerging economies, such as China, Brazil and India, will drive the market. It is also projected that the increasing demand for high strength materials with exceptional thermal resistance from the surface coating market will boost acrylic acid demand over the forecast period. The market participants will need to face several challenges such as volatile raw material prices and strict regulatory scenario in Europe and North America. The development of bio-based acrylic acid is being conducted by companies to overcome the challenges in the market. The largest product segment for the market was acrylate ester, which accounts for 2,864,500 tonnes of demand in 2013. Global demand for acrylic acid in 2013 was 5,584,200 tonnes. The demand is projected to reach 8,031,100 tonnes by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2014 to 2020. The largest regional market for acrylic acid was Asia Pacific with demand of more than 2,500,000 tonnes in 2013. The region is also anticipated to have the fastest growth rate in demand at an estimated CAGR of 6.3% over the forecast period. The demand growth is caused by the presence of large acrylic adhesive industry and the increasing demand for super absorbent polymers in personal care products. The second largest acrylic acid product was glacial acrylic acid, with revenue of more than $6.61 bn in 2013. BASF, Dow Chemicals, Formosa Plastics, Arkema SA and Rohm and Haas accounted for less than 50% of the market in 2013.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2014-08-19
A planned capacity expansion has been cancelled by Nippon Shokubai following the opening ceremony for its new acrylic acid plant located in Himeji, Japan. The planned expansion was worth around $56 M and would have added 30,000 tonnes/y capacity for superabsorbent polymers (SAP) to the current 30,000 tonnes/y at the firm's subsidiary, Nisshoku Chemical Industry, in Zhangjiagang, China. The firm resolved to prioritize expansion in other Chinese regions because of the change in SAP market situation in the country. Separately, Nippon Shokubai had increased the capacity for its Himeji plant by 80,000 tonnes/y to 540,000 tonnes/y. Sites in Indonesia, Singapore and the US have increased capacity to a total of 240,000 tonnes/y capacity, due to growing acrylic acid demand. In addition, Nippon Shokubai had also increased N-phenylmaleimide (PMI) capacity at the Himeji plant by 100,000 tonnes/y, and added an incinerator system for waste liquids.
The firm will also add 3000 tonnes/y capacity for Acryviewa acrylic resin to the current 6000 tonnes/y at the Himeji plant. Completion is scheduled in end-Apr 2016.
SOURCE Specialty Chemicals