DATE : 2015-11-16
Ineos Nitriles, based on advantaged US raw materials and growing global demand, has made a decision to resume production on the fourth reactor at its Green Lake, TX, US, acrylonitrile plant. The action will reinstate 100,000 tonnes/y of capacity and bring the site's nameplate acrylonitrile capacity to 545,000 tonnes/y. A date for the restart was not given.
SOURCE PetroChemical News
WATARU KODAKA, Nikkei staff writer
SHANGHAI -- German chemical producer BASF is reinforcing its development and production setup in China in anticipation of growth in consumer spending.
In early November, the company added a new wing to its research and development site in Shanghai at a cost of 90 million euros ($95.5 million). The addition will be used for development of materials related to automobiles and construction. BASF is positioning the site as its R&D hub for the Asia-Pacific region and intends to develop products suited for Asian markets, especially China.
In Nanjing, the company increased annual production capacity for materials necessary in tire production by 60% to 16,000 tons in September. Although there is currently a serious oversupply of such materials due to the slowing of the Chinese economy, BASF aims to boost cost-competitiveness by ramping up local development and production.
The company will also build a new plant in Shanghai to produce materials used in cosmetics, such as wax and oil-based agents. The new plant is slated to go into operation in the first quarter of 2017. BASF expects cosmetics markets to grow in China and other parts of Asia as the middle class expands.
BASF and its subsidiaries had some 5.5 billion euros in Chinese sales in 2014.
(Nikkei)
DATE : 2015-11-24
Hungarian petrochemical group MOL has started production at its new butadiene plant in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary, and is set to build a synthetic rubber unit nearby in cooperation with Japan’s Synthetic Rubber Corp.
According to a press release on Nov. 10, the 130 kiloton per year butadiene extraction unit has been commissioned and full commercial operations are expected to begin in the current quarter.
The unit was constructed with an investment of $150 million and will produce feedstock for a synthetic rubber production plant to be built adjacent to the facility.
Through a joint venture with Japan’s Synthetic Rubber Corporation (JSR), MOL will also start the construction of a new plant to manufacture 60,000 tons of solution polymerisation styrene-butadiene rubber per year.
According to the press release the groundwork of the new plant will begin in November 2015.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zsolt Hernadi— MOL chairman and CEO—said that the construction of the rubber plant would cost approximately cost twice as much as the butadiene plant.
Once operational, the SSBR plant will use one-thirds of the Tiszaujvaros butadiene as the key off take, an MOL spokesman told ERJ.
“The rest will be sold mostly to European markets,” he added.
The mechanical completion of the rubber plant is expected to take place within 2017. MOL group holds a 49 percent stake in the joint venture whilst the remaining 51 percent is owned by JSR.
SOURCE Rubber & Plastics News
DATE : 2015-11-23
Genomatica and Braskem announced they have been successfully producing butadiene at lab scale since June 2015, using their direct, bio-based process. The companies are jointly developing a commercial process for the on-purpose production of butadiene made from renewable feedstocks, as announced in December 2013.
Butadiene is a raw material used in the production of rubber for tires, as well as for electrical appliances, footwear, plastics, asphalt, building materials, and latex. The demand for butadiene is over 20 billion pounds per year worldwide, and growing. By producing a renewable butadiene, the everyday products made with it, like tires, can become more sustainable, with a smaller environmental footprint.
Program results include:
1) Direct, continuous production: The program team has successfully developed a microorganism that consumes sugar and converts it to butadiene at lab scale, in two-liter fermenters. Butadiene has been produced, collected and measured continuously, over the course of multiple days for each fermentation. 2) Development of multiple direct pathways and novel enzymes: To develop an optimal process, Genomatica used its computational tools to figure out every possible way that a microorganism could theoretically make butadiene, and identified 60 potential biological pathways. The five best were selected for experimental validation, conducted by Genomatica and Braskem teams in San Diego and Campinas, along with full-time visiting scientists from Braskem at Genomatica's Innovation Center. The team explored a large number of enzyme candidates, applying environmental sampling and metagenomics, for each step in the potential pathways. Genomatica then multiplied enzyme activity 60-fold on non-native substrates using its high-throughput screening and enzyme engineering capabilities. 3) More intellectual property: The program team has significantly added to the extensive intellectual property that Braskemand Genomatica have in this field. This work speaks to design of optimal microorganisms and processes; supports subsequent development stages; and represents an important competitive advantage.
"Our joint team has made good use of Genomatica's integrated bioengineering platform, including its computational techniques and high-throughput cloning and screening, to quickly hit a key milestone," saidNelson Barton, Senior Vice President R&D, Genomatica. "Our 'rational' approach to strain design should enable faster, more predictable scale-up and better economics as we advance the program."
"We're delighted to share this strong technical progress," said Patrick Teyssonneyre, Innovation and Technology Director, Braskem. "This sets a foundation for an important new process for the industry. The work we are doing with Genomatica is another example of the success of our open innovation system, which aims to provide our customers with competitive advantages in their businesses. We believe that renewable chemistry is an important part of their future and ours."
From its origin, in 2002, Braskem invests in technological processes that result in greater efficiency and sustainability of its products. In addition to the project with Genomatica, Braskem has been producing polyethylene from ethanol since 2010, labeled as 'I'm green(TM)', and has another cooperative agreement with partners to develop green isoprene.
About Genomatica
Genomatica is a widely-recognized leader in bioengineering. It develops biobased processes that enable its partners to produce chemicals a 'better way,' from alternative feedstocks, with better economics and greater sustainability than using conventional feedstocks and processes.
The GENO BDO(TM) process has produced thousands of tons of BDO; BASF and Novamont have licensed it and then expanded their agreements; and Cargill offers production support services. The BDO produced with our process continues to extend further into the market, with validation from firms includingInvista (Lycra(R) spandex), BASF (PolyTHF(R)), DSM, Lanxess, Toray, and Far Eastern New Century.
Genomatica is using its bioprocess engineering platform and over 600 patents and applications to develop processes for additional chemicals. These include butadiene and polyamide intermediates, together with partners Versalis and Braskem.
Genomatica has earned tremendous recognition for its innovative technology and its commercialization track record, including the Kirkpatrick Award, for 'the most noteworthy chemical engineering technology commercialized in the world,' and the 2015 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer award.
About Braskem
Controlled by the Odebrecht Group, Braskem is the largest thermoplastic resins producer in the Americas, with annual production capacity of over 16 million tons of resins and other basic petrochemicals. With revenue of R$53 billion, it is the world's leading producer of biopolymers -- polyethylene derived from sugarcane ethanol (Green Plastic) - with annual capacity of 200,000 tons.
With the purpose of improving people's lives by creating sustainable solutions in chemicals and plastics,Braskem is present in over 70 countries, operates 36 industrial units located in Brazil, USA and Germany, and employs approximately 8,000 team members. It is also leading the construction of a petrochemical complex in Mexico in partnership with Mexican group Idesa, with investments estimated at US$5.2 billion.
SOURCE GlobeNewswire
DATE : 2015-11-20
Princeton Power Systems, a leading global designer and manufacturer of technology products and embedded software for energy storage, microgrid operations, and electric vehicle charging, provided their latest generation of 100 kW grid-tied inverters to a Lockheed Martin 3 MWh energy storage system launched by Convergent Energy project in Boothbay, Maine.
Prior to the commissioning of the project, the Boothbay regional transmission lines were targeted for a significant and costly upgrade to connect to Maine's broader electricity grid. While the new interconnection would have greatly improved the reliability of the existing electrical infrastructure, the residents of Boothbay would have been required to pay electric rates five times higher than their current bill. Convergent Energy + Power teamed up with Lockheed Martin to step in and provide an innovative solution, leveraging advanced power converters, energy storage, and controls, including Princeton Power Systems' newest generation of 100 kW grid-tied inverters.
Princeton Power Systems' GTIB-100 G1.2 was chosen for its proven high-reliability and energy storage integration features, given the remote location of the Boothbay region. The inverter is the world's first UL-1741 safety standards certified commercial scale microgrid converter. The technology is a 3-phase 100 kW four-quadrant converter with the same advanced microgrid functions as its predecessor, the GTIB-100. It is designed for advanced batteries, solar, on-grid, and off-grid applications. The company has deployed 60 MW worth of GTIB systems to its customers.
"By incorporating the technology and expertise provided by the four companies, Princeton Power's technology is a great component of the energy storagesolution to provide reliable electricity at a lower cost in the Boothbay Area," explained Darren Hammell, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Princeton Power Systems.
"Lockheed Martin offers fully integrated energy storage solutions using components from top quality suppliers, such as Princeton Power," said Frank Armijo, vice president of Lockheed Martin Energy. "The Boothbay project is an excellent example of our total-solution approach."
The 3 MWh system has been commissioned for the purpose of alleviating peak summer power reliability issues in the Boothbay area. Since then, the reliableenergy storage technology has improved the power grid by making it more affordable for businesses and residents in the local area and deferring the need for costly transmission line upgrades.
SOURCE India Energy News
DATE : 2015-11-11
Nippon Shokubai has started construction of its new superabsorbent polymer (SAP) and acrylic acid (AA) plants in Antwerp, Belgium, the Japan-based producer said on Wednesday.
Nippon Shokubai earlier said that the SAP capacity at the site would be raised to 100,000 tonnes/year, from 60,000 tonnes/year, and the new AA plant would have a capacity of 100,000 tonnes/year.
Nippon Shokubai group’s global SAP production capacity will be raised to 710,000 tonnes/year once the new plant in Antwerp goes on stream, the company said in a statement.
The projects are expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2018, it previously said.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2015-11-10
Hungary's MOL officially launched its 130,000 tonne/year butadiene (BD) plant at its subsidiary TVK on Tuesday, the parent company said. At the inauguration, MOL CEO Zsolt Hernadi said company management expected the unit to add forint (Ft) 10bn (€31.86m) to group profits annually. The Ft 35bn installation, built at TVK's production complex in Tiszaujvaros, northeastern Hungary, would start full commercial operation before the end of this year, Hernadi added.
The unofficial startup of the unit took place at the end of September, with the first spot volumes leaving the plant on the 15 october, according to a source.
November will see MOL begin the construction of a synthetic rubber plant in Tiszaujvaros which is eventually expected to process output from the new BD plant, MOL said. The 60,000 tonne/year plant, set to cost Ft70bn, is to be built in partnership with Japan's JSR Corporation.
Central and eastern European BD production is currently hit by the ongoing extensive shutdowns that Unipetrol has implemented at its Litvinov site in the Czech Republic following an explosion and fire in its cracker unit. Polish rubber producer Synthos has suffered BD feedstock difficulties as a result of the Litvinov outage.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2015-11-02
Sumitomo Chemical, during a discussion of its business strategy for the petrochemicals and plastics sector, disclosed it is considering restructuring options for its Ehime Works in Japan, as well as uses for the former site of its Chiba, Japan, ethylene plant. The director and senior managing executive officer of Sumitomo said as business becomes more global, it is important to maintain its domestic operations, and stressed that the "core" businesses of Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Propylene oxide "will remain in Japan." He noted that the company produces a wide variety of products at Ehime. Among them, the performance of the Caprolactam business is "especially weak," and a 95,000 tonnes/y liquid-phase caprolactam plant, influenced by market prices of Ammonium sulfate, was closed in Sep 2015. Unlike the Chiba complex, where restructuring has been completed, restructuring of the Ehime complex is not over yet.
At Chiba, the company closed a 425,000 tonnes/y Styrene plant and 181,000 tonnes/y Propylene oxide unit in conjunction with the mothballing of its 415,000 tonnes/y naphtha cracker in May 2015. The site of the former Chiba cracker is very conveniently located and well equipped with utilities, so it could be used for a plant in the process industry.
SOURCE Petrochemical News
DATE : 2015-11-06
DSM Acrylonitrile is to change its name to AnQore, the acryolnitrile (ACN) producer said on Friday. The name change will take effect from 1 December. The Dutch producer said the name takes the AN of ACN and reflects the fact that ACN is the core of the company’s business, while the use of the letter Q reflects product quality.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2015-11-04
Xinri Chemical to startup its new styrene monomer (SM) plant next year. A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company is in plans to commence operations at the new SM plant early next year. The plant is expected to begin production in March-April 2016. To be located on Changzhou in China, the SM plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
- Nameplate capacity increased to 545kt per annum.
- Decision based on advantaged US raw materials and growing demand globally.
INEOS Nitriles has today announced that it is to re-establish production on its 4th reactor at its Green Lake facility (Texas, USA), re-instating 100kt of capacity.
Despite extremely tough market conditions, INEOS Nitriles is convinced that a combination of long term advantaged US propylene, world leading technology and economies of scale will ensure that Green Lake will be able to compete globally.
Gordon Adams, Commercial Director INEOS Nitriles said at the IHS Conference in Singapore: "The addition of significant production capacity in China has forced worldwide acrylonitrile operating rates down to less than 80%, the lowest level since 2008. However, with its feedstock advantage, scale and leading technology, the INEOS Nitriles, Green Lake facility will be able to compete in the global market and as such we have decided to restart our 4th reactor to support the long term growth of our global customer base.”
INEOS Nitriles operates four plants worldwide, two in North America (Texas & Ohio) and two in Europe (Germany & UK). Green Lake, based in Calhoun County, Texas is one of the largest and most efficient plants in the world. It will once again be capable of producing 545,000 tonnes of Acrylonitrile per year.
As part of this announcement, INEOS Nitriles has also stated that it will invest in the scheduled turnaround on the Seal Sands asset in 2016.
Acrylonitrile is used as a raw material for the production of synthetic fibres, engineering plastics (ABS, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), carbon fibre, synthetic rubber and water soluble polymers. These products are used in a very diverse range of end use markets, such as textiles, automotive components, building and construction materials, household appliances, electronic equipment, sporting goods, water treatment and oil & gas production.
ENDS
DATE : 2015-11-02
Due to increasing global demand for high-performance polymers Evonik's Resource Efficiency Segment is significantly expanding its production capacity for polyetheretherketone (PEEK) at the Changchun (China) site. In addition, the innovation pipeline is being continually expanded with new products.
Business in Evonik's VESTAKEEP brand of PEEK polymers has experienced consistent and strong growth over the last five years across all relevant industry segments for example, oil and gas, aviation and automotive. "We're very pleased to be able to participate in increasing global demand for PEEK products," says Dr. Matthias Kottenhahn, Head of the High Performance Polymers Business Line. "The investment affirms our commitment to support our customers' growth over the long term as well as to continually expand our product portfolio."
New products for specialty applications
Thanks to their high thermal and chemical resistance, VESTAKEEP specialty polymers can replace metal components enabling demanding lightweight structural applications.
VESTAKEEP Easy Slide I is a recently developed PEEK compound which stands out by offering excellent abrasion resistance and low sliding friction, thereby allowing production of ever smaller and more powerful structural elements such as vacuum pumps. The recently introduced VESTAKEEP 5000 HCM (hot compression molding) grade increases the production efficiency of customized PEEK seals delivering superior mechanical properties and performance for the oil and gas industry.
A reliable partner with longstanding expertise
Evonik has more than 40 years' experience in the development and production of high performance polymers. Its comprehensive product portfolio includes solutions for almost any industrial application. The Group is therefore well-positioned as a reliable partner on the global PEEK market for the long term. "Our strategy is to pursue joint project development with our customers to ensure the continuity of the innovation pipeline," says Sanjeev Taneja, Vice President of High Temperature Polymers. "Our aspiration is to offer high-quality products that lead to commercialization of new projects for our customers."
SOURCE Hindu Pharma News