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The innovative low melt viscosity thermoplastic polyester cyclic butadiene - CBT - has found another role, as a viscosity modifier for polycarbonate. Its developer and manufacturer Cyclics Corporation of the USA has teamed up with PolymersNet of South Korea to produce a PC modified with CBT which has replaced high heat ABS to improve production of a portable digital memory card.
Polycarbonate delivers a high level of toughness but at the expense of processability due to its high melt viscosity and limited melt flow. Cyclics says that under most conditions, adding small amounts of CBT increases the melt flow of PC by 30 - 50 per cent or more, while maintaining good mechanical properties. Adding CBT also brings advantages in better dispersion of pigments, additives and reinforcements, says Cyclics. The memory card application needed the impact and heat resistance and ease in accepting pigments achievable with PC, but needed the superior melt flow of the CBT-modified product to mould sections only 0·2 mm thick.
This is the first commercial application of the new compound, but other compounders and moulders are investigating its potential for mobile phone interior and exterior components.
BSI sets standards for toy materials January 29, 2006
With continuing argument over phthalate plasticisers as a background, British Standards Institution has added a series of standards covering the constitution of plastics used to make toys to its BS EN71 series. They are:
BS EN 71-9:2005 Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Requirement.
BS EN 71-10:2005 Safety of toys. Organic chemical compounds. Sample preparation and extraction.
BS EN 71-1:2005 Safety of toys. Mechanical and physical properties.
BS EN 71-2:2006 Safety of toys. Flammability.
BS EN 71-9:2005 states the requirements for organic chemicals in toys by prohibiting or restricting either the presence or the release of certain substances based on risk assessment and risk management considerations. It specifies requirements for the migration or content of certain hazardous organic chemical compounds from/in toys and toy materials by mouthing, ingestion, skin contact, eye contact, and inhalation. The standard is augmented by BS EN 71-10:2005 which outlines the procedures to be followed when sampling and extracting toys and toy materials prior to chemical analysis, and BS EN 71-11:2005 which specifies the methods of analysis to be used for the identification and determination of organic chemicals in toys and toy material extracts. BS EN 71-11:2005 describes methods for various types of chemicals such as flame retardants, colorants and preservatives.
LSFOH compound increases data cable line speeds January 29, 2006
A low smoke, halogen-free cable jacketing compound said to give substantial increases in line speed with reduced energy consumption has been developed by Scapa Polymerics. Megolon+ S800 is claimed to run 60 per cent faster than other LSFOH compounds, with screw torque reduced by up to 30 per cent. In addition to the increased line speeds - in excess of 200 m/min for typical UTP data cables - Scapa says that trials at major manufacturers of UTP cables have demonstrated improved handling and processability, reduced die drool and improved line stability. Category 5 and 6 data cables made with Megolon+ S800 pass the IEC 60332 part 1 fire test.
Recyclers seek to standardise how HCs should be handled January 29, 2006
HFCs bad, HCs good - at least that's what we thought. But the replacement of hydrofluorocarbons as blowing agents in insulation materials by hydrocarbons such as isobutane and cyclopentane is not without its risks, according to a group of associations representing household appliance recyclers in Europe.
The problem is, according to CECED (European committee of household appliance manufacturers), EERA (the European Electronics Recyclers Association representing the WEEE recyclers) and the WEEE Forum (a grouping of take-back systems currently in operation in Europe to recover and recycle end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment), that Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment does not specify how appliances containing hydrocarbons should be managed in the recycling process. The three organisations are working to develop specifications to ensure that the correct health and safety requirements are met when recycling fridges, freezers and other equipment containing HCs, and that any release of HCs into the environment complies with applicable environmental law.
Rexam expands cosmetics packaging with Chinese buy January 26, 2006
Rexam has bought a Chinese cosmetics packaging plant, its ninth in China since it set up there in 1998. The new acquisition is FangXin which makes lipstick cases, compacts and pumps and mascara cases. Sales growth in the past four years has been at 30 per cent a year and since 2003 the company has been investing heavily. Last year it is reckoned to have broken even on sales of £19 million. Its assets are valued at £39 million, and Rexam is paying £42 million.
Rexam has a strategy to expand in plastics packaging and last year bought two injection moulded packaging companies in America - Delta Plastics in September and Precise Technology in November.
RA invests to support booming vac forming business January 26, 2006
Increased demand for vacuum formed engineering components has led to a six figure investment in a Belotti CNC trimming and routing machine by RA International. The company runs two plants at Wednesbury and Bilston in the West Midlands making components used in the automotive, construction, packaging, protection and medical markets.
Several long term orders secured in the latter half of last year brought a need to expand capacity and upgrade plant, for which the purchase of the Belotti is the first step. The company says that despite the suppressed market climate, its vacuum forming business has performed exceptionally well over the past 12 months.
Lease guarantee helps Redcar recycler expand January 26, 2006
Waste Exchange Services of Redcar, Teeside, is adding a £780,000 Erema recycling extruder in a leasing deal guaranteed by WRAP's eQuip Residual Value Guarantee scheme. The WRAP scheme guarantees the future residual value of leased recycling equipment in situations where banks or other leasing financiers have been reluctant to provide leases.
WES was set up in 1990 to recycle, reprocess and market surplus and waste chemicals. It added plastic waste recycling in 1999 and can process mainly polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene in any form - films, shredded, ground or granulated plastic and plastic pellets. It can handle soiled plastics, heavily printed or metallised films, wet materials, fibrous waste, PP/PE mixtures and light paper contamination. The company has two processing lines operating around the clock. Demand for reclaimed material has been such that it has doubled its plastics reprocessing capacity every year, buying new equipment every year for the last five years with the exception of 2004 when it moved into larger premises.
Demand has continued to outstrip capacity, hence the current investment cycle in which the company is investing £1·3 million in an effort to double its plastics recycling capacity to 14,000 tonnes.
Ineos restructures to absorb Innovene January 26, 2006
Ineos has restructured its operations to integrate the Innovene olefins business it bought from BP towards the end of last year.
Seven new business units have been formed:
Ineos Refining - the Grangemouth and Lavéra refinery operations.
Ineos Olefins - Innovene's Grangemouth, Lavéra and Köln olefins activities including C2, C3, C4s and aromatics. The Saudi Delta project and Ineos Wilhelmshaven project are included in this business but it excludes Marl cumene.
Ineos Polyolefins - all Innovene's polyethylene and polypropylene European operations including the Solutions business and Innovene's Asian polyolefins operations.
Ineos Olefins & Polymers, USA - all of Innovene's existing North American olefins, polyethylene and polypropylene business activities including pipeline and terminal operations and the Hobbs NGL fractionator as well as Carson, Chocolate Bayou and Battleground manufacturing sites. Styrene operations move to Ineos Styrenics.
Ineos Nitriles - all Innovene's existing global nitriles business excluding catalysts, licensing and additives, and Barex. This business also hosts Innovene's Asian nitriles operations.
Ineos Technologies - all Innovene technology licensing and catalysts, Ineos ChlorVinyls licensing, catalysts and processing aids, and the Ineos Enterprises Electrochemical Technology Business.
Ineos Oligomers - Innovene's global LAO, PAO, PIB business and Köln's oligomers business.
Other Ineos businesses which are unchanged are: ChlorVinyls, Oxide, Films & Compounds, Phenol, Fluor, Silicas, Melamines, Paraform, Healthcare, Enterprises, and Styrenics.
With the restructuring have come senior management changes: Tom Crotty, currently chief executive of Ineos Chlor Vinyls will become chief executive of Ineos Olefins; Leen Heemskerk, finance director of Chlor Vinyls will become finance director of Polyolefins; Chris Tane, chief executive of Ineos Enterprises and commercial director of Chlor Vinyls will become chief executive of Chlor Vinyls; and Mike Maher, previously chief financial officer of Ineos Silicas and recently involved with Ineos Capital in the acquisition of Innovene will be the new finance director of Chlor Vinyls. David Thompson continues as chief executive of Ineos Films and Compounds.
Ineos now has 68 manufacturing facilities in 14 countries, with approximately 15,600 employees, producing more than 30 million tonnes of petrochemicals and generating sales of around $33 billion.
Quinn nails its colours to another mast January 26, 2006
Quinn Plastics has changed the name of its UK-based sheet extrusion business from Polyex to Quinn Plastics in line with its re-branding of the former Barlo Plastics businesses. Quinn bought the Polyex business with its 70,000 ft² multi-wall polycarbonate sheet factory in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in May last year and is setting up a distribution hub for group products there, distributing Quinn Plastics sheet materials, Quinn Therm polyurethane sheet, Quinn Lite expanded polystyrene blocks and Quinn Radiators.
BASF, Huntsman may build an even bigger Chinese MDI plant January 26, 2006
With their joint venture Chinese polyurethanes plant expected on-stream in the next few months, BASF, Huntsman and their Chinese partners are now contemplating a second plant.
The integrated isocyanates complex currently under construction dates back to the end of the 'nineties when BASF, ICI Polyurethanes - now Huntsman - and Nippon Polyurethane drew up proposals to build 160,000 tonnes MDI and 130,000 tonnes TDI plants at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing. In 2003 the target for the $1 billion project was expanded to 240,000 tonnes of MDI and 160,000 tonnes of TDI with a mid-2006 date set for start-up.
The partners - BASF, Huntsman, Shanghai Hua Yi, Sinopec Shanghai Gao Qiao Petrochemical Corporation and Shanghai Chloro-Alkali Chemical Co - are now considering a second MDI plant with a capacity of 400,000 tonnes of crude MDI, to come on stream in 2010. Several sites are being evaluated.
The Chinese polyurethanes market is expected to grow at a double-digit rate and to become the largest in the world within the next decade.
Indian polyolefins expansion January 26, 2006
India's Haldia Petrochemicals is to expand its polyethylene and polypropylene capacity by upgrading its Basell Spherilene (PE) and Spheripol (PP) plants. LLD/HDPE capacity will rise from 225,000 to 368,000 tonnes and PP capacity will increase from 211,000 to 320,000 tonnes by the middle of 2007.
Nova to shut PS plant January 26, 2006
Nova Chemicals is to close a polystyrene plant in the USA this year with its capacity being absorbed at other locations through process improvements. The plant, at Chesapeake, Virginia, has a production capacity of 136,000 tonnes and compounding capacity of 77,000 tonnes. The technology centre at the site is to be integrated with that at the company's Beaver Valley site in Monaca, Pennsylvania.
The closures are expected to reduce the company's costs by around $15 million a year. Nova continues to lose money on styrenics and in the last quarter of last year increased its third quarter loss of $59 million to $65 million. Fourth quarter loss in 2004 was $17 million.
Trelleborg builds offshore position with CRP purchase January 26, 2006
Trelleborg has increased its position in the offshore oil and gas supply market by buying CRP Group, which has five production units in Skelmersdale and Barrow-in-Furness, and in Randolph and Canton, Massachusetts, and Houston, Texas, in the USA. The purchase price is around £70 m. CRP's annual sales are around £75 million.
Demag and Haitian end joint venture January 26, 2006
The break-up of the Demag Haitian Plastics Machinery company in China towards the end of last year has now been formalised. A statement from Demag Plastics Group says: 'The company was closed by mutual and amicable consent, effective December 31, 2005. Demag Plastics Group acquired all corporate shares from Ningbo Haitian with effect on January 1, 2006 and will continue exclusive management of the former joint venture under the name of Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo) Co, Ltd.'
Factors in the closure included Ningbo Haitian's decision to sell its own brand machines outside China - in the UK they are sold by Premier Moulding Machinery in Aylesbury - and a more benign view by the Chinese government of companies being owned privately by foreign concerns.
Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo) Co has kept the full 50 - 200 tonne Dragon range, which is based on Demag technology, and has been marketing machines under the Demag name since the beginning of the year. It will also be marketing German-built Demag machines.
Gerhard Maßfelder, chief executive of Demag Haitian Plastics Machinery since last summer, has been appointed chief executive of Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo) Co. Stephan Greif, managing director of Demag's Shanghai-based sales office, Demag Ergotech China, will be responsible for Demag Plastics Group's Chinese sales activities, which also involves management of Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo). The appointment of Mr Maßfelder and Mr Greif to their Demag Haitian positions - Mr Greif added Demag Haitian sales to his own responsibilities in Shanghai - last year heralded the company split in that it integrated Demag's own sales operation in China with that of Demag Haitian, paving the way for the transition.
In a twist of fate (?) Messrs Maßfelder and Greif will come head to head with their old boss. As we reported in December Professor Helmar Franz, who was Demag Plastics Machinery chairman until he left the company in March last year, joined Ningbo Haitian Group as executive vice president from January 1 with the brief to develop Haitian's market position both in China and globally.
Growth slowed last year in European plastics demand January 26, 2006
Rising materials prices last year led in part to de-stocking which put the brakes on the established growth pattern for thermoplastics in Europe. A report from AMI - Applied Market Information - says that growth had been between 2 and 3 per cent annually since the downturn of 2001. Growth slowed to 2·2 per cent in 2004, and in 2005 'the European thermoplastics market is expected to have recorded growth of less than 2 per cent'.
The report says that fluctuations in raw material pricing through 2004 and 2005 allied with weak consumer demand led to de-stocking and poor overall demand for most thermoplastics. In commodity plastics traditional strong growth markets such as PP and PET were disappointing with PP demand up less than 1 per cent to just over 8·5 million tonnes. PET demand growth slowed to around 5 per cent. Polyethylene markets were also weak and the polystyrene and PVC markets continued the downward trend already noted in 2004. Polystyrene has been particularly affected by pricing volatility which has led to increased substitution by other materials, notes the report. PVC consumption is also expected to have been flat or slightly down, with what growth there was driven by demand for building products in Central Europe. In Western Europe the market continues to shrink.
In engineering plastics overall consumption grew by about 2 per cent - around half the growth rate of 2004. Demand was particularly poor for ABS which is expected to have seen demand fall because of poor consumer confidence reducing demand for automotive and consumer products. Polyamide demand growth was also down on the previous year while polycarbonate and PBT are expected to have maintained stronger growth patterns in the region of 5 - 6 per cent over 2004.
Solvay adds another high performance plastics business January 10, 2006
Solvay has bought another company making speciality high performance plastics. Last month it bought Indian PEEK and sulphone polymer producer Gharda. Now it has agreed to buy American-based Mississippi Polymer Technologies.
MPT is a US-based start-up company that has commercialized Parmax, a family of transparent amorphous materials that 'exhibit a remarkable and unique combination of strength, stiffness and hardness'. Parmax was developed by MPT's parent company Maxdem, a company that specializes in developing early-stage technologies into commercial status.
The chemical resistance of Parmax is comparable to semi-crystalline materials and is unsurpassed by any other transparent polymer, says Solvay. Its performance makes it a lightweight alternative to metals in applications such as aerospace components, medical tubing and devices, semiconductor components, and industrial applications including bushings, bearings, gears, and valves. Parmax can be melt processed using standard moulding or extrusion methods.
Like Gharda's PEEK and sulphone polymers, Solvay plans to integrate Parmax with its Solvay Advanced Polymers operation at Alpharetta, in Georgia, USA. The acquisition should be completed in the coming months.
Rosti cuts its involvement in packaging January 10, 2006
Rosti is to focus further on its technical components business by selling five packaging plants to Polimoon. Four are in Germany - in Neumünster, Witzenhausen, Görzke and Winsen and the fifth at Glostrup in Denmark. Between them they employ 290 people and generate an annual turnover of around Eur 40 million. Norway-based Polimoon already has 22 factories in 13 European countries with 2,450 employees.
The sale brings Rosti down to 15 plants of which 13 are in its Technical Plastics Division with factories in Europe, the USA, Mexico and China and the other two make recyclable PET plastic bottles for the mineral water and beverage markets in Scandinavia and Germany.
Tessenderloo increases UK market penetration for PVC profiles January 10, 2006
PVC profile distributor Eurocell Building Plastics, a subsidiary of the Fairbrook Group which is in turn a subsidiary of the the Plastics Converting Business Group of the Belgian Tessenderloo PVC major, has taken over six depots from Brunel Plastics in the South West of England, bringing the number of Eurocell outlets in Britain to 70.
Eurocell Profiles will gradually supply the new distribution centres with its own brand of PVC profiles. It has also secured a long term PVC window profile supply contract with AGS, a sister company of Brunel Plastics specialising in the production and the installation of windows.
Farmers to centralise waste plastics collection January 10, 2006
Two trial waste plastics collections schemes are being set up for Cumbrian farmers this month. The steering group for the Cumbria Farm Plastic Recycling Scheme is joining forces with Rural Futures to set up the collection schemes, triggered by regulations to prevent waste plastics from farms from going to landfill.
The trials involve neighbouring farmers working together as a 'waste collection group'. Each group will have a central dedicated point where plastic scrap will be taken for collection. The aim is to keep the plastic as clean as possible and sort it by type - which will cut down the cost of disposal.
The sorted plastics will be bundled into dedicated bin liners which the farmers have to buy, and only plastics in these liners will be accepted for collection.
Smith sells coating business January 4, 2006
DS Smith has sold its BSK coating and laminating business to concentrate more on its liquid packaging and dispensing and returnable transit packaging operations. The new owner is BSK Materials, a company formed to buy the business by former BSK manager Colin Smith. No price has been put on the sale. BSK's assets at the end of October were £8 million.
BSK makes coated and laminated products on a variety of flexible substrates including foil, paper, glass tissue, glass reinforcement and film, for applications such as waterproof and vapour control layers for buildings, self-seal packaging, interleaving grip sheets for pallets, and box and carton liners. It employs 117 people at Rochester, in Kent.
BASF bids to buy catalyst company January 4, 2006
BASF has made a hostile bid to buy US-based catalyst producer Engelhardt. It says that the purchase of Engelhardt would make it a leading provider worldwide in the dynamically growing catalyst market. Engelhardt's board has refused to meet BASF to discuss improvements on the $37/share offer, so BASF is planning to take its offer direct to shareholders 'shortly'.
Meet the buyers January 4, 2006
A 'meet the buyers' event is to be held by the Gauge and Toolmakers Association and the British Plastics Federation to bring moulding and toolmaking buyers from major companies face to face with potential suppliers. It will be held at Coventry City Football Club on March 7 and individual appointments are guaranteed with at least seven key buyers from organisations including Alstom Power (Aerospace), Birkbys Plastics, Leyland Trucks and Siemens.
DuPont to expand Maydown Kevlar production January 3, 2006
Capacity for DuPont's Kevlar aramid fibre is to be increased at Maydown in Northern Ireland. The main driver for the expansion is Kevlar's use in body armour, but it is also used in advanced composites - for instance the Airbus 380 uses Kevlar-based composites for weight reduction.
The capacity increase will come on stream during this year.
Ceramic screws could soon be a reality January 3, 2006
Battenfeld Injection Molding is gearing up for commercial production of ceramic screws for injection moulding machines. The company began development of ceramic screws - to resist wear from abrasive and corrosive materials - around four years ago in a collaborative project with academic institutions and companies in the ceramics field. Now the company has produced screws suitable for commercial use, and says that ceramic screws will soon be ready for commercial production.
Development is not yet complete, however. Battenfeld says that its next task is to improve the adhesion between metals and ceramics to achieve a long service life. The ceramic screw project has also been researching screws for extruders and ECT (Extrusion for Ceramic Technology) is building extruders equipped with ceramic screws and barrels which have been used by the Institute for Industrial Ceramics for extruding components made from highly abrasive ceramic materials.
Conair takes over Rapid sales January 3, 2006
Conair Europe has taken over sales and service of Rapid granulators in the UK and Ireland from PL Plastics Machinery, which has been selling the Swedish-built machines for more than 20 years, during which time more than 6,000 granulators have been installed in the British Isles.
Elsewhere in Europe Conair will continue to sell its own brand granulators which are built by Rapid and delivered to Conair in the USA. Conair and Rapid are sister companies, owned by Sewickley Capital in the USA, which bought Rapid in 1999.
Rapid's range extends from slow speed dust-free units for beside-the-press applications to large central granulators and shredders.
Rosti shuts Danish plant January 3, 2006
International moulding group Rosti has shut its loss-making plant at Skive in Denmark and moved production to other European sites, primarily in Poland but with some work going to the Netherlands and Scotland. Production ceased on December 16.
Shell/CNOOC petrochemical complex ready to run January 3, 2006
Shell and its equal joint venture partner China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) are on the verge of starting up the $4·3 billion petrochemicals complex they have built at Daya Bay in Guangdong Province in Southern China. The complex includes an 800,000 tonnes ethylene cracker; 560,000 tonnes styrene monomer and 250,000 tonnes propylene oxide plants; a 320,000 tonnes ethylene glycol plant; a 240,000 tonnes polypropylene plant; a high density polyethylene plant of 200,000 tonnes able to produce linear low density polyethylene; and a low density polyethylene plant of 250,000 tonnes, together able produce about 2·3 million tonnes per year of products.
Shell says the Daya Bay project is fundamental to its strategic objective to grow a significant presence in China, where demand for plastics and packaging is expected to make up 30 per cent of world consumption by 2010.
Ticona names new European sales manager January 3, 2006
Phil McDivitt is new European sales manager at Ticona, taking over from Michael Oberste-Wilms. He has been working for Ticona's parent company Celanese for more than 18 years and will now be located at Kelsterbach in Germany with responsibility for all of Ticona's marketing and sales activities in Europe.
New moulding man for Borealis January 3, 2006
Borealis has appointed Gilles Rochas to the position of vice president moulding with effect from January 1. He has been with Borealis for the past 14 years.
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