Industry News

Arlanxeo: Planning New HNBR Plant in China  Link...

ARLANXEO has announced the planned construction of a hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) plant in Changzhou, China. Final installed capacity will be 5 kMTpa with the first phase of 2.5 kMTpa being operational in Q3 2025.

ARLANXEO produces and markets HNBR grades under the Therban® brand. Therban® is renowned for its resilience to extreme temperatures, chemicals, and abrasion, and is widely used in demanding applications in automotive systems, oil exploration, mechanical engineering, aerospace, and batteries for new mobility solutions.

Kumho Petrochemical Company: Signs MOU for Establishment of Sustainable Bio Raw Material Supply Chain  Link...

Kumho Petrochemical has signed an MOU with SK geo centric and Tongsuh Petrochemical for the establishment of a sustainable bio raw material supply chain.

Kumho Petrochemical, SK geo centric, and Tongsuh Petrochemical agreed to cooperate in converting monomers AN(acrylonitrile) and BD(butadiene) from the existing raw material supply chain into bio-monomers. Bio monomers are produced from bio naphtha using environmental-friendly raw materials such as canola oil and waste cooking oil. Under this structure, Tongsuh Petrochemical will supply bio AN using SK geo centric's bio propylene as raw material, and SK geo centric will supply bio BD to Kumho Petrochemical respectively.

Through this MOU, Kumho Petrochemical aims to secure a bio-monomer supply chain and plans to expand its environmental-friendly product portfolio by obtaining ISCC PLUS certification for synthetic rubbers(SBR, NBR, HSR, SBL, NBL), as well as synthetic resins(PS, ABS, SAN) within the first quarter of this year. Earlier in last year, Kumho Petrochemical already obtained ISCC PLUS certification on four synthetic rubber items (SSBR, HBR, LBR, NdBR, tire use) manufactured from the Yeosu rubber plant and is expecting to expand to wider range of products this year.

Arkema: Increased Capacity of Pebax® Elastomers at its Sequigny, France Plant  Link...

Arkema has started its new Pebax® elastomer unit at the Serquigny plant in France. Designed with the latest advancements in industrial processes, the unit can produce both the bio-circular Pebax® Rnew® and classical Pebax® elastomer ranges.

The materials are used extensively in sports equipment such as running shoes, soccer shoes and ski boots, but also in electronic devices, and other specialty markets such as antistatic additives and medical devices.

Wacker Chemie AG: Planning New Production Site for Silicone Specialities in Czech Republic  Link...

Wacker Chemie AG is planning to expand its silicone specialities busines and operations in Europe. A new production silte for customised silicone compounds is to be built in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. The expansion is required to support megatrends such as electromobility and renewable energies. The initial production of 20 kMTpa will focus on room-temperature curing speciality silicones with production scheduled for the end of 2025.

The raw materials required for production at Karlovy Vary - polymers, fillers and additives - are to be delivered from Wacker's Burghausen site. This initiative enables better usilisation of Wacker's plants with acceleration of process automation.

Lanxess: Selling Urethane Business Unit  Link...

Lanxess has initiated the sale of its Urethane Systems business unit. The unit is the last remaining polymer business within Lanxess and no longer fits with its strategic orientation. The unit has a global presence with 6 production plants.

Covestro: Breaks Ground on New TPU Plant in China  Link...

Covestro has broken ground on its new Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPU) production site in Zhuhai, China. The new site will be built in three phases and is expected to achieve a maximum production capacity of 120 kMTpaf TPU after the final phase of expansion. Completion of the first phase is expected in 2025 with a 30 kMTpa capacity. The final phase is expected to be completed in 2033.

TPU is a versatile plastic material used in a variety of applications such as sports shoes, IT devices such as sweepers, smart speakers, phone cases, automotive applications like paint protection film or for the protection of wind turbine blades.

Wacker Chemie AG: Expanding Speciality Silicone Production in China  Link...

Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its speciality silicone manufacturing capacities at its Zhangjiangang plant in China. Construction of several new production lines has started for the manufacture of functional silicone fluids, silicone emulsions and silicone elastomer gels. Investments of some €150 million have been earmarked for the expansion project. The project has already received all necessary permits from local authorities. The new facilities are scheduled to come on stream in the second half of 2025.

Silicone emulsions and elastomer gels from WACKER are typically used in textile, cosmetic and personal-care applications, including skin creams, shampoos and fabric softeners. Here they keep makeup from staining clothing, reduce the negative impact that contact with water has on sunscreen protection, and allow moisturizers and night creams to remain pleasantly silky soft. Functional silicone fluids, on the other hand, are important starting materials for industrial applications such as impregnating or release agents. Other applications for silicone fluids include their use as additives for construction, paper, paints and coatings.

Zhangjiagang is one of WACKER Group’s largest fully integrated production sites. From here the company supplies rapidly growing Asian markets with a wide array of downstream silicone products such as sealants, elastomers, emulsions and fluids. Silicones from WACKER are used not only in traditional application areas, such as the textile, leather and fiber industries, and for chemical processes and coatings. They also play a key role in particularly innovative industries, such as electromobility, renewable power generation and medical technology.

Arlanxeo: Planning 140kMTpa Rubber Plant in Saudi Arabia  Link...

Arlanxeo is planning a world-class rubber production facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The 140 kiloton-per-annum (ktpa) plant will produce two high performance elastomers: Ultra High cis Polybutadiene (NdBR) and Lithium Butadiene Rubber (LiBR). The planned construction follows the final investment decision by Aramco and TotalEnergies to build a world scale petrochemical facility in Saudi Arabia (the Amiral complex).

Engineering, procurement, and construction contracts are scheduled to be awarded in the second half of 2023, with construction expected to commence in 2024, followed by commercial operations in 2027.

Sumitomo Chemical: Stopping Production of S-SBR in Singapore by 2024  Link...

Sumitomo Chemical has decided to stop production of S-SBR in Singapore by mid-2024. This impacts 40kMTpa of capacity.

Kuraray Co: Opens New Isoprene-Related Businesses Plant in Thailand  Link...

Kuraray has opened a new isoprene business production plant in the WHA Eastern Industrial Park in Map Ta Phut province, Thailand. Operated by Kuraray GC Advanced Materials Co and Kuraray Advanced Chemicals (Thailand) Co., Ltd, the plant will produce GENESTAR™ heat-resistant polyamide-9T (PA9T), SEPTON™ hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (HSBC), and the 3-Methyl-1.5-Pentanediol (MPD), which were developed using proprietary Kuraray technology.

Kraton Corporation: Expanding SBS Production at Belpre Facility  Link...

Kraton Corporation has announced a significant expansion of its styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers (SBS) supply capability at its Belpre, Ohio facility starting in 2024. The production capacity is expected to increase by 24 kilotons annually by 2025.

Arlanxeo:   Link...

Arlanxeo, EVE Rubber Institute, Ecombine join forces to advance mixing technology, The three, March 10, formed a strategic partnership dedicated to exploring the applications of Liquid Mixing Technology. Particularly, the trio will look at potential downstream applications and market development for BIIR, SSBR, EPDM and CR rubber products.

Wacker Chemie AG: Expanding Production of Silicone Sealants at Its Nünchritz Site  Link...

WACKER chemical group is expanding its production and cartridge filling capacities for silicone sealants at its Nünchritz site. The expansion will increase the company’s capability to supply customers, who contract WACKER to produce ready-to-use silicone sealants for their direct sales. Some €20 million has been budgeted for the new manufacturing lines, which are scheduled to begin production in the fall of 2024

The expansion is required due to the high demand for construction silicones where strong recent development has been seen for alkoxy silicones. These one-component neutral-cure silicone sealing compounds release alcohol upon crosslinking which renders them safe to use. They can also be applied on sensitive construction materials such as natural stone or metal. Alkoxy silicones are therefore versatile sealants for interior and exterior applications. Significant growth rates are anticipated in the coming years.

The project plan at the Nünchritz site sees construction of a fully continuous compounding plant for silicone sealing products including expansion of the cartridge filling facility. The new production lines will be built next to the existing plants. The expansion project will significantly increase WACKER’s production capacity for silicone sealing compounds and cartridges in Nünchritz. Depending on the grade, the new filling line will be capable of filling up to an additional 30 million cartridges each year. Start-up for the new plants is planned for the fall of next year, pending timely approval from regulatory authorities.

Synthos S.A.: Permanently Stopping E-SBR Production at Kralupy, Czech Republic Site  Link...

Synthos S.A. is permanently stopping production of E-SBR at its Kralupy, Czech Republic site due to unpredictable costs in Europe. This will reduce Synthos' E-SBR production from 430 kMTpa to 320 kMTpa. Production will stop in Q2 of this year. This decision does not impact production and development of other elastomers (including E-SBR) at manufacturing sites in Poland and Germany, or butadiene rubber in Kralupy.

Kuraray Co: Start of Operations at New Plant for Isoprene-Related Businesses  Link...

Kuraray Co., Ltd. has completed construction of a new plant (Map Ta Phut, Rayong Province, Thailand) for isoprene-related businesses operations will start in phases.

The new Thai plant will contribute to the continued growth of isoprene-related businesses by strengthening the global supply system and meeting rising global demand for the 3-Methyl-1.5-Pentanediol (MPD), SEPTON™ hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers (HSBC), and GENESTAR™ heat-resistant polyamide-9T (PA9T), which were developed using proprietary Kuraray technology.

Kumho Petrochemical Company: Acquires ISCC PLUS Certification  Link...

Kumho Petrochemical has announced that four of its synthetic rubber products mainly used in tires have obtained ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) PLUS certification. The four products are: SSBR, HBR, LBR, NdBR.

Through this certification, Kumho Petrochemical has laid the foundation for converting butadiene and styrene, the main raw materials of the four synthetic rubbers, to bio and renewable products. Based on this, the company plans to start producing ISCC PLUS-certified synthetic rubber in stages using eco-friendly raw materials such as Recycled Styrene Monomer (RSM)

Recycled styrene (RSM) is an eco-friendly raw material obtained by pyrolyzing waste polystyrene (waste PS) and is reused as a raw material for synthetic rubber and synthetic resin. Previously, Kumho Petrochemical announced plans for commercialization in 2026 by announcing a full-fledged promotion of the RSM project last year. If Kumho Petrochemical procures butadiene and styrene as bio, renewable, and recycled raw materials rather than fossil fuels, it can not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manufactured products, but also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from customers in the tire and automobile sectors.

In the future, Kumho Petrochemical plans to continue its efforts to secure sustainable product lines and reduce carbon emissions in the supply chain by acquiring ISCC PLUS certification for other synthetic rubber products such as NB latex and synthetic resin products.

Arlanxeo: Launches New BR Production Line in Brazil  Link...

Arlanxeo had started production at a new 65kMTpa polybutadiene rubber (BR) production line in Brazil. The new production line supplements Arlanxeo’s existing production capacity in Brazil.

The new production line is located in the south of Brazil in the Triunfo petrochemical complex in Rio Grande do Sul. ARLANXEO's commitment to Brazil includes recent investments in a new nitrile rubber production line in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, and a new warehouse operation for polychloroprene in São Paulo, together with the existing world scale production facilities in Caxias, Triunfo, Cabo and a business center in São Paulo.

Lanxess: Cooperation with TotalEnergies on Sustainable Styrene  Link...

LANXESS and TotalEnergies have entered into a cooperation on the supply of biocircular styrene. Unlike conventional styrene, the raw material used by TotalEnergies is based on tall oil, which is derived from a tree resin and is a by-product of pulp production.

LANXESS uses the styrene to produce sustainable ion exchange resins. These products are applied primarily in the treatment of wastewater and chemical process flows as well as in the food industry.

The sustainable origin of the styrene is certified in accordance with the mass balance approach of the ISCC PLUS standard . Under the mass balance approach, the certified and non-certified materials are mixed physically, but kept separately on a book keeping basis. This method allows companies to document and track the sustainable materials through the complex production process and ensures the full tracibility through the entire supply chain.

Dow Chemical: Launches World's First Recyclable Silicone Self-Sealing Tire Solution  Link...

Dow has launch of the world’s first recyclable silicone self-sealing tire solution. The solution has been successfully utilized in Bridgestone’s newly released B-SEALS, a recyclable tire sealant technology. Dow's new SiLASTIC™ SST-2650 self-sealing Silicone meets self-sealing tire manufacturers’ demands for high performance and sustainability, while providing drivers and passengers with a lighter-weight, safer, and more durable solution.

With growing demands for material circularity and sustainability in the global automotive industry, self-sealing tires are becoming a new solution which enable lighter-weight vehicles. The new silicone sealant technology is designed to form a self-sealing layer on the inner surface of a tire. It provides outstanding sealing performance following puncture, allowing driving long distances without loss of tire pressure.

The sustainability attributes of conventional self-sealing tires is severely limited, resulting in non-recyclable tires, causing extra burden and inhibiting industrial sustainable development. In addition, the complex high temperature application process and need for extensive laser cleaning of the tire surface prior to coating increase energy consumption and environmental impact during production.

Unlike most of the conventional sealants on the market, SiLASTIC™ Self-sealing Silicone sealants can be separated from tires at the end of life, enabling further recyclability of both tires and silicone. Meanwhile, it also removes the need for spare tires, thus reducing vehicle weight, improving vehicle range and fuel efficiency, and enabling more design freedom.

Elkem: Opens New Facility in York, S.C.  Link...

Elkem has opened a new specialized facility for producing high purity medical silicones on in York, S.C. Designed to produce high purity silicone materials that meet the MedTech and Pharma market requirements, this new 18,000 sq.ft. site features state-of-the-art ISO-certified Class 7 and Class 8 clean rooms.

Located on Timberland Court, this new facility is Elkem’s second operational facility in York. In 2012, the company opened its main manufacturing campus for North America on Park Place Rd., which is located a half mile from the new facility.

Kraton Corporation: Taiwan HSBC Manufacturing Expansion  Link...

Kraton Corporation and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation have approved an expansion project for their HSBC Joint Venture plant in Mailiao, Taiwan. This project will increase the capacity of the current facility by 30%. With this expansion project, Kraton will be able to offer its full range of SEBS and SEPS products, both in crumbs and pellet form, using the latest state-of-the-art Kraton technology to customers in Asia from a regional production base. The plant expansion is scheduled to begin in the 3rd quarter of 2024.

Kuraray Co: Increasing Prices for Liquid Rubber  Link...

Kuraray is increasing prices by 1 USD/Kg for its liquid rubber shipments commencing 1st September 2022. The price increases are required to cover raw material and trans-ocean forwarding costs which have increased substantially.

DL Chemical: Cariflex Expanding in Singapore  Link...

Cariflex Pte. Ltd., one of the world's largest suppliers of polyisoprene rubber latex, has announced a $350 million expansion that will double its global capacity.

Wacker Chemie AG: Planning Expansion of Charleston Site with Silicone Production Facilities  Link...

Wacker Chemie AG is preparing to build a new silicone production complex at its Charleston site in the US state of Tennessee. In a first step, it is planned to build production plants for high-consistency silicone rubber and silicone sealants, used, for example, in construction applications. In addition, plants are to be built for the manufacture of intermediates. In further phases, production plants for other product groups could then be added, e.g. for silane-terminated polymers used as binders for formulating high-quality adhesives and sealants, liquid waterproofing systems and environmentally friendly wood-flooring adhesives.

BASF: Confirms Final Phase of MDI Expansion at Geismar USA Verbund Site  Link...

BASF is moving forward with the final phase of the expansion project for the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) plant at its Verbund site in Geismar, Louisiana. Completion of this third and final phase with increase production capacity to 600,000 metric tons per year by the middle of the decade and support the ongoing growth of its North American MDI customers. The company kicked off the expansion project in 2018 with a staggered approach consisting of three investment phases. The investment in the final expansion phase from 2022 to 2025 amounts to $780 million.

Wacker Chemie AG: Opens New Silicones Production Site in India  Link...

Wacker has opened a new production site for silicones in Panagarh, India. The plant manufactures silicone rubber and ready-to-use silicone compounds for electromobility, medical technology and electrical transmission & distribution. A subsequent expansion stage is planned in the medium term for the production of silicone fluids and silicone emulsions.

The site is part of Wacker's new growth strategy presented to investors at the end of March while at the same time announcing substantial investment in its chemical divisions. In order to serve the increasing demand for silicones in India and to consolidate its position as a leading silicone producer, the company will invest a mid-double-digit million euro amount in Panagarh in the next few years.

Wacker Chemie AG: Preparing to Expand Silicon Metal Production in Norway  Link...

Wacker Chemie AG is preparing to expand its production capacity for silicon metal at Holla, Norway. The feasibility study is ongoing with a planned construction of a new furnace which will increase capacity in Holla by about 50 percent.

The expansion is required to meet demand for silicone products and to ensure supply security for silicone metal. Wacker is also planning to halve its greenhouse emissions by 2030, and this modernisation is an essential part of meeting those targets through state-of-the-art production facilities, use of renewable energy and replacement of coal in the production process.

Kraton Corporation: Price Increases for CTO Refinery Products and Derivatives  Link...

Kraton Corporation has announced a general price increase of up to 20% on all CTO refined products and derivatives - the price increase is effective 1st July 2022 subject to contracts.

BASF: Doubling Production Capacity for Irganox® 1010 in Singapore  Link...

BASF has expanded the production capacity for its antioxidant Irganox® 1010 at its site on Jurong Island, Singapore, by integrating an additional production line into the existing production facilities.

Irganox® 1010 is a sterically hindered phenolic primary antioxidant. It provides protection against thermo-oxidative degradation, mainly applied in polyolefins and also recommended for polyacetals, polyamides and polyurethanes, polyesters, PVC, ABS and elastomers such as butyl rubber and synthetic rubbers.

Dynasol: Increasing S-SBR Production Capacity in Santander, Spain  Link...

Dynasol is installing a new S-SBR production line in Santander, Spain. The 20 kMTpa line is expected to be in operation Q1 2024 with potential to reach 25 kMTpa in the future. Dyansol also plans to expand S-SBR capacity of its existing production line in Altamira, Mexico by 10 kMTpa.

Dow Chemical: Global Capacity Expansions for Mobility Technologies  Link...

Dow is investing to increase global supply capabilities to support the transformation in the mobility and transportation sectors. In 2022 Dow is investing in its Jincheon, South Korea site to support moldable optical silicone technologies for automotive and industrial lighting applicaitons. Additional investments are also planned for Dow's Midland, Songjiang and Zhangjiagang operations.

All capacity expansions being made for this market are aligned with Dow’s MobilityScience™ platform, which is designed to use the full power of Dow’s portfolio of silicones, polyolefins, polyurethanes, acrylics, and specialty technologies to support the future of mobility.

Dow recently completed a round of capital investments in 2021 that spanned three continents – North America, Asia and Europe – and was implemented to address growing global market demands for novel technologies within the mobility and transportation industry. In Midland, Michigan, U.S., Dow expanded its fluorosilicone rubber capabilities with the installation of a new gum mixer, and in Zhangjiagang, China, a new liquid silicone rubber mixer was added. Investments were also made in a pair of new mixers for thermally conductive technologies at Dow’s site in Songjiang, China. To further support the high demand for electric vehicles in Europe, a new mixer for thermally conductive technologies is now online in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Arlanxeo: Increasing Capacity at Changzhou EPDM Plant  Link...

Arlanxeo has expanded the production capacity at its Changzhou EPDM plant by 15% to meet rising demand in new technology infrastructure projects (5G, UHV, charging and big data centers) as well as rail pads, railway sound barriers and rubber boots for the rail transit system, auto profile for new energy vehicles and washing machine gasket, air-conditioner damper in home appliances.

Synthos S.A.: Entering Next Phase of Bio-Butadiene Technology Development for Sustainable Rubber Production  Link...

Synthos has reached a major milestone in the development of advanced bio-butadiene technology. After completing a successful feasibility study in 2021, Synthos, Lummus Technology and its Green Circle business have concluded that the bio-butadiene technology is ready for implementation, and the companies have agreed to move into the engineering and design phase of the project.

Synthos has committed to building a plant with a capacity of 40 kMTpa of bio-butadiene and has confirmed it will license BASF’s butadiene extraction technology from Lummus and leverage Lummus’ digitalization capabilities for operational efficiency and reliability.

Asahi Kasei: Planning To Produce S-SBR Using Butadiene Derived From Plastic Waste  Link...

Asahi Kasei concluded an agreement with Shell Eastern Petroleum regarding the supply of butadiene derived from plastic waste and biomass. Asahi Kasei plans to begin producing and marketing sustainable S-SBR using the sustainable butadiene at its plant in Singapore by the end of fiscal 2021.

Throughout the life cycle of tires the proportion of CO2 emissions in the case of internal combustion engine vehicles is highest in the use phase. In the case of electric vehicles, use-phase emissions are significantly reduced, making emissions from materials such as S-SBR relatively higher. The use of sustainable S-SBR therefore enables a significant reduction in CO2 emissions over the life cycle of tires. Asahi Kasei expects to make a significant contribution to reduced CO2 emissions throughout the supply chain through the production of S-SBR using sustainable butadiene.

Tatneft:   Link...

Tatneft has signed license and engineering agreements with Versailis for the construction of two rubber production plants in Togliatti. Under the agreement, Tatneft will build a 70-metric-kiloton-per-annum (ktpm) nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) plant and a 30ktpa carboxylate styrene butadiene rubber latexes (XSBR) unit using Versalis technologies

Kuraray Co: Increasing Prices for Liquid Rubber  Link...

Kuraray has increased prices (+0.4 USD/Kg) for Liquid Rubber for shipments from 1st Nov 2021. The increases are necessary due to increasing feedstock, packaging and utility costs.

Wacker Chemie AG: Acquring Stake in Chinese Speciality Silane Manufacturer  Link...

Wacker has acquired a 60 percent stake in speciality silane manufacturer SICO Performance Material Co., Ltd, based in Jining, China. The transaction is expected to close 1H 2022.

Sumitomo Chemical: Ceasing EPDM Production, Chiba, Japan  Link...

Sumitomo Chemical is discontinuing production of EPDM a its Chiba Works in Japan and will terminate sales of EPDM by the end of March, 2023. The decision is based on Sumitomo Chemical's focus on areas with competitive advantage, the EPDM facility is over 50 years old and requires significant upkeep.

Kumho Petrochemical Company: Producing Eco-Friendly Rubber Composite Using Rice Bran Extract  Link...

Kumho Petrochemical Co has started producing eco-friendly synthetic rubber composites using biosilica as a result of cooperative projects with domestic and foreign partners.

The new silica is made from rice bran (rice husk) extract. Its natural silica content, comprising more than 90% of the carbonized rice bran in ash, is converted into sodium silicate, which is then processed into biosilica that can be used in petrochemical products. The silica previously used was based on quartz grains, which consume significant energy in the process of collecting and processing silica sand. However, the process of using rice bran is highly energy-efficient and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 70% compared to the existing method.

The eco-friendly synthetic rubber composites being developed by Kumho Petrochemical are high-performance materials that maximise the dispersion properties of biosilica and SSBR for use by major domestic and foreign tire and shoe manufacturers. In view of the the biosilica business’s growth potential, Kumho Petrochemical will increase the production capacity of SSBR, the key material for the concerned business and one of the company’s flagship products, from the current 63,000 t to 123,000 t, doubling by the end of 2022.

Shin-Etsu: Silicone Division Strengthening Carbon Neutrality Initiatives  Link...

Shin-Etsu Chemical's Silicone Division is strengthening its initiative to contribute to carbon neutrality by investing in its manufacturing process and its customers environmentally friendly products and processes.

The Division’s main manufacturing plant, the Gunma Complex, we will reduce greenhouse gas emission volume by 14% compare to that of the present time by further increasing the degree of self-sufficiency in electric power consumption. The investment amount is for a total of ¥10 billion.

The division will strengthen supply capacity of products that contribute to the environment. These include modified silicone fluids, silicone rubber for molding, and heat-dissipation thermal interface silicone materials. The investment amount is for a total of ¥10 billion, and it will be implemented at the Gunma Complex.

Kuraray Co: Increasing Global Pricing for Isoprene Chemical Derivatives  Link...

Kuraray is increasing the prices of Isoprene Chemicals derivatives products for shipments commencing July 1, 2021. The increase affects all products for domestic and export shipments, with increases between 10 and 30%. The price increase is due to increasing production costs, raw materials and transportataion costs.

Bridgestone: Selling Chinese Synthetic Rubber Business to LCY Chemical Corporation  Link...

Progressing with its Mid Term Business Plan (2021-23), Bridgestone is selling its shares of stock in Bridgestone (Huizhou) Synthetic Rubber Co to LCY Chemical Corporation. This moves Bridgestone away from vertical integration but enables leverage of synergy with LCY with its materials expertise.

Trinseo S.A.: Selling Synthetic Rubber Business to Synthos S.A.  Link...

Trinseo has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its synthetic rubber business based in Schkopau, Germany to Synthos S.A. and its affiliates for an enterprise value of approximately $491 million. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in 2022.

Kumho Petrochemical Company: Acquiring JSR's 50% Stake in Kumho Polychem  Link...

Kumho Petrochemical is acquiring JSR's 50% stake in Kumho Polychem making it a 100% subsidiary of Kumho Petrochemical from July 2021.

Kumho Polychem is a synthetic rubber company specializing in the production of EPDM and TPV used in automobile and industrial materials. Kumho Petrochemical expects global EPDM makers to adjust their production capacity in the future due to aging facilities, etc., and as the downstream industries such as automobiles are recovering, they will take a preemptive position to secure a competitive advantage through equity acquisitions.

JSR Corporation: Announces Plans for Separation of Elastomer Business and Transfer of Stock to ENEOS  Link...

JSR is separating its Elastomers business into a new standalone company in preparation for stock transfer to ENEOS Corporation.

JSR has determined that the best way to ensure the sustainable development of the Elastomers business is to transfer the business to ENEOS Corporation, a subsidiary of ENEOS Holdings, Japan's largest integrated energy, resources, and materials company.

Ube Industries: Splitting Off Synthetic Rubber Business into Wholly Owned Subsidiary  Link...

Ube Industries is splitting off its synthetic rubber business to establish a wholly owned subsidiary. The split has been made due to lower demand and increased market competition which requires specific industry focus to manage profitability and operate in an agile fashion.

Sibur: Merging Petrochemical Business with TAIF  Link...

SIBUR and TAIF have initiated a number of steps to combine their petrochemical businesses. The combination will make the new company’s petrochemical operations more competitive in the global market, improve its resilience to market fluctuations, and also unlock further growth potential of Russia’s petrochemical industry through joint realization of capital intensive projects, and also boost chemical non-commodity exports.

Upon realization of SIBUR’s and TAIF’s already approved investment projects, the combined company will be one of the world’s top 5 producers of polyolefin and rubber products. The deal will be closed subject to completion of the relevant corporate procedures and receipt of necessary regulatory approvals.

Zeon Corporation: Biomass-Derived Butadiene Development with RIKEN and Yokohama Rubber  Link...

Zeon Corporation have jointly developed a new biomass-derived butadiene production technolgoy with RIKEN and Yokohama Rubber. This is the world's first technology to efficiently produce butadiene from biomass and will reduce future dependence on petroleum raw materials.

Trinseo S.A.: Business Collaboration with BASF for Circular Feedstock  Link...

Trinseo and BASF have announced the intention to expand their businesses with the production of styrene based on circular feedstock. The enhanced collaboration between Trinseo and BASF aims to increase efforts by both companies in the development and management of styrene featuring an improved environmental profile.

Trinseo has recently been procuring first supplies of the synthetical chemical styrene based on circular feedstock from BASF for use in its Solution-Styrene Butadiene Rubber (S-SBR) and polystyrene (PS) products.

There are two types of styrene BASF can produce with a mass balance approach – renewable feedstock based-styrene and styrene based on chemically recycled feedstock. Mass balance is a chain of custody model designed to keep track of the total amount of input (e. g. circular feedstock) throughout the production cycle and ensure an appropriate allocation to the finished goods. Both of these alternative feedstocks replace a certain amount of virgin fossil resources at the beginning of the value chain - leading to a reduction of CO2 emissions.

To produce BMB styrene, BASF replaces fossil resources like naphtha or natural gas by renewable feedstocks derived from organic waste or vegetable oils. When manufacturing Ccycled™ products, BASF uses pyrolysis oil derived from plastic waste that is not recycled mechanically, e.g., mixed household waste or end-of-life tires, as a feedstock, thus contributing to plastics circularity.

Versalis: Co-Developing Innovative Elastomers with Bridgestone for HP Tires  Link...

Versalis and Bridgestone EMIA have signed a joint development agreement for research, production and supply of synthetic rubber with advanced properties. The Research and Development divisions of the two organizations will collaborate, using an Open Innovation model, to develop technologies and new elastomer grades, including Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), for the production of high-performance tyres. Versalis will leverage the expertise of its Research Center at Ravenna and Ferrara, while Bridgestone will use its Technical Center Europe near Rome.

Wacker Chemie AG: Implementing Temporary Global Surcharge for Dispersions, Resins and Dispersible Polymer Powders  Link...

Wacker Polymers is implementing a surcharge for its complete product range including dispersions, resins and dispersible polymer powders. The surcharge will be combined with adjustments already announced earlier this year resulting in increases ranging from 110 to 400 EUR/MT depending on region, product and sourcing location. The surcharge will be applied from April 1st 2021 and is a temporary measure to ensure fair and reliable supply of products until the market situation normalises.

Shin-Etsu: Increasing Prices of Silicone Products Globally  Link...

Shin-Etsu Chemical is increasing prices globally by between 10 and 20 percent for all of its silicone products, the increases are effective April 2021.

Reasons include the increasing cost of silicon metal, the main raw material of silocones due to supply shortages in China and increasing production costs. Other factors include increasing methanol and catalyst material prices partly driven by supply shortages as well as logistical and secondary material costs.

Wacker Chemie AG: Raising Silicones Prices Globally  Link...

WACKER is raising prices by between 10 and 20 percent for its entire silicones product range, effective April 2021 or as contracs allow. The price increases are required to cover increasing costs in strategic raw materials as well as support and packaging materials.

Dow Chemical: Dow Signs MoU to Establish South China Specialities Hub  Link...

Dow has signed a MoU with Zhanjinag Economic and Technological Development Zone Administrative Committee to build the Dow South China Specialities Hub. In line with Dow’s focus on low capital intensive, fast payback, high return growth projects, under the MOU Dow will approximately $250 million to construct specialty polyurethanes and alkoxylates facilities, with a total product capacity of approximately 250,000 tons. The site also offers opportunity for future development and expansion at the Specialties Hub.

Lanxess: Signs Contract to Acquire Emerald Kalama Chemical  Link...

LANXESS has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 percent shares in Emerald Kalama Chemical on February 14, 2021. The US-based company is a globally leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals, especially for the consumer segment which generates 75 percent of its turnover. The remaining 25 percent comes from the speciality chemicals business for industrial applications, including plastics and adhesives.

Trinseo S.A.: Expands TPE R&D Center in Mussolente, Italy  Link...

Trinseo has finished its TPE R&D center expansion in Mussolente, Italy. The new facility is part of Trinseo's growth strategy for TPE enabling development of custom engineered TPE and TPU products.

JSR Corporation: Considering Structural Reform of Elastomers Business  Link...

JSR Corporation are aiming to establish a business structure and management system with sustainability and resilience to improve corporate value for the medium-long term. This will be done by focusing on growth businesses such as Semiconductor Materials and Life Sciences. Accordingly, JSR are considering structural reform of the Elastomers Business from a fundamental and unsanctioned perspective. Care will be taken in this reform due to the many stakeholders and complex business environment.

Dynasol: Planning Expansion Project at Santander Plant  Link...

Currently in the engineering phase the expansion is at Dynasol's Santander plant with a current capacity of 120 kMTpa of SBS and SEBS.

Synthos S.A.: Explosion and Fire at Synthos Dwory (Oswiecim) Production Plant  Link...

An explosion and fire occured at Synthos' Dwory (Osviecim) production plant on its ESBR production line. The fire was extinguished by the teams of the Company Firefighters and the State Fire Brigade within about 45 minutes. The resulting fire on the installation has been ceased, the ESBR production unit has been idled and put on safe.

Trinseo S.A.: Potential Divesiture of Synthetic Rubber Business  Link...

Trinseo is exploring the potential divestiture of its Synthetic Rubber business. While this business is considered a valuable asset, Trinseo believes that there are other parties which may benefit more from the associated tire market growth potential. Trinseo itself is focusing on its plastics business and markets with reduced cyclability.

Trinseo S.A.: Starts New TPE Pilot Facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan  Link...

Trinseo has inaugurated its TPE pilot facility in Hsinch, Taiwan. The new pilot plant enables Trinseo to produced local custom-engineered TPE and TPU for key customers in APAC.

The state-of-the-art pilot facility at Trinseo’s existing manufacturing site in Hsinchu, enables faster innovation cycles in close collaboration with customers for sustainably advantaged materials in the Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Footwear and Medical markets. It complements Trinseo’s existing main TPE development center in Mussolente, Italy, which is leading industry developments in the design and production of sustainable soft-touch plastics.

Shin-Etsu: Develops Molding Silicone Rubber for Light Weight Rubber Products  Link...

Shin-Etsu Chemical had developed a new low density liquid injection moulding system (LIMS) silicone rubber for molded products. The material does not require a foaming agent which is typically used for lightweight sponge products.

Covestro: Develops Sustainable Cast Elastomer Solution for Offshore Industry  Link...

Covestro has developed a sustainable cast elastomer solution that enables the offshore industry to reduce its environmental impact and carbon footprint.

The PU elastomers are based on cardyon® brand polyols, which contain CO2 and offer the same performance as corresponding petrochemical-based elastomers. Covestro's new technology allows these precursors to be made from 20 percent by weight CO2, thereby replacing some of the fossil raw materials currently used.

Covestro: Expanding Production Capacity for Vulkollan® in Thailand  Link...

Covestro has started construction of a new Vulkollan® production plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. The urethane product is used in demanding applications such as forklift truck tires, couplings and seals for the engineering industry. Production is due to start at the end of 2022.

JSR Corporation: Starts Shipments of S-SBR Produced at Hungarian Plant  Link...

JSR Corporation has started to ship S-SBR manufactured at JSR MOL Synthetic Rubber Ltd. The Hungarian plant is a joint venture between JSR and MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc. Production capacity at the location is 60 kMTpa.

Adaptive3D: Secures Arkema-led Series B Investment  Link...

Adaptive3D has secured Series B financing from a syndicate led by the Arkema Group and bolstered by West Pharmaceutical Services, Clear Fir Partners, and current investors including Applied Ventures and the founding family of Texas Instruments.

Adaptive3D sells photopolymer resins to enable additive manufacturing of tough, strain-tolerant, tear-resistant rubbers, such as its flagship product, Elastic ToughRubber 90™: a tough, printable elastomer for all seasons. Adaptive3D printable photo-resins are optimized for high-throughput manufacturing of functional complex 3-dimensional plastic and rubber parts in consumer, healthcare, industrial, transportation and oil and gas markets. Arkema and West Pharmaceutical Services exemplify the potential end points of a complete additive manufacturing ecosystem, from new material development, scaled specialty resin manufacturing to functional end-use parts.

Trinseo S.A.: Receives Mass Balance Certification from ISCC  Link...

Trinseo has received Mass Balance certification for three material families manufactured at European sites: polystyrene (Tessenderlo, Belgium), polycarbonate (Stade, Germany) and synthetic rubber (Schkopau, Germany).

The certification from the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC), a globally applicable sustainability certification system that covers all sustainable feedstocks, including agricultural and forestry biomass, circular and bio-based materials and renewables, following an audit by TÜV Nord. ISCC’s mass balance system is designed to support bio-economy and circular economy initiatives, such as reduce reuse recycle which in turn will reduce negative impacts to natural resources and reduce climate emissions.

Mass balance is a chain of custody model designed to keep track of the total amount of input (e.g. sustainable feedstock) throughout the production cycle and ensure an appropriate allocation to the finished goods. For example, recycled feedstock replaces an equivalent amount of virgin feedstock at the beginning of the value chain (input) to be allocated to the product (output) in such a manner that the input and output match.

Synthomer Plc: Closing Oulu, Finland SBR Latex Plant  Link...

Synthomer has decided to close its Oulu, Finland SBR latex plant. Consultations are continuing at its Marl, Germany SBR latex plant regarding its future.

Arlanxeo: Selling Olefins Business to Mitsubishi Corporation  Link...

ARLANXEO Canada Inc, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, and Diamond Petrochemicals Canada Corporation, a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation have announced the execution of an agreement between the companies, where ARLANXEO will sell its olefins business to Mitsubishi.

ARLANXEO's olefins business produces butadiene and raffinate, and is located at the Bio-Industrial Park Sarnia in Ontario, Canada. Mitsubishi expects to continue operations in Sarnia, with existing olefins employees transferring from ARLANXEO to Mitsubishi. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals. Closing is expected in 1st half 2021.

BASF: Jointly Develops Novel Bicycle Tube Made Entirely of Elastollan®  Link...

Schwalbe has launchedf its new Aerothan bicycle tube based on BASF's thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) Elastollan®. The tubes are 100% recyclable and are 40% lighter than established alternatives on the market. The advantage of reduced weight is not limited to just better handling, but is also evident in the smaller packing size, which makes the Aerothan tube an ideal backup tube.

Another advantage of the Aerothan bicycle tubes is their recyclability – they are made entirely of thermoplastic polyurethane. Like all Schwalbe tubes, Aerothan bicycle tubes can be returned to the manufacturer, easily and free of charge, via the tube recycling program. The material of the old tubes is processed and then reused as sealing or insulating material.

LyondellBasell: Forming Integrated Joint Venture with Sasol  Link...

LyondellBasell and Sasol have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to form a 50/50 JV through which LyondellBasell will acquire 50 percent of Sasol’s Lake Charles, 1.5 MM ton ethane cracker, 0.9 MM ton low and linear-low density polyethylene plants and associated infrastructure for a total consideration of US$2 Billion. The agreement includes customary rights for each partner regarding the potential future sale of its ownership interest. The JV will operate under the name Louisiana Integrated PolyEthylene JV LLC.

The JV’s newly constructed assets are strategically located on the U.S. Gulf Coast, with access to low-cost feedstock, storage and logistics infrastructure.

Dow Chemical: Outlines Actions for Structural Cost Improvements and Enhanced Competitiveness  Link...

Dow has outlined a series of actions it will take to achieve previously announced structural cost improvement targets and further enhance its long-term competitiveness as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

• Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure will rationalize its asset footprint by shutting down certain amines and solvents facilities in the United States and Europe as well as select small-scale downstream polyurethanes manufacturing facilities.
• Performance Materials & Coatings will shut down manufacturing assets, primarily small-scale coatings reactors, and will also rationalize its upstream asset footprint in Europe and in the United States and Canada by adjusting the supply of siloxane and silicon metal to balance to regional needs.

Wacker Chemie AG: Inaugurates Global Competence Center for Thermal Interface Matrials in Shanghai  Link...

WACKER has opened a global competence center for thermal interface materials (TIM) in Shanghai, China. The new laboratory is located at the company’s China headquarters in Caohejing High-Tech Park. It will conduct fundamental research in order to develop novel silicone-based thermal interface products and solutions for the electrical vehicle market as well as for consumer electronics and telecommunication industries.

TIMs have been a fast growth material segment due to their use in personal computers, consumer electronics, automotive and telecommunications. The demand for silicone-based TIMs is expected to grow continuously, as power density is rising exponentially and thermal management systems become increasingly important.

Kraton Corporation: Award for IMSS Technology  Link...

Kraton's IMSS Technology enabling the moulding of large thin wall soft skin products such as automotive door panels, consoles and instrument panets has been awarded the 2020 Ringier Technology Innovation Award. The TPE technology allows weight savings, haptics technology and recycling of materials and can be used under normal processing conditions.

Algenesis: Algae-based biodegradable polyurethane development  Link...

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed flip flops made from algae-based, polyurethane materials to help fight plastic pollution around the world. The team, which works at the California Center for Algae Biotechnology, used chemistry and biology to turn algae into renewable polymers that can be used to create a wide range of biodegradable products.

BASF: Starts Construction of TPU Plant, Zhanjiang, China  Link...

BASF has started construction of an engineering plastics and TPU production unit within its new Verbund project in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. This production unit is the first plant to be built in the Verbund project serving the needs of growth industries in APAC.

Trinseo S.A.: To Acquire Vinyl Pyridine Latex Business from Synthomer plc  Link...

Trinseo has completed the acquisition of the vinyl pyridine latex (VP latex) business from Synthomer plc. VP latex is an essential ingredient in binders for coating tire cord fabrics, ensuring a strong bond between the tire cord and rubber during the tire manufacturing process.

The transaction includes product recipes, customer lists and associated intellectual property related to the tire cord binders business; no physical assets or employees are transferring to Trinseo. As part of the transaction, Trinseo has established agreements with Synthomer for contract manufacturing the products at Synthomer’s production facility at Marl, Germany, where the products will continue to be produced.

Elkem: Initiates New Productivity Improvement Programme  Link...

Elkem is implementing a new global productivity improvement programme to improve its cost position and streamline its organisation in preparation for future growth and specialisation

The productivity improvements will be achieved mainly through planned reductions of personnel cost. It is too early to estimate how many full-time equivalents will be affected. The programme is being implemented in close dialogue with employee representatives and in compliance with local labour laws.

Wacker Chemie AG: Begins Efficiency Program to Increase Competitiveness and Profitability  Link...

Waker Chimie AG has announced its initial plans for its 'Shape the Future' efficiency program. Savings of €250 million/pa are targetted by reducing material costs and in-house services by creating a leaner company structure. Over 1000 jobs are expected to go by the end of 2022 affecting administrative and indirect business functions. The main part of the reduction will be at German sites.

Lanxess: Vegan Based Rubber Processing Promoter  Link...

Lanxess has added a plant-based raw material variant to its Aktiplast PP product range. Aktiplast PP-veg, which is based on renewable raw materials, was developed specifically in response to a customer requirement from Asia.

Unlike the conventional product, Aktiplast PP-veg is manufactured only from vegetable oils. The proportion of renewable raw materials in Aktiplast PP-veg is around 90 percent, so that its CO2 footprint is significantly reduced. The starting point are raw materials made from the fruits of oil palms. They are ecologically more sustainable than coconut palms, rapeseed or sunflowers, as they provide by far the highest oil yield per hectare of farmland area.

The processing promoter is particularly suitable for polymer blends based on natural rubber. It reduces the viscosity of rubber compounds and significantly improves injection and extrusion behavior, also in combination with functionalized polymers. Depending on the compound composition, the product improves scorch behavior, promotes vulcanization and ensures easy demolding without contamination of the mold.

Evonik Industries: New Multi-Purpose Silicone Production in Geesthacht, Germany  Link...

Evonik has inaugurated its new multi-purpose silicones manufacturing factility in Geesthacht, Germany. The increased production footprint helps to strengthen Evonik's focus on silicone and nanotechnology specialty chemical products.

The additional capacities are for a range of silicone and nanotechnology products. These include: addition-curing silicones and silyl-terminated polymers which are used as binders for adhesives and sealants in parquet adhesives, adhesives for wound care and other medical applications or in electronics such as e-mobility housings or potting materials.

Arlanxeo: Realligning EPDM Production Network with Closure of Its Keltan® Unit in Orange, Texas  Link...

Arlanxeo is realligning its production network of Keltan® EPDM elastomers to improve competitiveness and harmonise technology platforms across the portfolio. This will result in the closure of the production unit in Orange, Texas in Q2 2020.

Solvay: Increasing FKM Capacity in Italy  Link...

Solvay is increasing its FKM, fluoroelastomer capacity, by neary a third at its plant in Spinetta Marengo, Italy. The increase is required to serve ongoing demand growth for high performance sealing applications in automotive, oil & gas and semiconductor industries. The extra capacity is due to come on stream by May 2021 and follows recent increases at the same site as well as at Solvay's Tecnoflon® FKM plant in Changshu, China. Solvay also produces Tecnoflon® FKM in the United States.

Arlanxeo: Completes CR Polymer Plant Turnaround and Continues Modernisation of NBR FActility  Link...

ARLANXEO has completed the turnaround of its CR plant in Dormagen, Germany. This allows the plant to produce up to 70 kMTpa including increased manufacturing flexibility and speciality products.

Modernisation of the NBR plant in La Wantzenau, France is progressing well.

Trinseo S.A.: Building New TPE Pilot Factility in Hsinchu, Taiwan  Link...

Trinseo is planning a Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) pilot facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The facility will be built at its existing Hsinchu site with operation planned in 2020. Once the new pilot line in Hsinchu is operational, Trinseo will produce its custom engineered TPE and thermoplastic urethanes (TPU), including its leading bioplastics portfolio

Petronas: Completes Acquisition of Da Vinci Group B.V.  Link...

Petronas Chemicals Group has acquired the Da Vinci Group, a holding company for BRB International BV. Da Vinci's operations include manufacture of silicones, lube oil additives and chemicals. The BRB silicones business include production of speciality silicones including emulsions, antifoams, water replleants, elastomers, lubricants, silanes, resins and silicone polyethers.

JSR Corporation: Launches New SBR with Improved Strength, Wear Resistance and Durability  Link...

JSR Corporation has developed and launched a new styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) with siginifcantly improved strength, wear resistance and durability.

The new material combines JSR's unique molecular design technology with hydrogenation technology to optimise the number of double bonds and increase the entanglements between rubber molecules. The net result is improved stress distribution with the strength improved by a factor of about 2.

Tires using the new SBR have been shown to improve wear resistance by more than 50% while maintaining low fuel consumption and grip. An additional benefit of the hydrogenation technology is improved performance over time due to reduced deterioration of performance.

BASF: DIC to Acquire BASF's Global Pigments Business  Link...

BASF and DIC have reached an agreement on the acquistion of BASF's global pigment business. The transaction is due to close Q4 2020. BASF’s pigments business with around 2,600 employees globally generated sales of approximately €1 billion in 2018.

DIC is active in three segments: Packaging & Graphics, Functional Products and Color & Display. Color & Display includes a portfolio of pigments. The acquistion of BASF's pigment portfolio will help DIC achieve its growth goals and position asa one of the leading pigment suppliers globally.

Lanxess: Expands Masterbatch Range for Efficient Rubber Reinforcement  Link...

Lanxess is expanding its masterbatch range for efficient rubber reinforcement.

Rhenogran P91-40/Q has a silicone carrier combined with short-fiber aramid pulp and is suitable for high temperature, durable and wear resistant silicone items such as washers and seals.

Rhenogran P91-40/FKM has a flourinated rubber carrier combined with short-fiber aramid pulp and is suitable for high performance products such as those used in aviation.

Rhenogran CNT masterbatches are under development for special applications requiring resistance to high mechanical stress. Single wall CNT masterbatches have a concentration between 1 and 2% and multi-wall CNT's have a concentration of more than 10%. They can be diluted up to 20 times for final use and offer excelption thermal and electrical conductivity. Examples of use include anti-static properites.

Wacker Chemie AG: Adds New Silicone Elastomer Production Line at Zhangjiagang Site in China  Link...

Wacker as inaugurated a new silicone elastomers production line at its site in Zhangjiagang China. The annual production capacity is stated as several thousand metric tonnes. This helps to support Wacker's future growth in China and will improve the availability of high consistency silicone rubber (HCR) in APAC. The plant’s cutting-edge equipment includes world-class kneaders which are essential for manufacturing high quality HCR grades.

Kraiburg TPE: Announce New TPE Class - TEH Thermoplastic Elastomer Hybrids  Link...

Kraiburg TPE is introducing a new innovative technology for thermoplastic elastomers. The hybid technology enables combination of elastomers other than the standard EPDM/PP blends typically used. This allows expansion of the use envelope, with applications targetted at the automotive under hood segment with heat resistance up to 150C. The performance properties of TEH materials include hardness from 55 to 80 Shore A, permanent operating temperatures of up to 150 °C and chemical stability against materials such as oils, lubricants, fuels and coolants. They are particularly suitable for use in the environment of combustion engines, in heat management of drives and batteries for electric vehicles, as well as in lubrication and cooling systems of machines, process technology and buildings. Direct applications include seals and gaskets, plugs and connectors, lids and covers.

Sibur: Expanding Production of TPEs at Voronezh Site  Link...

SIBUR’s Voronezh site will boost the output of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) used in road construction, roof coating production and other industries by 50 ktpa. The project’s key deliverables comprise expanding the range of grades applied in roofing and road construction, and adding new grades for compounds and adhesives. SIBUR plans to supply the products to both domestic and international markets.

Arlanxeo: New Rubber Compound for Self-Sealing Tires  Link...

Arlanxeo has developed a rubber compound that can be used in the future to seal tires. The compound developed by ARLANXEO is applied on the interior of the tire. If, for example, a nail or other sharp object causes a hole in a tire, the rubber compound can seal the defect automatically. The tire is sealed immediately, regardless of the location and environment, while the car is moving. Arlanxeo is currently conducting tests with partners under real life conditions. Once the tests have been successfully completed, the compound will be launched on the market in the course of 2018.

Teknor Apex Company: Singapore Certification for Medical Grade TPE  Link...

SINGAPORE, February 13, 2017: Building on the international success of Medalist® medical thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) produced in the USA, Teknor Apex Company has expanded its supply capabilities for these compounds in Asia by achieving ISO-13485 certification for its TPE production facility in Singapore. ISO-13485 is an international standard for quality management in medical manufacturing. Teknor Apex previously achieved ISO-13485 certification for Medalist facilities in the USA and will now produce Medalist compounds in Singapore as well. The certification is accredited by Det Norske Veritas Certification, Inc. (DNV) and must be audited annually by the DNV to assess continuous improvement.

ExxonMobile: Expanding UK Production of Santoprene TPV  Link...

ExxonMobile are expanding their Newport, UK facilty for Santoprene TPV, increasing the capacity by 25%. Santoprene TPV is used in a wide range of products from medical devices to automotive weatherstrip seals.

Mitsui Chemicals: Adding 5 kMTpa of Milastomer TPE Production, Chiba, Japan.  Link...

Tokyo – Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. is to add a new 5,000 tonnes/annum line for the production of its Milastomer thermoplastic elastomer materials. The expansion at Mitsui’s domestic subsidiary Sun Alloys Co. Ltd is in response to “upswings” in demand for thermoplastic olefinic elastomers. Demand for the low-density material has grown particularly for uses in automotive materials, gaskets and civil engineering joint fillers, building materials, and grips. Mitsui expects demand-growth to continue around the world in line, it said, with wider uses in automotive interiors and as weather strips.

Michelin: JV awards contract to build 120kMTpa Synthetic Rubber Plant  Link...

Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO, President and CEO Kiyoshi Nakao) and PT. Inti Karya Persada Tehnik (IKPT, President and CEO Eiji Hosoi), have been awarded a contract for Synthetic Rubber Plant Project with production capacity of 120,000 tons per annum in Cilegon on the western tip of Java, Indonesia from PT. Synthetic Rubber Indonesia (SRI), Joint Venture company of Compagnie Financiere Du Groupe Michelin (Michelin) and PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk (CAP).

Evonik Industries: Expands Leading Market Position in C4 Products  Link...

Evonik Industries has strengthened its leading position in C4-based products and has successfully, and on time, put into operation new production plants in Antwerp (Belgium). Also in the Marl Chemical Park (Germany), the C4 capacities are being increased. For this, the company has invested a total amount in the three-digit million range (Euro) in the two sites. The new plants result in an expansion of capacities for butadiene in Antwerp, for the plasticizer alcohol Isononanol (Marl) as well as for the antiknock agent MTBE (Marl and Antwerp). According to market analyses, the global demand for these products increases by two to five percent per year.

Lanxess: Starts production at EPDM plant China  Link...

Cologne/Changzhou - German specialty chemicals company LANXESS has successfully started its new EPDM plant in Changzhou (Jiangsu Province), China. With the gradual ramp-up of the new plant LANXESS completes its global EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) asset base. Over the next months LANXESS will be running sampling and approbation processes with customers. The new plant will produce in total ten premium grades of EPDM tailored to Chinese and Asian customer needs. The plant has a nameplate capacity of 160,000 metric tons per year. It is located at the well-established Changzhou Yangtze Riverside Industrial Park, with access to excellent storage and ship uploading facilities.

Dynasol: To Produce and Sell Synthetic Rubber in China  Link...

Dynasol, a subsidiary of Repsol and the Kuo Group, has created a joint company with the Chinese Xing'an petrochemicals company to build a facility and to produce and sell rubber. The new plant will have a production capacity of 100,000 tonnes a year of synthetic rubber, which will also be marketed in other countries in the region. This facility will be part of the complex which the mother company Xing'an owns in Liaoning province, affording seamless integration of its main raw materials

Dynasol: Grupo Kuo & Repsol Strengthen Dynasol JV  Link...

Mexico City, April 27th, 2015 - Grupo KUO, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: KUO), hereinafter Grupo KUO, announces today that, together with its partner Repsol, have agreed to strengthen their existing partnership in Dynasol (solution rubber), by jointly contributing human capital, assets, experience and resources to create a new company, leader in the production of synthetic rubber and chemical accelerators. Since 1999, Grupo KUO and Repsol have been partners in the same proportion at Dynasol, a world leader in asphalt modifiers and plastics, with production facilities located in Altamira, Mexico; Santander, Spain and Liaoning, China, production facility that will start operations at the end of the second quarter of this year. As a result of this agreement, Grupo KUO will contribute to this Joint Venture its emulsion rubber and nitrile business located in Mexico (INSA), as well as its nitrile rubber business (INSA GPRO), whose plant in Nanjing, China, will begin operations at the end of the second quarter of this year. Repsol will contribute its chemicals accelerators business, located in Spain (General Química). As a result of these developments, the resulting company will target the high performance tires market segment; increasing its presence in the global rubber market, participating with diverse and complementary products and technologies focusing on high value-added solutions for the European, American and Asian markets. Given the aforementioned, Dynasol will have the required scale, technology and human capital to create value derived from future growth opportunities and will rank among the major companies in the sector, globally.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim Group: Commissioned Halobutyl Line  Link...

In April 2015 the Company successfully commissioned the fourth halobutyl rubber finishing line of 40 thousand tons name plate capacity. Also in April, commissioned was a facility for high boiling products’ decomposition, which will produce additional 15 thousand tons per year of isoprene, a raw material for the production of isoprene rubber.

Zeon Corporation: Possibl discontinuance of UK production  Link...

Zeon Chemicals Europe Limited (Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, CF64 5ZE, United Kingdom), a wholly owned subsidiary of ZEON CORPORATION (1-6-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan), is considering the discontinuation of its production operation and has entered into consultation with its employees regarding this.

Mitsui Chemicals: Start Up of Milastomer and Admer Compound Plants in Shanghai  Link...

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan; President & CEO: Tsutomu Tannowa) announced the successful March startup of Mitsui Chemicals Functional Composites (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.’s (Chairman: Takayoshi Shimogoori; “MFS” ) plants for Milastomer™ and Admer™ in China’s Shanghai Jinshan District. Mitsui Chemicals Functional Composites (Shanghai) was established in October 2012 as the Group’s strategic base in China for manufacture and sale of functional polymeric materials. In China, rapid growth continues in the automotive and packaging material markets. To capture share in these expanding markets, Mitsui Chemicals strategically situated its new company and manufacturing facilities to serve as its compound base and to support the Group’s efforts as a central player in supplying manufacturers concentrated in Eastern China. The startup of the new plant underpins the Group’s aggressive efforts to strengthen and expand its functional polymeric compound business through intensification of manufacture, distribution, and technical service for its high quality, state-of-the-art products.

Lanxess: Lanxess stopping EPDM production at Marl site  Link...

In August 2014, LANXESS presented a three-phase realignment program. The first phase, focused on improving the competitiveness of the company’s business and administrative structure, including a reduction of around 1,000 positions worldwide, has largely been completed. The reduction of around 500 positions in Germany mainly affected administrative functions and was achieved without dismissals for operational reasons. A further 500 positions are being reduced outside Germany. To date, solutions have been found for about 70 percent of the employees affected. From the end of 2015, LANXESS will achieve savings of around EUR 120 million due to the first-phase measures, rising to EUR 150 million annually from the end of 2016. The company has also initiated the first measures from the second phase, which is aimed at improving operational competitiveness. In light of current market overcapacities for synthetic rubbers, LANXESS is optimizing its production networks for ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber and neodymium-based performance butadiene rubber (Nd-PBR). The company intends to stop EPDM rubber production at its Marl, Germany, site at the end of 2015. Within LANXESS’ EPDM production network, the Marl facility is the least competitive due to economy of scale limitations and comparatively high energy and raw material costs.

Bluestar Silicones USA Corp: Invests 15MM Euro in Elastomer Production at Saint Fons Site  Link...

Bluestar Silicones International has announced an investment of €15m to develop and modernise its elastomer roduction units, in particular that located on the Saint Fons site (Rhône – France). Apart from capacity building, this project aims primarily to improve productivity and quality of Bluestar Silicones’ elastomers. Innovation and development of new products is at the crux of this investment, to help us continue to meet the increasingly stringent requirements in the various technical fields such as automobile, aviation and medical. Finally, ergonomics and working conditions of Bluestar Silicones International teams will benefit from the most recent technological advances brought by this investment.

ExxonMobile:   Link...

ExxonMobil Chemical France said it planned to shut the regular butyl unit at Notre Dame de Gravenchon in the third quarter of 2015. The project is currently under review by the work council. The company said high costs and low demand in western Europe made production of regular butyl rubber grades at Gravenchon uncompetitive.

Reliance Industries Ltd:   Link...

New Delhi – Reliance Industries (RIL) has announced that it will set up joint venture with Russia’s Sibur to build a butyl rubber manufacturing plant in Gujarat.

RusVinyl: PVC facility started.  Link...

PVC production facility in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia was started. Annual capacity of 330kMTpa PVC.

ExxonMobile: breaks ground on butyl rubber and hydrocarbon resin plants in Singapore  Link...

ExxonMobil broke ground today to begin building two new specialty polymers units at its Singapore Chemical Plant. The project reaffirms ExxonMobil’s commitment to supplying the chemical products that support the region's economic growth. Just 10 months after celebrating completion of the major petrochemical expansion in Singapore, ExxonMobil is now ready to construct new halobutyl rubber and hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin production facilities on the Jurong Island site. Work is expected to be completed in 2017 and will add about 140 new jobs to the existing workforce of more than 2,000 at the integrated manufacturing site. The expansion project will add production capacity of 140,000 tons per year. The hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin production unit will be the world’s largest, with a capacity of 90,000 tons per year, to meet long-term demand growth for hot-melt adhesives.

Lotte Chemical: JV with Versilis for SSBR and EPDM plant  Link...

Lotte chemical to build synthetic rubber plant in Yeosu jointly with Versailis (Eni Group) for 200kMTpa of SSBR and EPDM. Construction to begin in 2014. Operational by second half of 2016.

Lanxess: Rhein Chemie 2013 Results  Link...

Mannheim, Germany – Rhein Chemie, a wholly owned subsidiary of specialty chemicals company Lanxess, achieved global sales of €346m in fiscal 2013, a slight increase over the previous year’s €344m. The firm said the “strong euro in particular put a dampener on sales development”. The Lanxess group generated sales of €8.3bn in 2013. Rhein Chemie earned almost half its sales, or €154m, in Europe. The US is now its largest market with sales of €65m. China posted the highest growth – sales rose by 12 percent over the previous year to €50m. “We have already integrated our acquisitions extremely successfully into Rhein Chemie,” said Dr. Anno Borkowsky, CEO and President of Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH. “In the past fiscal year, we also opened new production facilities for bladders and rubber additives and expanded existing facilities to serve as a basis for future growth.” Rhenoshape high-performance bladders for tires are produced in its new plant in Porto Feliz, Brazil. The new production site in Lipetsk, Russia, produces the “globally successful” Rhenogran product line (predispersed polymer-bound rubber additives) used for manufacturing tires, seals and damping elements. At its site in Qingdao, China, Rhein Chemie has further expanded its Rhenogran production capacity by adding another production line. After an 18-month construction period involving a total investment of €2.5m, Rhein Chemie last year expanded a facility at its Mannheim headquarters for producing additives for lubricant manufacturers and plastics processors.

Lanxess: Start up of new Neoprene production line  Link...

Dormagen, Germany – Lanxess has officially started up a new polychloroprene production line, marking the completion of an €18-million investment at its Dormagen site, the company announced 18 June. The project has increased solid rubber production capacity at the site by around 10 percent to 63 kilotonnes per annum, said Lanxess. The existing production lines, it added, will remain in operation to meet customer demand for ‘traditional’ Baypren polychloroprene grades. The new line features a specially developed ‘dry-finishing’ technology, which is designed to reduce emissions and the levels of energy and water used in the production of polychloroprene.

OMV: Butadiene Plant Expanded  Link...

Vienna – Austrian oil and gas group OMV extended its butadiene plant at the Schwechat refinery in Austria this month. OMV intends to focus on petrochemical production at its refinery sites – and parallel to the extension a new butadiene facility is being constructed at its refinery in Burghausen (Germany). This is expected to go into operation in Q2 2015. Manfred Leitner, executive board member responsible for refining and marketing, said: "With the extended plant we are building on the synergies of the Schwechat refinery with regards to petrochemicals. We are creating additional earnings potential and further improving our competitive position." The upgrade began in September 2013 and was completed on 26 April. Regular operations began on 2 May. Butadiene capacity has increased by 30 percent and can now produce 60,000 tons of butadiene per year. The extended plant can still be run by the same number of employees. Up to 90 people were employed in the run-up to the six-week standstill of the plant, while as many as 300 people worked there each day during the upgrade.

Petronas: Pengerang Integrated Complex Expansion - Johor, Malaysia  Link...

Petronas is to proceed with the development of the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC) project in Southern Johor, Malaysia, after the $27bn (€20bn) investment was cleared by its board of directors. The PIC comprises a world-scale (300,000 barrels per day) refinery and petrochemical integrated development (RAPID) and other associated facilities. RAPID is estimated to cost about $16bn while the associated facilities will require another $11bn. Refinery start-up is expected by early 2019 for the project, which is intended to advance Petronas’ position in the Asian chemicals market and meet growing domestic demand for petroleum products and fuels. The petrochemical complex will have a combined capacity to produce 7,700 kilotonnes per annum of various grades of products. These will include differentiated and specialty chemicals products, such as synthetic rubbers and high grade polymers.

Lanxess: Q1 2014 Results  Link...

Cologne, Germany – Specialty chemicals group Lanxess said it expects EBITDA pre exceptionals of around €200m for the first quarter of 2014. In the prior-year quarter, the company posted EBITDA pre exceptionals of €174m that was “burdened by several factors including start-up costs”. Lanxess also confirmed the preliminary figures for fiscal 2013 published on 26 February. Key points: Full-year 2013 sales fell by nine percent to €8.3bn. EBITDA pre exceptionals declines by 40 percent to €735m. Group net loss of €159m impacted by impairment charges. Proposed dividend of €0.50 per share. Q1 2014 EBITDA pre exceptionals expected to be around €200m. "Behind us lies a challenging year," said Lanxess Chief Financial Officer Bernhard Duettmann. "Negative effects were the volatile raw material prices and increasing competition, especially in the synthetic rubber business." The company will propose to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on 22 May that a dividend of €0.50 per share be paid for 2013. This would result in a total dividend payment of around €42m. A dividend of €1.00 per share was paid for 2012. Outlook for 2014: Lanxess expects the market environment for synthetic rubber to remain challenging in 2014 in light of the competitive and capacity situation. Exchange rates, in particular the US Dollar, are likely to continue their volatile development. The same applies to raw material costs, albeit at a comparatively moderate level. Earnings in the first quarter of 2014 will also be impacted by the effects of a strike at the company’s site in Zwijndrecht, Belgium. Butyl rubber production there has been at a standstill for around three weeks. For the full year 2014, Lanxess is anticipating a slight improvement in EBITDA pre exceptionals, due alone to the absence of one-time items, even if selling prices remain at low levels. For the current year, Lanxess is planning capital expenditures at the same level as in 2013. Most of these will go toward the construction of the world-scale plant for Nd-PBR (neodymium-based performance butadiene rubber) in Singapore and for the construction of the plant for EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer) rubber in China. Both plants are scheduled to come on stream in 2015. In the third quarter of 2014, a world-scale facility for polyamides will start operation at the site in Antwerp, Belgium. As of 2015, capital expenditures should decrease substantially and be used predominantly to expand and maintain existing facilities.

JSR Corporation: JV in Hungary For S-SBR Production  Link...

JSR now free from the deal with Styron has made an agreement with MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas PLC to establish a JV in Hungary to produce S-SBR.

Lanxess: Butyl Rubber Process  Link...

ZWIJNDRECHT, Belgium—Lanxess A.G. concluded the pilot phase for what it said is a highly efficient production process for butyl rubber. The firm has developed this technology for a more sustainable production process for the last seven years. It said an important step in the process was testing the technology at two pilot plants at its production site in Zwijndrecht since spring 2012.

Synthos S.A.: Planning Synthetic Rubber Plant in Brazil  Link...

Warsaw – Polish chemicals manufacturer Synthos is planning a synthetic rubber plant in Brazil, reported Marcin Goettig for Reuters. The plant would be based on Michelin technology, using raw materials supplied by Brazil's major petrochemical company Braskem, Synthos said. Synthos also said in statements published on 31 March that it had signed a conditional 15-year deal with Braskem worth around 4.5 billion zlotys (€1.1 billion) for the supply of butadiene to the planned plant. Synthos said it also signed a conditional 20-year deal with French tire maker Michelin, under which Michelin would grant a licence for the production of synthetic rubber and transfer the related know-how to Synthos. "The purchase of Michelin's licence and know-how will lead to an increase in the group's (Synthos) capacity in terms of butadiene-based synthetic rubbers to about 80,000 tonnes per year," Synthos said, adding the plant was planned for 2017. The Polish company also said it had signed conditional multi-year deals for the delivery of synthetic rubber to Michelin and Italy's Pirelli Tyre worth 1.15 billion zlotys (€0.28 billion) and 1.55 billion zlotys (€0.37 billion), respectively. All the deals are conditional on Braskem securing long-term contracts for the supply of crude oil to its plants.

Styron: Converting NiBR production to Nd-BR, Schkopau Germany  Link...

Horgen, Switzerland – Styron is to convert its nickel butadiene rubber (Ni-BR) production train in Schkopau, Germany to manufacture neodymium butadiene rubber (Nd-BR). The project should be completed by the fourth quarter of 2015, the company said 9 April. The conversion is in response to increasing global demand for Nd-BR in green tires and ultra-high performance tires, said Styron, which also supplies solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR) for these applications.

Zeon Corporation: Begins S-SBR Production - Jurong Singapore  Link...

Singapore – Zeon Corporation has begun full-scale commercial production of solution polymerised styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) at its Singapore facility on Jurong Island. A ceremony to mark the formal completion of the plant was held on 11 April. Zeon expects SSBR demand to grow rapidly due to increasing environmental awareness around the world and new tire labelling regulations in Japan and elsewhere. The plant began partial operation in September 2013, followed by final commissioning and quality assurance work. The Zeon Group views Singapore as an important location for its future operations and says it will continue to develop its business there.

ExxonMobile: Planning Expansion of Halobutyl and Hydrogenated Resin - Singapore  Link...

Singapore – ExxonMobil Corp. will build facilities to manufacture halobutyl rubber and hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin at its expanded petrochemical complex in Singapore, reported Rubber & Plastics News. Financial details were not disclosed. ExxonMobil said the expansion will meet the long-term demand for growth for hot-melt adhesives. The firm said that the expansion project would add production capacity of 140 000 tonnes per year. The hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin production unit will be the world’s largest, with a capacity of 90 000 tonnes per year, to meet long-term demand growth for hot-melt adhesives. “Our expanded steam-cracking capability at Singapore provides a platform for growth through a wide range of petrochemical building blocks that can be further upgraded to specialty products,” ExxonMobil President Steve Pryor said. “We continue to invest in expanding capacity at our strategic hub in Singapore, which is an ideal location to efficiently serve the fast growing Asia Pacific market.” ExxonMobil is a petrochemical producer with manufacturing, technology and marketing operations around the world.

Sumitomo Chemical: Opens S-SBR plant Singapore  Link...

Singapore – Japanese-based Sumitomo Chemical has opened its first solution-styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) plant in Asia outside Japan, reported Channel NewsAsia. The plant will make Singapore's Jurong Island one of the world's largest manufacturing sites for synthetic rubber. Sumitomo is seeking to tap growing demand from major tire manufacturers worldwide. The plant, which will serve customers in Asia, Europe and North America, has an annual capacity of 40 000 tonnes. At the opening ceremony on Friday, Singapore's Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said that the government will continue to support the local energy and chemicals industry through infrastructure investments

Styron: Develops New S-SBR grades for Winter Treads  Link...

New SLR 3402 and SLR 4502 grades for winter tyre treads.

Styron: Agreement with JSR for S-SBR Production Capacity  Link...

HORGEN, Switzerland—Styron Europe GmbH and JSR Corp recently reached an agreement under which Styron, a legal entity of Berwyn, Pa.-based Styron L.L.C., will purchase JSR's current production capacity rights at a world-scale rubber production hub in Schkopau, Germany, allowing Styron to further expand its rubber business.

Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co Ltd: Building new Halogenated BIIR Plant  Link...

Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co Ltd are building a new 50kMTpa halogenated BIIR plant.

Shandong Dawn Polymer Co: TPV Expansion  Link...

Implementing new high performance TPV project - constructin 10/14 to 10/16.

Weifang Daye Chemical Co: New Synthetic IR plant  Link...

Weifang Daye Chemical Co are constructing a new synthetic IR plant to be finished October 2015.

Sibur: Expanding with third butyl rubber line  Link...

Tolyattikauchuk as sibsiduary of Sibur commissioned a third butyl rubber seperation line increasing its capacity from 48 to 53kMTpa.

Chandra Asri Petrochemical: JV with Michelin for Synthetic Rubber Plant in Indonesia  Link...

Chandra and Michelin plan to develop a $435MM synthetic rubber plant in Indonesia. Construction to start 2015 for commisioning in 2017 and capacity of 120kMTpa.

Dynasol: Setting up JV with Shanxi Northern Xing'an Chemical Industry for SSBR/BR/SBS production.  Link...

Liaoning North Dynasol Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd. is a 50-50 Joint Venture set up by Dynasol and Shanxi Northern Xing'An Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (Xing'An) in the city of Panjin, Liaoning Province, with a total production capacity of 100Kt/a of SSBR / BR / SBS.