polyethylene
Aug 24th, 2010
Polyester Chain: PFY softens while PSF gains
Polyester upstream ethylene prices gained in Asian and USA markets pushed by rising feedstock naphtha values and tight market supply. Demand from downstream derivative markets was also buoyant, particularly from polyethylene markets. However, demand in Japan was seen dropping. Similarly, Asian paraxylene prices regained the previous week’s loss while European markets saw prices weakening following...
Jul 2nd, 2010
Modern Polypropylene Packages Have High Technical Characteristics and Maximal Convenience in Use
With the global economy starting to recover in the second half of 2009, the polypropylene (PP) usage level will reach 2007 usage levels sometime in 2010. Global polypropylene usage growth will average 3.7% per year for the next five years.
Polypropylene industry is witnessing emergence of new PP companies, and the change of roles on the...
Feb 25th, 2010
Ethylene prices in USA continue to rise during February
US ethylene prices continued to rise during February. March Nymex cleared ethylene settling and expiring at US$0.54/lb. The contract, which began trading in July 2009, settled for February last month at US$0.4675/lb. Ethylene trades in 100,000 lb lots per contract on the NYMEX’s Clearport system. In the overall cash markets, March ethylene traded up from...
Feb 19th, 2010
US Demand for Independently Compounded Resins to Grow 2.9% pa in 2013
US demand for independently compounded resins is forecast to grow 2.9% pa to 7.6 billion lbs in 2013 as per Reportlinker. Total value, including additives, fillers and other production costs, will reach US$14.6 bln. Further thermoplastic inroads at the expense of metal, wood and glass will necessitate higher performance characteristics and a more competitive cost...
Dec 29th, 2009
Plantic inks deal to improve biodegradable plastic supply chain
Australian manufacturer of corn-based bioplastics announces plans for new manufacturing facility
Plantic Technologies, the Australia-based developer of biodegradable plastics made from plants, has announced plans for a new US manufacturing facility designed to reduce the cost of its production procesess.
The company has signed a deal to relocate one of its manufacturing lines to the premises of...
Jul 13th, 2009
Polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE) - The European Polyethylene Market: Summer Trends 2009
The European polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE) market in summer 2009 was characterized by price rises (by an average of 10% or by €100/tonne), tight supply paralleled by fairly large exports, reduced operating rates coupled by a number plant operational failures (primarily, at Polimeri Europa’s PE facilities in Gela and Priolo, Italy).
Low density polyethylene price...
Jun 24th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Crude oil prices dipped by over a dollar to US$71 per barrel in the week of June 22, 2009. Weak fuel demand despite data indicating a recovery in the global economy has kept crude oil pegged at US$71 per barrel. This marks a stop to four consecutive weeks of oil price hike. The weakening...
Jun 22nd, 2009
China Will Be the Principal Driver of Polyethylene Demand Till 2020
The Chinese polyethylene market size was US$$13,865 million in 2008 and is forecast to grow by more than 8%, accounting for nearly 17% of the global polyethylene demand in 2020 as per Global Markets Direct. China has emerged as the principal manufacturing and export location for low value plastic products in the world due to...
Jun 17th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
In the week of June 15, 2009, crude oil prices have risen to new highs for the year to US$72.5, as compared to levels below US$35 in March. Interestingly, though oil prices have been rising for a month now, many analysts believe that the current oil valuation is not based on economic reality, but...
Jun 12th, 2009
Petrochemical Firms Hiking Prices
Petrochemical companies are raising product prices in the face of rising crude oil prices, at a time when automakers and other users are struggling with falling demand amid a recession, industry officials said Thursday.
Companies affiliated with Mitsui Chemicals Inc and Mitsubishi Chemical Corp will raise prices of polyethylene and polypropylene by more than 20 yen...
Jun 10th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
At the end of the week of June 8, 2009, crude futures have retreated to US$68, after surging past US$70 midweek- to 6 month highs after release of a report indicating better-than-expected improvement in US jobs scenario. The latest employment report is an indication of the improving health of the US economy. The loss...
May 27th, 2009
Rise in China’s Polyolefins Imports May Not be Due to Stimulus
The rise in Chinese demand for imported polyolefins in the first half of the year may be primarily due to a temporary shift away from material produced by the country’s domestic plastics recycling industry, rather than the new subsidies and stimulus package implemented by the government in a bid to boost the economy, a source...
May 25th, 2009
Borouge’s to Strategically Invest in China and the Middle East; Expects High…
In spite of the current global downturn, Borouge — a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Borealis — is continuing with its major investment plans in China, and elsewhere in the Middle East and Asia. Borouge is currently tripling its polyolefins manufacturing capacity to 2 mln tpa by 2010 under...
May 21st, 2009
Leading Plastics Solutions Provider Plans Major Expansion into China
Borouge, a leading provider of innovative, value creating plastics solutions, is gearing up its operations to support its customers all over China with major investments here and in Singapore and the Middle East. Borouge is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Borealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative...
May 20th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Crude oil settled at US$59 at the end of the week of May 18, 2009, as Nigerian militants threatened to block waterways used for energy exports and an explosion and fire affected production at Sunoco Inc. refinery. Mid week, prices dipped as the US Labor Department reported that new jobless claims rose to a...
May 19th, 2009
JAPAN’S SEKISUI PLASTICS POSTPONES AUTO PLASTIC EXPANSION PLANS
JSekisui Plastics Co. (TSE:4228) is shelving plans for about a year to increase production of a plastic used in the floors and bumpers of automobiles due to production cuts by automakers.
The midsize chemical firm had intended to boost production capacity for a special material that it makes by blending polyethylene and polystyrene.
Its Shiga plant...
May 4th, 2009
ExxonMobil Shuts Singapore Chemical Plant Units for Turnaround
ExxonMobil has shut several petrochemical units at its Singapore Chemical Plant on Sunday for scheduled maintenance, the company said.
The turnaround is expected to last about eight weeks, the company said in a statement, but did not specify which units of the SCP were shut.
The SCP is integrated with the US company’s 605,000 b/d refinery at...
Apr 29th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
NAPHTHA
Weakening demand from derivative markets has caused naphtha prices to dip marginally below US$450/MT in Asia in the week of April 27, 2009. Open-spec naphtha prices for H1-June delivery settled at US$446/MT CNF Japan.
ETHYLENE
Despite robust demand from downstream polyethylene markets, FOB Korea ethylene prices stabilized at US$690/MT as the supply scenario improved in Asia in...
Apr 24th, 2009
China Petrochemical Sector Sends Clear Signals of Warming Up in Q1
China’s petrochemical sector has shown marked signs of warming up in the first quarter, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The combined crude oil, natural gas and product oil output of the coun try’s four major oil producers went up 10.6 percent, 5.5 percent and 1 3.7 percent...