polystyrene
Feb 16th, 2010
Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR): 2010 World Market Outlook and Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON – The worldwide growth levels of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) are pegged at 2-3%/y. By 2015, SBR consumption is anticipated to reach around 5.8 M tones.
China is expected to drive much of SBR demand and will be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period. Currently, China is adding new Styrene-Butadiene Rubber production facilities in order...
Feb 5th, 2010
Polycarbonate 2010 World Market Outlook And Forecast Recently Added by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON - Global annual polycarbonate demand growth is forecast to slow to around 5% between 2009-2015, from historical growth rates of around 7-8%. Key optical data storage application will continue falling as it’s superseded by other data storage options, losing its leading position to the electronics/electrical sector.
Sharp growth in demand from Blu-ray players...
Jul 9th, 2009
NatureWorks Doubles Ingeo Bioplastics Production Capacity; Considers New Plant in Asia
NatureWorks LLC, manufacturer of Ingeo™ PLA biopolymers from plants, have successfully installed and commissioned additional equipment allowing the facility to increase production from 70 metric tons to 140 metric tons (~ 300 million pounds) at its Blair, Nebraska, Ingeo manufacturing site. In late 2008, the plant inaugurated a new manufacturing supply process that further lowered...
Jul 7th, 2009
BASF, Sinopec Get Govt Nod for Expansion
The Chinese central government has approved the Joint Feasibility Study Report submitted by BASF and SINOPEC for the expansion of their joint venture, BASF-YPC Co., Ltd. (BYC), in Nanjing, China, as of July 1, 2009.
BASF and Sinopec will jointly invest approximately $1.4 billion in state-of-the-art technologies to produce downstream specialty chemicals for the Chinese market,...
Jun 26th, 2009
Chinese EPS Producer Nijiaxiang to Start New Plant this Week
China’s Nijiaxiang New Material Co. will start its new 60,000 mt/year expandable polystyrene plant at Jiangyin this week, a company source said Thursday.
Trial runs at the new plant have already been completed and it should be up and running “in a couple of days,” the source said.
Nijiaxiang’s older 120,000 mt/year facility caught fire June 20...
Jun 9th, 2009
Japan’s SM Demand Rises as PS Runs Rise to 85% in June
Japan’s domestic demand for styrene monomer has increased considerably from June due to higher than expected production runs at downstream polystyrene units and an upcoming turnaround at Mitsubishi Chemical’s SM unit, industry sources said Monday.
While operating rates at PS plants through most of the first quarter were around 30-50% of capacity, starting April the...
Jun 5th, 2009
Mitsubishi Chemical Announces Restructuring of Petrochemicals Businesses
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (”MCC”; Head office; Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Yoshimitsu Kobayashi) announced today that MCC has decided to withdraw from caprolactam and styrene monomer businesses in the course of restructuring petrochemicals businesses. MCC will further strengthen competitiveness in petrochemicals businesses by focusing on core businesses. As for the details, please refer to the attached sheet.
The...
Jun 1st, 2009
Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical to Quit Caprolactam and Styrene Monomer Businesses
Expecting a greater inflow of cheap plastic intermediates from the Middle East combined with a reduced domestic and international demand, chemical maker Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) has decided to quit caprolactam and styrene monomer businesses within a span of two years. In a press statement, the company said it did not see ‘long term value’...
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...
Apr 20th, 2009
China XD Plastics, Harbin Research Join Forces for Modified PP Research
Harbin Xinda Macromolecule Material Research Institute (China) has announced to join forces with Harbin Institute of Technology (China) on the pre-research of pre-foamed modified polypropylene (PP) and have successfully completed a small trial testing. Harbin Xinda Macromolecule Material Research Institute is a wholly owned subsidiary of China XD Plastics Company Ltd., China’s largest developer of...
Apr 20th, 2009
Asian Styrenics Look Set to Adjust Down on End-user Resistance
The prices of Asian styrenics, which include styrene monomer, polystyrene and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, looks set for a downward adjustment in the next few weeks as sentiment turns bearish on signs of increasing SM supply and more importantly on rising resistance from downstream buyers.
The polymer market in China, specially for polypropylene and polyethylene also made a...
Apr 17th, 2009
Mitsubishi and Sinopec Announce Cooperation Plans
Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical and China’s Sinopec have signed what they are calling a “strategic business partnership”, building on an existing joint venture in polypropylene compounding and their plans for a Chinese joint venture making polycarbonate and bisphenol A.
The announcement comes on the heels of Japanese newspaper reports that Tokyo-based Mitsubishi is considering exiting the polystyrene...
Apr 16th, 2009
SM, PS, ABS Could Down-adjust in Asia on Resistance from End-users
Prices of Asian styrenics, which include styrene monomer, polystyrene and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, looks set to down adjust in the next few weeks as per Platts. This drop could occur as sentiment turns bearish on signs of increasing supply of feedstock SM, along with rising resistance from downstream buyers. The adjustment is likely to be on a...
Apr 14th, 2009
Mitsubishi Chemical, Sinopec to Broaden Alliance
Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp said on Tuesday it would enter a strategic partnership with China’s Sinopec (600028.SS) in petrochemicals to lower procurement and development costs and expand market share.
Mitsubishi Chemical, which is seeking new revenue streams in China, said it would discuss further tie-ups with Sinopec in areas such as organic solar cells and...
Apr 13th, 2009
Mitsubishi Plans to Restructure: to Exit Polystyrene and PVC Businesses
Hit by deteriorating demand amid overcapacity, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp plans to exit the polystyrene and PVC businesses, possibly triggering reorganization within the industry. The company is likely to hive off its 27.5% stake in PS Japan Corp, Japan’s biggest supplier of polystyrene, to other shareholders in the company, Asahi Kasei Corp and Idemitsu Kosan Co,...
Apr 13th, 2009
Syndiotactic Polystyrene Resin from Idemitsu Kosan Gets Go-ahead for Drinki…
Japan-based Idemitsu Kosan recently announced that Xarec WA, a syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) crystalline polymer has been give a go-ahead for use in hot and cold water applications. The SPS resin, which contains about 20% - 40% glass fiber reinforcement, has been manufactured for plastic products used for drinking water. The company announced that Xarec WA...
Apr 10th, 2009
M’bishi Chem to Stop Making Polystyrene, PVC-paper
IMitsubishi Chemical Corp will exit the polystyrene and PVC businesses as early as this year due to shrinking domestic demand and intensified competition with Asian and Middle Eastern rivals, a newspaper reported. The Nikkei business daily said the move is part of a shift by the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp (4188.T) unit to advanced materials...
Apr 9th, 2009
Several Styrene Plants Expected to Raise Capacity, Restart in Asia
Styrene Monomer demand in Asia, particularly China, continues to perk up due to a rebound of the furniture sector. Increase in demand is estimated as the peak demand season for derivative Polystyrene is set to commence. Several producers in Asia are gearing up for this increased demand.
Japan’s Nihon Oxirane Co., a 50:50 joint venture between...