styrene
Apr 1st, 2010
Styrene Demand Remains Dominated by Polystyrene According to Report Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON – The fastest styrene demand growth is forecast in China, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central and South America. Based on current capacity expansion announcements, the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, and the Middle East will remain net exporters while Mexico, India, Thailand and other Asian countries...
Feb 18th, 2010
Phthalic Anhydride (PA): 2010 World Market Outlook and Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON – World Phthalic Anhydride (PA) market faces the consequences of global economy downturn. Many producers had been reducing operating rates since the beginning of 2009 to bring the production more in line with demand.
In 2010-2015, the majority of countries and regions will cease the production or have negative growth, with an exception of...
Feb 16th, 2010
Bisphenol A (BPA): 2010 World Market Outlook And Forecast Been Recently Released by MarketPublishers.com
LONDON – Bisphenol A (BPA) is expected to post a global growth of 0-3%/y from 2010 to 2015 with Asia, particularly China, accounting for the strongest performance at 5%/y. European growth is forecast to remain unchanged to 1%.
BPA is primarily used in the manufacture of polycarbonate resins, with such application accounting for around 75%...
Jul 21st, 2009
Tyre Makers in Asia Raise Concerns Over Feedstock BD Surge
SINGAPORE (ICIS news)–Tyre makers in Asia have raised concerns over soaring feedstock butadiene (BD) prices, which may hamper demand recovery and impact on their fourth-quarter (Q4) contract negotiations with the styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) producers.
BD is the feedstock for SBR, which in turn is used in the manufacture of tyres for the automotive industry.
“The feedstock...
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 9th, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
Bleak unemployment figures from USA and Europe have sunk oil prices to US$66/barrel. Weak jobs figures suggest tepid consumption that will dampen crude demand. A Labor Department report indicated 467,000 jobs were lost in June - a larger than expected drop that has pushed up unemployment rate to 9.5% at 26 year highs. Unemployment...
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,...
Jul 1st, 2009
Price Trends of Oil, Polymer Feedstock and Commodity Polymers in Asia
CRUDE OIL
For the second consecutive week, crude oil prices have finished in the red, settling below US$70 in the week of June 29, 2009. Light sweet crude oil for August delivery settled at US$69.1, down by over one dollar for the week amid rough trading. The Energy Information Administration data indicated a 3.8 mln barrel...
Jun 29th, 2009
Industry Expectations that Can Boost the Consumption of Petrochemicals in India
The growth potential of India’s polymer and petrochemical industry has not completely materialized largely due to the high excise duty rate on petrochemicals. To boost petrochem consumption to partially/fully offset the loss in revenue from excise duty, the industry has a few expectations that include:
Import duty on two basic feedstocks naphtha and propane be reduced...
Jun 26th, 2009
Petrochemicals: Hike Import Duty on Polymers
Petrochemicals are chemicals manufactured from petroleum feed stocks.
Petrochemical manufacturing involves manufacture of building blocks by cracking or reforming operation; conversion of building blocks into intermediates such as fibre intermediates (Acrylonitrile, Caprolactam, Dimethyl Terephthalate/Purified Terephthalic Acid, Mono Ethylene Glycol); precursors (Styrene, Ethylene Dichloride, Vinyl Chloride Monomer, etc) and other chemical intermediates; production of synthetic fibres, plastics,...
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 25th, 2009
Phthalic Anhydride Capacity Utilization Rates will Go Down to 50-70% in Addition to Plants Closures
LONDON-World Phthalic Anhydride Market faces the consequences of the global economy downturn.
Profits had been decreasing since the beginning of the year resulting from low consumption. Many producers reduced operating rates to bring production more in line with demand. Prices were increasing due to proportionately higher fixed costs. The market was in over-supply.
There is no...
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 24th, 2009
KOREA KUMHO PETROCHEMICAL COMPLETES PLANT CONSTRUCTION IN CHINA
South Korean chemical producer Korea Kumho Petrochemical Co. (KSE:011780) said Wednesday it has completed the construction of a US$40 million plant in Shandong Province, China.
The plant will produce 150,000 tons a year of SB-Latex for paper coating, the company said in a statement.
Kumho established a 50:50 joint venture named Rizhao Kumho Jinma Chemical Co....
Jun 15th, 2009
Mitsubishi Chemical: Exit from Caprolactam and Styrene Production
Mitsubishi Chemical (MCC, Tokyo / Japan; www.m-kagaku.co.jp) is to withdraw from caprolactam production in March 2010. It will close two units for the production of cyclohexane and cyclohexanone with a combined capacity of 230,000 t/y and cease downstream production of 60,000 t/y of caprolactam at its Mizushima and Kurosaki plants in Japan. The company said...
Jun 11th, 2009
Styrene Price Still Stuck at 38¢/lb
Styrene prices have averaged 38¢/lb for the past three months and have been unchanged at that level, according to subscription newsletter ICISpricing.com, even though styrene producers wanted a 5¢-6¢ increase to offset cost increases for benzene, a key feedstock, which has risen in price by 69% since January.
Market insiders say styrene prices are staying depressed...
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...
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 4th, 2009
NWE Benzene Prices Threatened by Imminent US and Asian Imports
The Northwest European spot benzene market looked set to weaken through June and July as a combination of US and Asian imports and a relaxation of prompt supply shortages has created a steep June to July backwardation of $30/mt.
According to market sources Tuesday morning, bids for June were seen potentially as high as $760/mt for...
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...