Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Compound Fuel cell US Economy 11-12-2021 - Arhive

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Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Compound Fuel cell US Economy

-Multiple factors constraining food-contact PCR supply

Contaminating additives and declining recycling rates for food packaging are limiting growth in production of food-grade recycled resin, according to research from a consulting firm.

Stina Inc., formerly known as More Recycling, recently published “Assessing the state of food grade recycled resin in Canada and the United States.” The report, commissioned by Environment and Climate Change Canada, set out to explore the barriers and possible solutions to growing the use of recycled plastic in food-contact-suitable applications.

The report focused on PET, HDPE and PP. It examined current and potential sources of food-contact-suitable recycled material, collection and processing capacity, and current end uses.

Stina completed 16 interviews of stakeholders from companies that produce or consume a large quantity of food-contact resin in North America.

The research found a limited supply of recycled plastic that can be used in food contact applications. This was identified as the “biggest challenge” among the interviewed stakeholders.

“In Canada and the United States, the vast majority of plastic products and packaging produced each year and placed on the market is not suitable for processing into food grade PCR,” the report found.

Three factors lead to a package not being recycled into a food-contact application, the report found. These include the package being initially produced using resin that’s not suitable for food contact, a converter using additives that render the package not suitable for food contact, or the packaged product leaching contaminants into the package

There are a few solutions that could address these challenges, Stina found. These include creating greater transparency about the chemical composition of packaging, reducing use of additives that render a material not suitable for food contact, and more general recyclability measures such as promoting design for recycling.

One interviewed converter told the researchers that “design for recycling is critical” to increasing the quantity of material suitable for food-contact applications, because “the way a package starts its life impacts what it could be used for next.”

The researchers also noted that improving collection systems specifically for food-contact recycled plastic would help with the supply challenges.

For example, some interviewees “acknowledged that more deposit systems in the U.S. and Canada would improve the recycling rate for bottles significantly and provide more readily recyclable high-quality material for reclaimers that could be suitable for both food-contact and other applications that require high quality PCR,” the report states.

The research also probed North American processing infrastructure for food-contact recycled resin. Food-contact RPET processing capacity made up about 60% of the total RPET processing capacity in 2019, Stina reported. For natural HDPE, food-grade made up about 20% of the bottle processing capacity that year. Stina did not report the capacity for food-contact PP, looking to “protect the confidentiality of the small number of polypropylene recyclers.”

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

-Trafigura plans hydrogen plant in South Australia

Global commodities trading firm Trafigura has unveiled plans to build an ammonia and hydrogen plant powered by renewable sources, with an initial production capacity of 20 t/d of green ammonia for export by 2025 at Port Pirie in South Australia (SA) and a future expansion to 100 t/d using a 440MW electrolyser at a cost of A$750mn ($537mn).

Trafigura plans to make a final investment decision by the end of next year with construction starting in 2023. Trafigura, together with the SA state government, will jointly fund an engineering study for the project.

The project is planned to be integrated into the lead smelter at Port Pirie, which is operated by Belgium-based metals group Nyrstar, which in turn is controlled by Trafigura. The hydrogen project will form the cornerstone of a new green hydrogen precinct in Port Pirie, Trafigura said.

The first stage of the proposed hydrogen project involves an 85MW electrolyser, creating hydrogen and oxygen by splitting water with renewable energy, SA premier Steven Marshall said. The oxygen will be used to supply around 20pc of the Port Pirie smelter’s requirements, with the hydrogen converted to ammonia for export and use by shipping, domestic transport and supporting the Port Pirie industrial precinct.

The second stage involves a 440MW electrolyser, supplying the entire oxygen needs of the smelter, and producing large amounts of ammonia for export while maintaining supplies to the domestic market, Marshall said.

The SA government last month said it had shortlisted seven hydrogen projects powered by renewable energy for its proposed hydrogen hub at Port Bonython, which is around 40km across the Upper Spencer Gulf region of SA.

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

-Oriental Energy once again selects Grace’s UNIPOL PP technology

W.R. Grace & Co., the leading independent supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology, polypropylene (PP) process technology, and technology services, has licensed its UNIPOL PP process technology to Oriental Energy for its Maoming, China, plant. This is Oriental Energy’s fifth PP line, and its fourth using Grace’s UNIPOL PP process technology with a production capacity of 400 KTA.

Laura Schwinn, President of Grace’s Specialty Catalysts business said, “We are extremely pleased that Oriental Energy has chosen our UNIPOL PP process technology once again for its newest polypropylene line in Maoming. Our continuous cooperation over the last ten years has created a solid and lasting relationship between our businesses, and we are excited to watch Oriental Energy achieve their goal of becoming one of the top polypropylene producers in the world using our technology.”

Mr. Wu, Yinlong, General Manager of Oriental Energy, commented, “We selected Grace’s UNIPOL PP process for our site in Maoming because of our confidence in the technology. We know from experience with our other UNIPOL PP lines that we can produce the advanced polypropylene resins we need for our customers. We also know Grace will be a trusted advisor to provide support and service for the life of our plants.” Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

Oriental Energy currently has the largest UNIPOL PP operating capacity in China, and there are plans to build additional PP lines at their sites in Ningbo and Maoming in the years to come.

About Grace’s UNIPOL PP technology

UNIPOL PP technology provides licensees with a competitive advantage, allowing them to successfully participate in today’s highly competitive global PP market. The UNIPOL PP technology family, with over 100 reactor lines licensed worldwide, manufacture the broadest range of PP homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers in the industry with a choice of close to 300 standard grades.

Product and economic performance is derived from the unique combination of Grace’s proprietary UNIPOL PP process technology, CONSISTA catalyst and donor systems, UNIPOL UNIPPAC Process Control System, and on-going global technical service & support. All UNIPOL PP technology licensees can take advantage of Grace’s strong, long-term commitment to ensure their success through continuous catalyst, donor, and product innovations, for the lifetime of the plant.

Oriental Energy once again selects Grace’s UNIPOL PP technology

-Pundits See Prices Back on Rise in 2022

Oil trade has been volatile lately, with intraday price swings of several dollars becoming common amid intense cross currents. Variants of Covid-19 and governmental responses to halt the spread continue to delay demand recovery, adding to an expected supply surplus in the first half of 2022. Yet, most price pundits see crude rising next year, particularly in the first half. They see the potential for an immediate supply crunch from high natural gas prices prompting fuel switching. Further down the line, they warn of a crunch from structural underinvestment — or Opec-plus engineering. An overview of pundit forecasts shows Brent at $76.89 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) at $73.72 in 2022. Some see prices spiking in the first half of the year before easing as 2023 approaches, largely a function of demand recovery meeting Opec-plus unwilling to add supply. While the consensus view is that prices will rise in 2022, the scale varies. Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) sees second-quarter Brent at $95. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) sees Brent trading at roughly $71 during the same time period. Energy Intelligence puts Brent at $83, expecting high summer demand.

While Opec-plus is for now committed to monthly supply increases of 400,000 barrels per day, the thinking among bullish forecasters is that capital discipline across much of the industry and production outages elsewhere will keep output under pressure. Those pundits seeing much higher prices also call into question the ability of Opec-plus to meet its rising targets. Analysts with investment bank JPMorgan Chase see Opec-plus production running some 2 million b/d below consensus expectations next year. “We expect Opec-plus to delay planned output growth in early 2022 … all else equal, deferral of [planned] production growth for three months at the start of 2022 would wipe out expected surplus and leave the market balanced,” the bank’s commodities team said. JPMorgan also questions the bloc’s ability to hike output by monthly increments of 400,000 b/d, predicting a functional increase of 250,000 b/d. Elsewhere, supply remains hampered due to the pandemic’s impact on investment and the ongoing energy transition. “US E&Ps have remained disciplined this year and reiterated low to no-growth investment plans … This continued discipline combined with an increased focus on decarbonization, particularly for the EU majors, has limited supply growth” amid rising consumption, noted analysts with investment bank Morgan Stanley. To wit, the EIA recently revised its forecast US crude production for 2022 downward by 50,000 b/d — next year’s output is seen at 11.85 million b/d on average, still up 670,000 b/d, but more than 1 million b/d below its pre-pandemic peak. Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

Pundits See Prices Back on Rise in 2022

-Ascend to expand compound production to Latin America

December 8, 2021 – Ascend Performance Materials has announced plans to purchase a compounding facility in San Jose Iturbide, Mexico, growing its global footprint and expanding production capacity for high-performance engineered materials.

The purchase agreement includes the assets of DM Color Mexicana, a joint venture between Dainichiseika and Mitsubishi Corp. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.

“We continue to invest in and grow our engineered materials business with a focus on regional production,” said Phil McDivitt, Ascend’s president and CEO. “This acquisition establishes our footprint in Latin America and allows us to produce our world-class materials closer to our global customers.”

Ascend, a fully integrated producer of durable engineered materials, has grown its global production footprint with four acquisitions over the last three years.

“We remain committed to supporting our customers’ growth and innovation through continued investments in our global manufacturing footprint, the development of new materials and enhanced technical services and support,” said Isaac Khalil, Ascend’s senior vice president for polyamides.

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

-Trinseo Set to Buy Netherlands-based Recycling Company

The acquisition of Heathland will provide Trinseo with access to comprehensive recycling technologies and a consistent supply of plastic waste for use as feedstock.

Materials supplier Trinseo has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Heathland B.V., a collector and recycler of post-consumer (PCR) and post-industrial (PIR) plastic waste headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands. The acquisition will provide Trinseo with access to comprehensive recycling technologies and a consistent supply of plastic waste for use as feedstock.

Heathland is focused on converting PCR and PIR polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polystyrene (PS), and other thermoplastic waste that it collects throughout Europe. The company processes the plastic waste by means of mechanical and chemical recycling processes. Heathland is involved in several notable EU projects, including MMAtwo and REVOLUTION, which are funded by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission. The objective of MMAtwo is to develop a novel, fast-growing PMMA recycling value chain through depolymerization and recovery of a monomer grade, and REVOLUTION is devoted to advancing the use of recycled materials in electric vehicles.

Trinseo said the acquisition serves as an important milestone in its transformation journey into a specialty materials and sustainable solutions provider. This agreement will help meet market demand by securing a reliable source of recycled feedstock through the addition of a plastic waste collection business and enhancing the ongoing development of plastic recycling technologies, it added.

“As a company dedicated to value creation through recycling, we share the same values as Trinseo and our business and product portfolios are complementary,” said Simon van der Heijden, co-founder and co-managing director with Nikolaj Garnitsch of Heathland.

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

-NABE panelists downgrade forecasts for economic growth in US in 2021

The core US consumer price index, which excludes food and energy costs, is now expected to rise by 6 per cent from the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020 to Q4 2021 compared to the September forecast of a 5.1 per cent increase over the same period, according to the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). For a second consecutive survey, NABE panelists have downgraded their forecasts for economic growth in 2021.

“NABE Outlook survey panelists have ramped up their expectations for inflation significantly since September,” said NABE vice president Julia Coronado, who is founder and president of MacroPolicy Perspectives LLC.

Nearly three-fourths of respondents—71 per cent—anticipate that the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of inflation, the change in the core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index will not cool down to or below the Fed’s target of 2 per cent year over year (YoY) until the second half of 2023 or later, NABE said in a press release. Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

“Nearly six out of ten panelists anticipate the US economy will reach full employment within a year,” added survey chair Yelena Shulyatyeva, senior US economist, Bloomberg.

“Two-thirds of the panel expect wage increases will keep inflation elevated over the next three years.”

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

-Ahlstrom-Munksjö expands fuel cell filtration portfolio

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has expanded its FiltEV portfolio for electric vehicles, part of its strategy to deliver high performance filtration solutions for fuel cell air intake.

The company says it is continuing to focus on the growth segment of electrification, expanding its latest product offering, totally dedicated to filtration media solutions for electric vehicles. The new solutions for fuel cell electric vehicles complement the products launched earlier in the year for all electric vehicles, including filtration solutions for cabin air, transmission and cooling systems. This now includes a new dedicated filtration solution for fuel cell air intake.

“I am very pleased to introduce our new filtration solution for fuel cell air intake,” said Cedric Vallet, Head of Business Development, Industrial Filtration & New Vehicles. “By protecting fuel cells from harmful gases and particulates, we ensure the effective operation of the fuel cell over the entire service lifetime of the vehicle. Through increasing fuel cell lifetime and minimizing the use of catalysts, we are offering new filtration solutions which optimize cost/benefit for our customers.”

According to LMC Automotive, it is estimated that fuel cell electric vehicles will represent approximately 4 per cent of global commercial vehicle production in 2030.

The addressable annual market opportunity for filtration media used in electric vehicles is expected to grow at around 35 per cent per year up until 2030, reaching approximately €100 million.

Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Compound Fuel cell US Economy

Hydrogen PP technology Polyamides Food contact PCR Recycling technologies Compound Fuel cell US Economy

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