Polymers PET Petrochemicals Textile 14-01-2019 - Arhive
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Taghleef acquires Colombia’s Biofilm
The deal will see Taghleef in pole position to supply BOPP films in Latin America
Biofilm produces biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films for flexible packaging, labels and industrial applications
Taghleef Industries (Ti), the Dubai-based producer of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film, has completed the transaction to acquire Biofilm, one of Latin America’s leading manufacturers of BOPP films for flexible packaging, labels and industrial applications.
Founded in 1988 in Cartagena, Colombia, Biofilm has focused on international sales to grow its business.
CYPET’s blow-molded keg addresses safety and cost issues of steel kegs.
An alternative to traditional steel beer kegs said to address their safety and cost shortcomings, has been developed by Cyprus’ CYPET Technologies (cypet.eu). Called the Zeg, this is an ultra-light, 100% recyclable one-way PET keg which has been built using CYPET’s patented injection stretch blow molding process that reportedly has been proven to be able to produce some of the industry’s most innovative and stunning PET containers.
The Zeg features patent-pending top chime and handles that are integrated with the rest of the keg body. Having the top chime, handles and keg body formed as one piece is said to significantly reduce the keg’s production cost, as it eliminates production of a separate top chime and its assembly into the keg. Moreover, the strong mechanical properties of PET allow for the top chime to be lighter in weight than conventional chimes yet still able to handle the loads that the Zeg will face through its life cycle.
Are Conventional Producers Really Losing Influence?
Energy professionals and others following the developments in the oil and gas industry during the last couple of years have witnessed a massive rise in reporting concerning hydraulic fracturing technology.
The role of conventional oil could easily be undervalued considering the rising importance of shale oil.
Although hydraulic fracturing has changed the market significantly, conventional producers still make up the bulk of today’s oil mix.
Production of shale oil in the U.S. is poised to grow even further in the coming years.
However, basic economic fundamentals such as profitability and availability bode well for conventional producers and especially for those in the Middle East.
Saudi Aramco to issue about $10 billion in bonds for Sabic purchase: Falih
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant Aramco will seek to sell around $10 billion in bonds to help fund the purchase of petrochemicals firm Sabic, Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said Sunday.
“It will be probably in the $10 billion range but we will decide in the next few weeks,” Falih told reporters on the sidelines of an Atlantic Council forum in Abu Dhabi.
The offering, which would be Aramco’s first international bond sale, would likely be issued in the second quarter, Falih has said.
The sale would require Aramco, which is aggressively expanding its downstream business, to disclose to potential investors its financial results and disclose operational information, which the company has long closely guarded.
Report: Plastic bottle recycling declines slightly in 2017
Industry challenges include changing export markets, a 3.6% drop in material collection, and increases in single-stream collection, resulting in greater contamination of recyclables.
REcycling_APR_web.jpgPlastic bottle recycling declined slightly in 2017, slipping 3.6% to 2.8 billion lb, according to figures released jointly today by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The The 2017 United States National Postconsumer Plastic Bottle Recycling Report indicates the overall recycling rate for plastic bottles for the year was 29.3%, down 0.4% from 29.7% in 2016. The five-year CAGR for plastic bottle recycling was 0.1%.
Factors that contributed to the industry challenges included changing export markets and a 3.6% drop in material collected for recycling. Ongoing increases in single-stream collection also led to increased contamination of recyclables in the near term. In addition, growth in the use of plastic in bottles was offset by continuing progress in lightweighting and increased use of concentrates with smaller, lighter bottles.
Expert urges govts to sensitise Nigerians on effects of packaging food with plastics
An ecologist, Mr Richard Inyamkume, ha urged government at all levels to sensitise Nigerians, particularly food handlers, on the negative effects of wrapping hot foods in nylons and plastics.
Inyamkume, the Executive Director, Ambassadors of Dialogue, Climate and Reintegration, an NGO, gave the advice in an interview in Abuja on Sunday.
According to him, one of the most serious environmental challenge of the 21st century is plastic and nylon pollution, as well as its adverse effect on health when used for packaging hot food.
“The practice of wrapping hot foods in nylons and plastics have become prevalent in urban and rural communities across Nigeria and it increases exposures to toxic and harmful chemicals which is leached into our foods.
“Nigerians need to know that plastics contain Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that once ingested, can mimic estrogen in our bodies, especially in adult women.
Oerlikon’s innovative BCF S8 opens new markets
Oerlikon Neumag will be showcasing its innovative new development, the BCF S8, to a wide audience for the very first time at the Domotex trade fair for carpets and floor coverings that opens its doors in Hannover, today.
The new BCF S8 platform technology is designed to offer manufacturers of BCF carpet yarns decisive arguments for responding to constantly rising cost pressures and the trend for greater efficiency and quality in fiercely-competitive markets.
The system is said to achieve “never-seen-before” spinning speeds and is able to simultaneously spin up to 700 filaments and produce fine titers of up to 2.5 dpf.
This performance is guaranteed by numerous individual innovations in the new platform and, for the first time, also in a new human-machine interface (HMI)-based control system, which opens the door to the digital age of smart carpet yarn manufacturing wide, the company explains.
Oil on track for weekly gains on trade talk hopes, OPEC-led supply cuts
Oil prices were on track for solid weekly gains on Friday after financial markets were lifted by hopes the United States and China may soon resolve their trade disputes, and as OPEC-led crude output cuts started to tighten supply.
Despite this, markets were held in check by expectations of an economic slowdown in 2019.
International Brent crude futures were at $61.59 per barrel at 0555 GMT, down 9 cents, or 0.15 percent, from their last close.
US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were 4 cents below their last settlement, at $52.55 per barrel.
Europe LDPE spot prices at lowest point since 2012, outlook unclear
Low density polyethylene (LDPE) spot prices are trading at their lowest point since 2012, and even lower – to the level of 2010, according to some buyers.
– LDPE spot down to 2012 levels
– Demand slow
– Crude up, naphtha little change in euro terms
Some LDPE prices have broken the €1,000/tonne FD (free delivered) NWE (northwest Europe) barrier this week, they said, although not all grades were available at this level.
Some offers were as high as €1,100/tonne, but it was not clear how much business was being done at either end of the range talked.
Demand has started off the year poorly, and this, coupled with the drop of €40/tonne in the January ethylene contract, led to an immediate expectation of lower prices.
2012 was a year that saw very poor netbacks for European polyethylene (PE) producers and some production was closed permanently. Many of these closures were on high density polyethylene (HDPE), where profits were worst. HDPE is now a net imported product into Europe.
Egypt’s Prime Minister: We look to benefiting from Germany in waste recycling
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that his country is looking forward to benefiting from Germany’s experience in waste recycling as Germany is one of the leading countries in the world in the field.
His statement came during a meeting on Friday between Madbouly and the Vice President of the Local Parliament of the State of Brandenburg Dieter Dombrowski, Managing Director of the Brandenburg Economic Development Corporation (WFBB) Sebastian Saule, and the head of the RKD waste recycling company Florian Duhr.
Securing Raw Materials Key to Competitiveness of Indonesia’s Textile Industry
The Ministry of Industry has pegged textile exports at $13.5 billion this year, along with the creation of 2.95 million new jobs in the industry, while exports are projected to increase further to $15 billion next year, with the creation of up to 3.11 million jobs. (GA Photo/M Defrizal)
Jakarta. Indonesia is set to become one of the top five textile and textile product producers in the world by 2030, and the Ministry of Trade is forging ahead with its Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap, which prioritizes the development of a number of industries, including the textile sector.
Muhdori, the trade ministry’s director tasked with the textile, leather, footwear and various other industries, said the implementation of the roadmap would strengthen the textile sector’s global competitiveness, as it improves efficiencies and product quality.
Turkmenistan takes part in Heimtextil 2019 in Germany
Turkmenistan took part in the Heimtextil 2019 international exhibition in Germany’s Frankfurt, Trend reports referring to Turkmen Foreign Ministry.
Over 3,000 foreign companies and organizations took part in the exhibition. Representatives of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Textile Industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry were in the Turkmen delegation.
The Turkmen delegation held a meeting with the exhibition company, Messe Frankfurt.
During the talks, the possibilities for expanding the range of textile products produced by Turkmenistan and the development of cooperation were discussed, the report said.
The international home textiles industry has enjoyed a promising start at Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main, which finishes today. The challenging economic situation and uncertainty in the retail sector were countered by a positive and confident mood at the world’s leading trade fair.
3025 exhibitors from 65 countries* took the international trade fair for home and contract textiles to a 15-year high: ‘Exhibitors and visitors accepted the new trade fair concept with great enthusiasm and confirmed the trade fair’s position as the world’s most important meeting place for the industry. The quality of the decision-makers impressed the exhibitors, as did the number of new business contacts from 156 countries, especially international ones – thus enabling Heimtextil to set a new benchmark’, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. ‘Around 67,500 visitors* ensured that there was a busy atmosphere in the halls, despite a slight decline due to various reasons, such as difficult travel conditions on account of the storms in the alpine region and airport strikes in Germany’.
Oil prices rise amid OPEC-led output cut last week
Oil prices continued to rise during the week ending Jan. 11, with the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for February delivery increasing by 7.6 percent and Brent crude for March delivery increasing by 6.0 percent.
On Monday, oil prices continued to rise, erasing part of the steep losses in December 2018, as the OPEC-led output cut deal, going into effective this month, has begun to play its role. WTI increased by 0.56 dollar to settle at 48.52 dollars a barrel, while Brent crude increased by 0.27 dollar to close at 57.33 dollars a barrel.
OPEC and its oil-producing allies, including Russia, reached an agreement to slash oil production by a total of 1.2 million barrels per day in December, in a bid to shore up falling prices due to fears of oversupply.
Japan’s Unitika unveils high heat aromatic polyamide
Osaka, Japan-based Unitika has developed a series of polyamide (PA) resins that is says can be applied in demanding thermal management applications. The company has tailored specific grades for applications such as LED components and electric motor components that are utilized in the auto and electrical/electronic sectors where thermal management is indispensable. These grades are based on various polymer structures.
Unitika has identified hybrid and electric vehicles as a promising application for its PA resins given demand growth for these vehicle types and the fact that numerous motors need to be enclosed in confined spaces. Electric motors themselves are also becoming increasingly compact, thus spurring demand for more efficient thermal management solutions. Further, with metal replacement by plastic components high on the list of priorities in order to achieve lightweighting. With fewer thermally-conductive metal components, the corresponding performance requirements for engineering plastic compounds are getting tougher.
US ethylene spot prices lower on upstream
US ethylene spot prices narrowed with a slightly lower midpoint than the prior week amid a decline in upstream ethane costs, and as sentiment was hampered by anticipated production from new capacity.
US ethylene spot prices were assessed on Friday at 18.250 cents/lb ($402/tonne), compared with 17.750-19.375 cents/lb in the previous week.
An Indorama cracker began start-up during December, with full production expected during 2019. Several more crackers are expected to start up in early 2019, including a Lotte Chem-Westlake joint venture cracker, a Sasol cracker and a Shin-Etsu cracker.
Ethylene spot prices had fallen to historic lows following the start-up of new capacity in 2018 and remained low during much of the mid-year as production outpaced demand. Spot ethylene prices began rising in the second half of 2018 as the increased demand on ethane feedstocks pushed costs higher and tightened cracker margins.
Plastic recycling attracts investment in Japan after China ban
No longer able to export as much waste, companies seek new solutions
Japanese companies are pouring investment into plastic recycling facilities to handle the rise in bottles and used home electronics remaining in the country following China’s near-total ban on imports of plastic waste.
Established businesses are joining the field. Suntory Holdings helped develop a technology that reduces carbon emissions from the production of containers by 25% and is working with Kyoei Sangyo, a plastic-bottle recycler north of Tokyo, to use it in recycling.
Kyoei Sangyo has invested 2 billion yen with Suntory in a group facility to supply 300 million recycled plastic bottles each year.
UK circular plastics network to share best practice on plastics sustainability
A UK Circular Plastics Network (UKCPN) has been set up by the Knowledge Transfer Network to bring together the diverse users of plastic products and realise the best outcomes for eliminating plastic waste.
Supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UKCPN hopes to create a coordinated, integrated and aligned community of stakeholders in order to share best practice.
The network is focused on unlocking the most critical, short-term barriers to plastics circularity. It is envisaged that by the end of 2019 UKCPN will count 1,000 companies as its members.
Macpac Films Limited was founded and incorporated in 1993. Claiming to be the pioneer of BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) films in Pakistan, the company offers sealable, plain and value added films. With a wide range of BOPP films of multiple grades for packaging purposes, industries as diverse as chips and biscuits to soap and textile are the MACFL’s customers.
The company’s operational capacity is of 15,000 tons with the plant located at Port Qasim. Its associated companies include TOYO Packaging (Pvt) Limited, Hilal Confectionary (Pvt) Limited, Shalimar Food Products (Pvt) Limited, and Kings Food (Private) Limited.
Industry overview
BOPP is a variant of polypropylene (PP), which is a thermoplastic polymer. It has an ideal printing surface and can be made into labels and stickers along with a host of different plastic materials. A study by PITAD estimates that Pakistan consumes around 300,000 tons of PP a year. This demand is met almost entirely by imports.
Since BOPP is made of the petrochemical, it is vulnerable to volatility in the global price of oil and gas feed stocks. PITAD’s study indicates that its consumption is about 40,000 tons per year in the country. Tri-Pack claims to be the market leader with almost 70 percent of the BOPP market in Pakistan.
