Celanese Corporation Declares Force Majeure on Western Hemisphere Acetic Acid and VAM

Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, today confirmed a declaration of force majeure and sales control for acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) sold in the Western Hemisphere. This comes as a result of intensifying force majeure conditions and operational failures experienced by multiple suppliers of critical raw materials essential to Celanese’s production of these products. Production challenges caused by these raw material supply disruptions, as well as other operational issues in its Acetyl Chain U.S. gulf coast network, are being assessed and actions are being taken to offset production losses.

The Acetyl Chain business is focused on meeting customers’ needs by utilizing all available network capabilities. The business has invested over the years to strategically enhance the flexibility of its integrated supply chain and will exercise that optionality to minimize customer disruptions. While under sales control, all non-contracted orders will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

  

“Right now, we anticipate that our second quarter U.S. gulf coast production of acetic acid and VAM will be negatively impacted by 15 to 20 percent as a result of these temporary challenges which we are still navigating,” said Mark Murray, senior vice president of the Acetyl Chain. “As we work through these challenges, we are prioritizing continuity of supply for our customers by employing the optionality that has been the hallmark of this business. The primary financial impact of these challenges in the second quarter will be due to incremental costs associated with production at higher cost facilities, external sourcing, and logistics in order to minimize impacts to our customers. There may also be a volume impact in the quarter depending on the magnitude of lost production.”   

Celanese regrets the impact this could have on customers and will stay in close communication to minimize the impact of these challenges. At this time, Celanese cannot provide any further details or timing of the full impact to customers or to its financial outlook. Celanese will comment further on the resolution of these temporary challenges and the financial impact when it reports second quarter earnings.

source:Celanese

Coca-Cola India launches 100% rPET bottle in ASSP format

The light ASSP bottles reportedly reduce emissions by 36% compared to traditional virgin PET packaging.

Coca-Cola India has taken another step towards plastic circularity by introducing 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) bottles in an Affordable Small Sparkling Package (ASSP) format. 

The company is offering 250ml ASSP bottles in the Indian state of Odisha.

The initiative, led by Coca-Cola’s bottling partner Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, is part of the company’s broader commitment to environmental responsibility and reducing its carbon footprint.  

The new ASSP bottles are designed to be light, which contributes to a 36% reduction in emissions compared to traditional virgin PET packaging.  

Furthermore, the switch to rPET for the ASSP solution is said to result in an overall 66% decrease in carbon footprint when compared to the standard non-ASSP packaging made from virgin PET. 

Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia Technical Innovation and Supply Chain vice-president Enrique Ackermann said: “Our efforts at expanding rPET in India is a testimony of our commitment to increase the availability of high-quality, food-grade, recycled plastic for consumers in India.  

“With these eco-friendly bottles we seek to drive a circular economy for packaging, reduce waste and carbon emissions, bringing us closer to the World Without Waste goal of making bottles with 50% recycled content by 2030.” 

The Coca-Cola Company has already introduced 100% rPET bottles in more than 40 markets globally. Through its World Without Waste initiative, it aims to collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one it sells by 2030. 

The company plans to make all its packaging recyclable by 2025.

In January this year, Coca-Cola India and Reliance Retail launched a new PET collection and recycling initiative.  

source:packaging-gateway.com

Herbold, Coperion supply PET system in India

European recycling technology vendors Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim design a bottle-to-bottle recycling plant for Indian company Magpet.

Germany-based recycling equipment and technology vendors Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim are collaborating with India-based preform and plastic packaging manufacturer Magpet Polymer Pvt. Ltd. to build a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle-to-bottle recycling facility.

The recycling system being installed encompasses all process steps leading up to extrusion with a ZSK twin screw extruder, including pelletizing and an SSP (solid state polycondensation) reactor.

The PET bottle recycling system is designed for a throughput of 5,500 kilograms (12,125 pounds) per hour and it will deliver recycled-content PET that is approved by the European Food Safety Administration (EFSA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for direct contact with food. The PET pellets also will be brand owner approved, according to the companies.

“Magpet has always pursued the goal to be a first mover when it comes to embracing new technology,” says Devendra Surana, managing director of Magpet, which is a part of the Kolkata, Incia-based Magnum Group. “This PET recycling unit [goes] hand in hand with our efforts to take over business responsibly for a bigger eco purpose. We are excited to partner with Herbold and Coperion to set up this state-of-the-art PET bottle recycling line in India.”

Magpet awarded the contract for the entire system to Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim, operating companies of Indiana-based Hillenbrand, with the vendors saying there were judged to “consistently and reliably deliver high PET recyclate quality.” 

The bottle-to-bottle recycling system first processes the PET bottles into flakes, using Herbold granulators with forced feeding and washing system technologies that process the PET to minimize material loss due to fines formation and thus maximize yield.

Material is the fed into the ZSK recycling twin screw extruder, where the PET regrind is gently melted, intensively dispersed and processed into a homogeneous mass.

Following discharge from the ZSK recycling extruder, the still-warm material stream is transferred via a gear pump to an underwater granulator and an SSP reactor, where it is then condensed and decontaminated.

“In the bottle-to-bottle recycling plant for Magpet, we have united the advantages of Coperion and Herbold Meckesheim technologies,” says Jochen Schofer, head of sales-recycling at Coperion. “All process steps, from mechanical pretreatment to producing finished recyclate, are optimally coordinated to produce PET of high quality—and with maximum energy efficiency.”

source: Coperion/recyclingtoday.com

Ensinger Expands Production Capacity

Plastics processor Ensinger is investing in production capacity expansion for its Composites division. Very soon, a high-performance double belt press will begin operation in Rottenburg-Ergenzingen. The new facility enables the efficient production of thermoplastics composite materials.

Ensinger will use the new facility to mass-produce fibre-reinforced composites in a continuous production process, at temperatures of up to 400°C. By bringing the double belt press on stream, Ensinger is expanding its range of materials for demanding, high-temperature applications.

The Composites product portfolio includes – among other things – continuous fibre-reinforced semipregs and prepregs along with organosheets, i.e. multi-layer, fully impregnated and consolidated fibre composites. The double belt press can be used for processing unidirectional (UD) materials, UD cross ply materials, laminates and sandwich components with a variety of core materials such as foam or honeycomb. Combinations of textile and polymer matrix materials such as carbon, glass, aramid and natural fibres are also viable. Powder coating and film impregnation are available for impregnation purposes.

„By expanding the value added chain and our production capacities, we will be even better placed to meet the worldwide demand for thermoplastic composites. This investment enables us to use grown opportunities in all segments and to strategically position ourselves in the global market for thermoplastics,“ says Daniel Grauer, who is responsible for international business development in Ensinger’s Composites division.

Engineering Applications

The tailor-made, cost-efficient engineering composite solutions from Ensinger, which include flame-retardant materials, are perfect for automotive engineering applications and the aerospace industry, in other words branches of industry where functional, lightweight components are required. The sustainable polymer solutions are particularly suitable for passenger aircraft, drones and UAVs, where they replace thermosetting or metal structural parts and components.

The double belt press from Austrian plant manufacturer Berndorf Band Engineering can be adapted to the specific requirements at any time. Flexible combination of individual components such as heating and cooling modules, and also of a variety of press types, is possible. The modular construction permits the completion of complex work steps on a single production line.

source:https://en.kunststoffe.de/

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Glass filled polymer under Compression and Tension

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

The oriented skin will shrink only 0.1 or 0.2 %, where the transverse core will want to shrink possibly 1%.

The conflict results in a compressive stress in the skin, due to the action of the core, trying to shrink so much more than the skin. Easy, right ?

So the skin is in a fairly safe state of COMPRESSION (failure comes with tension).

Sure ?

Zooming inside the skin, we must realize that the very reason for the shrinkage to be so small in the fiber direction, is because the much higher shrinkage of the polymer is constrained by the glass fibers. So the polymer in between the fibers is desperately trying to shrink 2%, but the glass will keep the polymer under....TENSION !

So the skin is in compression yes, but the polymer, in the skin, is in tension !

source:Vito leo

INEOS Styrolution to Close Its Styrene Monomer Production Site in Sarnia

INEOS Styrolution announces its decision to permanently close its styrene monomer production site in Sarnia, Ontario by June 2026.

No Longer an Economically Viable Operating Asset:

“This difficult business decision to permanently close our Sarnia site was made following a lengthy evaluation process and is based on the economics of the facility within a wider industry context. The long-term prospects for the Sarnia site have worsened to the point that it is no longer an economically viable operating asset,” said the Company’s CEO Steve Harrington.

“The production site in Sarnia is currently shut down due to recent orders from regulatory authorities that forced us to declare force majeure. We are currently assessing what is required to restart the site—a process that could take approximately six months.”

“Our decision to permanently close the Sarnia site by June 2026 is irrespective of the current situation. The economic reality is that we have made significant investments in the Sarnia site for many years to ensure safe and reliable operations. Additional large investments that are unrelated to the potential costs of restarting operations would be necessary in the near future. Such investments would be economically impractical given today’s challenging industry environment,” Harrington continued.

INEOS Styrolution understands the uncertainty the current temporary shutdown has presented for its Sarnia stakeholders and appreciates the patience of its employees, contractors, customers, and partners. Looking ahead, the Company will work closely with all necessary parties to complete an orderly wind-down process and the permanent closure of the site in a safe, responsible, and compliant manner. Aligned with our core value of “Valuing and Respecting People,” transition support will be provided to impacted employees.

The Company is fully committed to the styrenics business and will continue to serve customers across the globe with its leading portfolio of differentiated, high-performing products and innovative solutions that enable customer growth.

Source: INEOS Styrolution/polymer-additives.specialchem.com

LyondellBasell Starts New Polypropylene Production Line at Dalian Site

LyondellBasell (LYB) announces the start-up of an additional production line at the Dalian site of its Advanced Polymer Solutions (APS) business. This further expands its presence in China.

Supplying Mainly to the Automotive Industry:

The new production line will produce a wide range of high-performance, high-quality polypropylene compounds, mainly supplying the automotive industry.

The second production line at the Dalian site will have an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes. It will double the site's current production capacity. It will enhance the company’s ability to meet the growing market demand.

Marks Progress in Increasing Capacity and Automatic Operation

Established in 2015, the Dalian site can produce 80,000 tonnes of PP compounded products at full capacity with four production lines. It supplies to end applications including bumpers, instrument panels, interior trims, under-the-hood applications or structural parts and body panels for the automotive industry. Currently, the APS business operates five sites in China, with a portfolio of PP compounding, engineered plastics and masterbatch products.

“The start-up of the new production line marks another milestone in our ongoing commitment to China market,” said Rolf van Beeck, vice president of Advanced Polymer Solutions APAC and AfMEI of LyondellBasell. “We see great opportunities to accelerate the growth of our business here, and we keep investing in this market. We will continue to provide best-in-class products and services to our customers while promoting circularity through collaborations and our Circulen portfolio.”

“The new production line marks Dalian site’s progress in increasing capacity and automatic operation, and it can contribute to the long-term scalable development,” said Brian Jiang, director of Advanced Polymer Solutions APAC Manufacturing of LyondellBasell. “I believe this new addition will also motivate our colleagues to actively engage in the operations of two production lines to meet the growing demand of local customers with faster response.”

Source: LyondellBasell/omnexus.specialchem.com