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Nikkiso to sell safer blood dialysis tube
PVC802
12/02/2003
08:40
Page 6
FOCUS
ON
lines, which can only be achieved if reasonable returns are obtained. Global demand for PVC film still increases but PVC film production capacity in Europe is reported to be higher than consumption. 2001 was considered to be a positive year for polyethylene film in terms of market growth, but not in terms of margins. Additional growth of imported retail bags from lower wage economies has also decreased the benefits obtained from the buoyancy of the retail markets. Substantial new capacity has also become operational, both in the Middle East and Europe. The significant improvement in the availability of all PE grades at a time of decreased demand, had an impact in the 2H 2001, which led to the decline in margins. European Plastics News, Jun 2002, 29 (6), 8
Nikkiso to sell safer blood dialysis tube Nikkiso Co’s new blood dialysis tube, expected to be launched in Jul 2002, contains no phthalate esters, thought to be endocrine disrupters, so should be safer to use. The tube, made from polyvinyl material, is also designed to minimize the leaching of plasticizer into the blood during use. As a result of the launch, the firm expects sales in its blood dialysis tube operations to increase by 8.7% to Yen 5 bn in fiscal 2002. Nikkei Net, 11 Jun 2002 (Website: http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/)
Shrinkable PVC film Linpak Pontivy, a major producer of shrink film in Europe with an output of 36,000 tonnes of PVC and polyolefin film in 2000, has introduced three novel plastic films at Interpack 2002. Linalta PVC film for fatty foods is intended to minimize contact between the film and pack contents, a particular feature intended to meet upcoming EU regulations. Linwrap Triolin is being offered as a PVC cling film, claimed to be the only product of its kind for food protection, food freezing, and microwave use whether for defrosting, reheating and cooking. European Plastics News, Jun 2002, 29 (6), 27
6
P O LY V I N Y L C H L O R I D E
COMPETITION FOR PVC Dow pulls plug on PVC substitute resins The Index resins were a potentially versatile range of materials, made from ethylene and styrene. One of their many purposes was to capture important markets held by flexible PVC, such as flooring. Dow hoped to sell up to 2.3 M tonnes of Index resins a year, but it has now decided to end production at the 23,000 tonne/y pilot production plant in Sarnia, Canada after little more than three years. A Dow representative said that some markets had been established, but the company had been “unable to construct an economically viable business model for the material.” Sales will continue from stock, pending final decisions on the concept. Plastics & Rubber Weekly, 5 Jul 2002, 1
INNOVATION AND NEW PRODUCTS Canadian General-Tower to make leather substitute Canadian General-Tower has acquired a licence to market a new material for use instead of leather in mid-range and top-of-the-range cars. The polymer blend (of an organic material combined with polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic olefin or thermoplastic polyurethane) was developed by Idemitsu Technofine Co Ltd. Its cost is 25% that of leather. The polyvinyl chloride blend will go into production during the summer of 2002, and the thermoplastic olefin blend before end 2002 Plastics News, 20 Jun 2002 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
Nanometer grade calcium carbonate PVC marketed in China The Chlor-Alkali Co of Taiyuan Chemical Industrial Co Ltd and
Zhejiang Hangzhou Huana Co have jointly developed nanometre calcium carbonate micro emulsion in a 1000 tonnes/y plant. The material is the principal raw material for nanometre PVC resin. It has already been used in the 25,000 tonnes/y PVC unit of Chlor-Alkali Co of Taiyuan Chemical Industrial Co Ltd. With the same formulation and the same process conditions the impact strength of nanometre PVC sheets is 2-4 times higher and the tensile strength of nanometer PVC pipes is 76.9% higher. In a collaborative agreement with Zhejiang University, Shihezi Zhongfa Chemical Co Ltd of the Xinjiang Tianye Group, has successfully developed a grafted nanometre PVC complex resin through copolymerisation in the solid phase. A 5000 tonnes/y unit has been built to produce the reinforced PVC. Conventional PVC has limited applications because of relatively low impact resistance. Tianye Group used nanometre calcium carbonate to reinforce PVC, and a grafted nanometre PVC copolymerisation product has been developed. This has improved impact resistant and thermal stability. Tianye Group is one of the most important producers of plastics water conservation pipes and other components for Chinese agriculture. Its annual production of plastics products totals 80,000 tonnes. Of this, the capacity for water conservation pipe is 30,000 tonnes/y, agricultural mulch films 26,000 tonnes/y. construction materials 3000 tonnes/y, food packaging 2000 tonnes/y, polyethylene pipeline 2000 tonnes/y, and drainage pipes 600 tonnes/t. As well as being the largest plastics and plastics products producer, the group is also the largest chlor-alkali producer in Xinjiang Province. Total chlor-alkali capacity is 100,000 tonnes/y, including 35,000 tonnes/y of liquid caustic soda, 25,000 tonnes/y of hydrochloric acid, 30,000 tonnes/y of sulfuric acid, 3000 tonnes/y of liquid chlorine, and 25,000 tonnes/y of PVC resin. [Editor’s note: Singapore based NanoMaterials Technology Pte Ltd also has an involvement in nano precipitated calcium carbonate in China, see May 2002 issue]. China Chemical Reporter, 16 Jun 2002, 13 (17), 19 & 16 May 2002, 13 (14), 22
AUGUST 2002
12/02/2003
08:40
Page 6
FOCUS
ON
lines, which can only be achieved if reasonable returns are obtained. Global demand for PVC film still increases but PVC film production capacity in Europe is reported to be higher than consumption. 2001 was considered to be a positive year for polyethylene film in terms of market growth, but not in terms of margins. Additional growth of imported retail bags from lower wage economies has also decreased the benefits obtained from the buoyancy of the retail markets. Substantial new capacity has also become operational, both in the Middle East and Europe. The significant improvement in the availability of all PE grades at a time of decreased demand, had an impact in the 2H 2001, which led to the decline in margins. European Plastics News, Jun 2002, 29 (6), 8
Nikkiso to sell safer blood dialysis tube Nikkiso Co’s new blood dialysis tube, expected to be launched in Jul 2002, contains no phthalate esters, thought to be endocrine disrupters, so should be safer to use. The tube, made from polyvinyl material, is also designed to minimize the leaching of plasticizer into the blood during use. As a result of the launch, the firm expects sales in its blood dialysis tube operations to increase by 8.7% to Yen 5 bn in fiscal 2002. Nikkei Net, 11 Jun 2002 (Website: http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/)
Shrinkable PVC film Linpak Pontivy, a major producer of shrink film in Europe with an output of 36,000 tonnes of PVC and polyolefin film in 2000, has introduced three novel plastic films at Interpack 2002. Linalta PVC film for fatty foods is intended to minimize contact between the film and pack contents, a particular feature intended to meet upcoming EU regulations. Linwrap Triolin is being offered as a PVC cling film, claimed to be the only product of its kind for food protection, food freezing, and microwave use whether for defrosting, reheating and cooking. European Plastics News, Jun 2002, 29 (6), 27
6
P O LY V I N Y L C H L O R I D E
COMPETITION FOR PVC Dow pulls plug on PVC substitute resins The Index resins were a potentially versatile range of materials, made from ethylene and styrene. One of their many purposes was to capture important markets held by flexible PVC, such as flooring. Dow hoped to sell up to 2.3 M tonnes of Index resins a year, but it has now decided to end production at the 23,000 tonne/y pilot production plant in Sarnia, Canada after little more than three years. A Dow representative said that some markets had been established, but the company had been “unable to construct an economically viable business model for the material.” Sales will continue from stock, pending final decisions on the concept. Plastics & Rubber Weekly, 5 Jul 2002, 1
INNOVATION AND NEW PRODUCTS Canadian General-Tower to make leather substitute Canadian General-Tower has acquired a licence to market a new material for use instead of leather in mid-range and top-of-the-range cars. The polymer blend (of an organic material combined with polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic olefin or thermoplastic polyurethane) was developed by Idemitsu Technofine Co Ltd. Its cost is 25% that of leather. The polyvinyl chloride blend will go into production during the summer of 2002, and the thermoplastic olefin blend before end 2002 Plastics News, 20 Jun 2002 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
Nanometer grade calcium carbonate PVC marketed in China The Chlor-Alkali Co of Taiyuan Chemical Industrial Co Ltd and
Zhejiang Hangzhou Huana Co have jointly developed nanometre calcium carbonate micro emulsion in a 1000 tonnes/y plant. The material is the principal raw material for nanometre PVC resin. It has already been used in the 25,000 tonnes/y PVC unit of Chlor-Alkali Co of Taiyuan Chemical Industrial Co Ltd. With the same formulation and the same process conditions the impact strength of nanometre PVC sheets is 2-4 times higher and the tensile strength of nanometer PVC pipes is 76.9% higher. In a collaborative agreement with Zhejiang University, Shihezi Zhongfa Chemical Co Ltd of the Xinjiang Tianye Group, has successfully developed a grafted nanometre PVC complex resin through copolymerisation in the solid phase. A 5000 tonnes/y unit has been built to produce the reinforced PVC. Conventional PVC has limited applications because of relatively low impact resistance. Tianye Group used nanometre calcium carbonate to reinforce PVC, and a grafted nanometre PVC copolymerisation product has been developed. This has improved impact resistant and thermal stability. Tianye Group is one of the most important producers of plastics water conservation pipes and other components for Chinese agriculture. Its annual production of plastics products totals 80,000 tonnes. Of this, the capacity for water conservation pipe is 30,000 tonnes/y, agricultural mulch films 26,000 tonnes/y. construction materials 3000 tonnes/y, food packaging 2000 tonnes/y, polyethylene pipeline 2000 tonnes/y, and drainage pipes 600 tonnes/t. As well as being the largest plastics and plastics products producer, the group is also the largest chlor-alkali producer in Xinjiang Province. Total chlor-alkali capacity is 100,000 tonnes/y, including 35,000 tonnes/y of liquid caustic soda, 25,000 tonnes/y of hydrochloric acid, 30,000 tonnes/y of sulfuric acid, 3000 tonnes/y of liquid chlorine, and 25,000 tonnes/y of PVC resin. [Editor’s note: Singapore based NanoMaterials Technology Pte Ltd also has an involvement in nano precipitated calcium carbonate in China, see May 2002 issue]. China Chemical Reporter, 16 Jun 2002, 13 (17), 19 & 16 May 2002, 13 (14), 22
AUGUST 2002