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Yangzi to expand EO plant
FOCUS REACH. In many aspects, HERA can be seen as paving the way for REACH, having tackled many of the challenges that the chemical industry will face in a broader fashion with the future implementation of the new policy. These include working together in consortia, sharing results while protecting company-owned data, running risk assessments in a timely fashion, and how to communicate the outcomes to different audiences in a simple and understandable way. The recently published reference guide thus shares HERA’s five years’ experience with the declared aim of providing a practical tool in implementing the upcoming REACH registration process. Caroline Edser
RAW MATERIALS Idemitsu Kosan revises alpha-olefin price Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co, Ltd has revised the price for its LINEAREN alpha-olefin products by +¥15/kg for shipments from 1 May 2005. The increase is in response to the sharp rise in prices for key raw material naphtha. The company comments that the tight supply and demand conditions seen in 2004 for alpha-olefins in Asia are likely to worsen, with market prices also trending higher. Press release from: Idemitsu Kosan, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81-3-3213-3624. Website: http://www.idemitsu.co.jp/e/ (20 Apr 2005)
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tonnes/y fatty acids and 160,000 tonnes/y fatty alcohol. Chemical Week, 25 May/1 Jun 2005, 167 (18), 28 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Cargill to boost oils capacity in Europe Cargill is to upgrade its refineries in Botlek, the Netherlands, and Izegem, Belgium. Refining capacity for coconut and palm kernel oil at Botlek will rise by over 20,000 tonnes/y and palm oil refining capacity by 300,000 tonnes/y. Chemical Market Reporter, 2 May 2005 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Yangzi to expand EO plant By early 2007, the Chinese company Yangzi Petrochemical will raise ethylene oxide capacity from 80,00090,000 tonne/y to 180,000 tonne/y. The expansion will be implemented to meet rising demand from the detergents and cosmetics sectors. Asian Chemical News, 2 May 2005, 11 (489), 19
DSM expansion Aker Kvaerner has been awarded a contract for the first stage engineering of DSM Engineering Plastics’ expansion project at its diaminobutane (DAB) facility in Geleen, The Netherlands. The project phase and reliability studies are slated for completion in 3Q 2005. DAB, also called putrescine, is a raw material for making polyurethanes, pharmaceuticals, epoxy curing agents, surfactants, agrochemicals and urea. Process Engineering, May 2005, 88 (5), 4
P&G signs oleochemical supply contract in Indonesia Contracts worth around $1.8 bn have been won by Procter & Gamble (P&G) to acquire the total output of an oleochemical facility being built by Domba Mas Group at Kuala Tanjung in Indonesia over the next 10 years. Output will include 200,000 tonnes/y fatty alcohols, fatty acids and glycerine, to be used by P&G as raw materials in shampoos and laundry detergents, and also supplied to the chemical industry. The contract will supply 20-30% of P&G’s total oleochemical requirements. The facility will have a capacity for 40,000 2
SURFACTANTS OECD affirms low regulatory concern for LAS The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved a major environmental assessment of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), the world’s most widely used household detergent ingredient, at the OECD meeting held 18-20 Apr 2005 in Paris, France. An expert committee of the international body concluded that
LAS is “low priority for further work”, and thus is of low regulatory concern. The OECD committee meeting, officially known as a SIDS (Screening Information Data Set) Initial Assessment Meeting (SIAM), is the key approval step in the OECD program to assess high production volume (HPV) chemicals based on a required set of health and environmental data. The most recent OECD decision on the environmental data on LAS marks the second and final piece of a comprehensive assessment of the surfactant. In Nov 2003, the OECD determined that LAS “is low priority for further work” for human health. OECD has 30 members, including the US, Canada, the members of the European Union, Korea and Japan. The assessment was prepared by a consortium of 16 detergent and supplier companies led by CLER, with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acting as the sponsor country for the assessment. A summary report (SIAP) of the LAS assessment will be posted to the OECD website within the next few months, and supporting documents will be posted sometime next year. LAB, the starting material used to make LAS, was reviewed at a SIAM meeting in 1995 and accepted as low priority for further work based on the health and environmental data provided. LAB sulfonic acids, the immediate precursors to LAS, have been assessed in the US HPV Challenge Program. Alkylate bottoms, a co-product of LAB manufacture, are also being reviewed in the OECD SIDS program. Once these evaluations are conducted in the next one to two years, health and environmental assessments of the entire product chain for LAS manufacture will be completed. Press release from: Council for LAB/LAS Environmental Research (CLER), 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 807, Washington DC 20045, USA. Tel: +1 202 737 0171. Fax: +1 202 737 8406. Website: http://www.cler.com (12 May 2005)
Eastman raises fatty acid prices Eastman Chemical Co increased prices on a range of fatty acid products effective 1 Jun 2005, or as contracts allow. These increases are due to increased market demand and operating costs, particularly in raw materials, energy and freight. Global JULY 2005
RAW MATERIALS Idemitsu Kosan revises alpha-olefin price Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co, Ltd has revised the price for its LINEAREN alpha-olefin products by +¥15/kg for shipments from 1 May 2005. The increase is in response to the sharp rise in prices for key raw material naphtha. The company comments that the tight supply and demand conditions seen in 2004 for alpha-olefins in Asia are likely to worsen, with market prices also trending higher. Press release from: Idemitsu Kosan, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81-3-3213-3624. Website: http://www.idemitsu.co.jp/e/ (20 Apr 2005)
ON
S U R FAC TA N T S
tonnes/y fatty acids and 160,000 tonnes/y fatty alcohol. Chemical Week, 25 May/1 Jun 2005, 167 (18), 28 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Cargill to boost oils capacity in Europe Cargill is to upgrade its refineries in Botlek, the Netherlands, and Izegem, Belgium. Refining capacity for coconut and palm kernel oil at Botlek will rise by over 20,000 tonnes/y and palm oil refining capacity by 300,000 tonnes/y. Chemical Market Reporter, 2 May 2005 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Yangzi to expand EO plant By early 2007, the Chinese company Yangzi Petrochemical will raise ethylene oxide capacity from 80,00090,000 tonne/y to 180,000 tonne/y. The expansion will be implemented to meet rising demand from the detergents and cosmetics sectors. Asian Chemical News, 2 May 2005, 11 (489), 19
DSM expansion Aker Kvaerner has been awarded a contract for the first stage engineering of DSM Engineering Plastics’ expansion project at its diaminobutane (DAB) facility in Geleen, The Netherlands. The project phase and reliability studies are slated for completion in 3Q 2005. DAB, also called putrescine, is a raw material for making polyurethanes, pharmaceuticals, epoxy curing agents, surfactants, agrochemicals and urea. Process Engineering, May 2005, 88 (5), 4
P&G signs oleochemical supply contract in Indonesia Contracts worth around $1.8 bn have been won by Procter & Gamble (P&G) to acquire the total output of an oleochemical facility being built by Domba Mas Group at Kuala Tanjung in Indonesia over the next 10 years. Output will include 200,000 tonnes/y fatty alcohols, fatty acids and glycerine, to be used by P&G as raw materials in shampoos and laundry detergents, and also supplied to the chemical industry. The contract will supply 20-30% of P&G’s total oleochemical requirements. The facility will have a capacity for 40,000 2
SURFACTANTS OECD affirms low regulatory concern for LAS The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved a major environmental assessment of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), the world’s most widely used household detergent ingredient, at the OECD meeting held 18-20 Apr 2005 in Paris, France. An expert committee of the international body concluded that
LAS is “low priority for further work”, and thus is of low regulatory concern. The OECD committee meeting, officially known as a SIDS (Screening Information Data Set) Initial Assessment Meeting (SIAM), is the key approval step in the OECD program to assess high production volume (HPV) chemicals based on a required set of health and environmental data. The most recent OECD decision on the environmental data on LAS marks the second and final piece of a comprehensive assessment of the surfactant. In Nov 2003, the OECD determined that LAS “is low priority for further work” for human health. OECD has 30 members, including the US, Canada, the members of the European Union, Korea and Japan. The assessment was prepared by a consortium of 16 detergent and supplier companies led by CLER, with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acting as the sponsor country for the assessment. A summary report (SIAP) of the LAS assessment will be posted to the OECD website within the next few months, and supporting documents will be posted sometime next year. LAB, the starting material used to make LAS, was reviewed at a SIAM meeting in 1995 and accepted as low priority for further work based on the health and environmental data provided. LAB sulfonic acids, the immediate precursors to LAS, have been assessed in the US HPV Challenge Program. Alkylate bottoms, a co-product of LAB manufacture, are also being reviewed in the OECD SIDS program. Once these evaluations are conducted in the next one to two years, health and environmental assessments of the entire product chain for LAS manufacture will be completed. Press release from: Council for LAB/LAS Environmental Research (CLER), 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 807, Washington DC 20045, USA. Tel: +1 202 737 0171. Fax: +1 202 737 8406. Website: http://www.cler.com (12 May 2005)
Eastman raises fatty acid prices Eastman Chemical Co increased prices on a range of fatty acid products effective 1 Jun 2005, or as contracts allow. These increases are due to increased market demand and operating costs, particularly in raw materials, energy and freight. Global JULY 2005