ATOFINA

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chemicals operations 新体制

Elf Atochem North America,
which was formed at the end of 1989 through the merger of Atochem, Inc., M&T Chemicals, Inc., and Pennwalt Corporation.
From 1989 to the end of 1991 the company was known as Atochem North America, Inc.
From 1992 to 2000 it was known as Elf Atochem North America, Inc.
2000/12　ATOFINA Chemicals Organizes Elf Atochem Agrichemicals as Independent Subsidiary to be Named Cerexagri

Atochem, Inc., a manufacturer of industrial and specialty chemicals, was formed in 1984 as the U.S. chemicals unit of Elf Aquitaine, one of the world's top 10 oil and gas companies.
M&T Chemicals was founded in 1908 as Goldschmidt Detinning Company and became Metals and Thermit Corporation in 1918.
Pennwalt, a publicly-held chemical manufacturer, was started by an enterprising group of Quaker businessmen in 1850 as the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company（Pennsalt）, producing lye and other alkaline salts from natural salts.

2000/3　Nippon Soda - Elf Atochem North America Form NISSO TM LLC
2005/9　日本曹達とCerexagri、販売会社Cerexagri-Nisso LLC　設立

Chemicals operations cover five different sectors:
http://www.total.com/en/group/activities/chemicals/chemicals_830.htm　

Chemical 部門　2004/10再編

石油化学 Total Petrochemical

Chemical Intermediates
Plastics Arkema

肥料 Grande　Paroisse

Specialties resins Cray Valley

Sartomer

Adhesives Bostik

Electroplating Atotech

Elastomer Hutchinson

- Petrochemicals, which encompasses base petrochemicals―olefins (ethylene, propylene, styrene) and aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylene)―and the commodity polymers derived from them (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, elastomers). Total Petrochemicals has operations in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. Its products are used in a wide range of domestic and industrial applications, including packaging, construction and automobiles.

- Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals and Performance Products　 (Arkema), which include fluorochemicals, oxygenated compounds, thiochemicals, acrylics and PMMA, and technical and functional polymers, and supply a broad array of markets, such as construction, automobiles, cosmetics, and paper. Arkema is a decentralized unit that will eventually be spun off.

- Fertilizers, which consist of Grande Paroisse and its subsidiaries and Belgium-based Engrais Rosier. Grande Paroisse’s core competency is nitrogen chemistry.

- Specialties, which comprise resins (Cray Valley and Sartomer), adhesives (Bostik), and electroplating (Atotech).
　　Cray Valley

Part of TOTAL's chemicals branch , the Resins business is known as COOK COMPOSITES & POLYMERS in the United States and as CRAY VALLEY in the rest of the world .

CRAY VALLEY develops high-technology resins and additives for the coatings industry-paints, inks, varnishes, adhesives and polyester resins and gel coats for the composites industry.

　　Sartomer　　当初ARCO

Sartomer Company is the premier global supplier of acrylate/methacrylate monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators, hydrocarbon resins, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene resins (HTPB), functionalized polybutadiene resins, styrene maleic anhydride resins and other specialty chemicals

　　Bostik

Bostik is a company with a long and rich history. It was founded as the Boston Blacking Co. in Chelsea Massachusetts in 1889. It has its origins in the shoe industry and shoe adhesives. It was taken over by USM (United Shoe Machinery) in 1929 and was developed on a global scale, focusing on the shoe industry until the 1950's when the company embarked on international expansion and diversification.
In 1990, Bostik was purchased by TOTAL, the French petroleum oil company, which carried on growing Bostik by merging it with its own adhesives affiliates, and through a steady acquisition policy which gradually brought Bostik among the leading players.

　　Atotech

Atotech is one of the world's leading suppliers of integrated production systems, chemistry and equipment for decorative and functional electroplating, semiconductor and printed circuit board manufacturing.

- Elastomer processing (Hutchinson).

Hutchinson is world market leader in rubber products on each of its three markets : automotive, industry and consumer products is part of the Chemical Branch of the Group.

A global chemical player, Arkema consists of 3 coherent and related business segments: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Present in over 40 countries with 17,000 employees, Arkema achieves sales of 5.7billion euros. With its 6 research centers in France, the United States and Japan, and internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.

概要　

ATOFINA is the chemical branch of the TotalFinaElf group. It was formally established in April 2000 from the merged petrochemicals and chemicals activities developed by Total, Petrofina and Elf Aquitaine (Elf Atochem) before two consecutive mergers, in 1998 and in 1999, led to the creation of TotalFinaElf, the world's fourth largest oil company and fifth largest chemical company.

Petrochemicals and commodity polymers

The efficiency of ATOFINA turns on the use of 5 large, integrated platforms within Europe :

ー 4 in France : Gonfreville (Normandy), Carling (Moselle), Feyzin-Balan (Ain) and Lavera-La Mede (Bouches-du-Rhone)
ー 1 in Belgium : Antwerp.

　　BASIC PETROCHEMICALS

Products ：Ethylene、Propylene、Butadiene、Benzene、Toluene、Xylene
Resources：
　ATOFINA operates one of the most powerful production facilities in Europe:

　　7 steamcrackers (ethylene, propylene):

・Carling, an industrial base supplying northern Europe,
・Anvers, jointly with Exxon,
・Feyzin, in association with Solvay,
・Gonfreville, on the English Channel,
・Lacq, in partnership with Elf Aquitaine Exploration-Production France,
・Lavera on the Mediterranean, in association with BP Chemicals,
・Umm Said (Qatar) in partnership with the State of Qatar and Enichem

　　2 refining propylene purification plants:

・Donges on the Atlantic, a joint venture with Elf Antar France,
・Feyzin, at the heart of the Rhone-Alpes region chemical centre.

　　POLYOLEFINS

Products：Polyethylene、Low content ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers、Polypropylene、
　　　　　　　Converted polyethylene

　　CVM, PVC AND CONVERTING

Products：VCM (vinyl chloride monomer)、General purpose PVC and special PVC、
　　　　　　　Chlorinated PVC

Resources：

With total production capacities of 740,000 tpa, ATOFINA is n° 1 producer in France and n° 1 in Europe for PVC.
In order to weather the current crisis in the general purpose PVC sector in Europe, the Company has secured the means to consolidate its competitiveness significantly, by combining 3 initiatives:

the consolidation of its downstream PVC activities, with the acquisition of Italy's 2nd largest compounder, IGS. ATOFINA's PVC benefits from a very sound integration, upstream in the chlorine/ethylene sector, and downstream with its pipes, profiles and compounds operations. The acquisition of IGS has strengthened the compounds activities

the reduction of transport logistics costs by using river-sea barges on the Rhone river from the Mediterranean to the Lyon area

the recentring of its PVC production on its Balan and Saint-Fons sites by the year 2000.

In addition, ATOFINA continues to play an active role in the progression and recovery of materials. The Company is currently studying the feasibility of recycling PVC waste from building sites, to replace the recycling of PVC mineral water bottles, which are now being phased out.
As part of the Autovinyle association created in January 1997, ATOFINA also takes part in the recycling of automotive PVC shredder lights as well as PVC parts from end-of-life vehicles.

　　Vinyl Thermoplastics

Products ：Plasticised PVC compounds、Rigid PVC compounds、
　　　　　　　Thermoplastic elastomers、Special vinyl compounds

Resources

As Europe's leading producer of vinyl compounds with production capacities exceeding 280,000 tonnes (including 230,000 tpa for NakanR thermoplastics), ATOFINA benefits from outstanding industrial coverage throughout Europe, operating in six countries and therefore in a position to meet its customers' requirements in terms of service.
Its comprehensive product range, in particular its speciality vinyl compounds, allows ATOFINA to stand out from its competitors in terms of offer.

　　PVC Pipes and Connections, PVC Profiles

　　STYRENE, POLYSTYRENE, ELASTOMERS

Products： Ethylbenzene、Styrene、Crystal and impact polystyrene and compounds

　　FERTILISERS

　　Nitrogen and Compound Fertilisers

HISTORY　
ATOFINA combines the strengths of Elf Atochem and TOTALFINA's chemical activities.
　　　http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/f_elf_2.cfm

Elf Atochem

TOTALFINA

PetroFina

Cray Valley

HutchinsonI

Bostik

SigmaKalon

October 2001

ATOFINA increases its polypropylene capacities in Europe
　　　　http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actuComm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=5021

ATOFINA will boast overall polypropylene production capacities of 2.1 million tpa.

The Feluy and Gonfreville L’Orcher capacity extensions are consolidating ATOFINA's presence in Europe, and will mean a virtually equal split of its world capacities between this region and the United States:
- 1.1 million tpa in Europe, including 800,000 tpa in Feluy, 200,000 tpa in Gonfreville L’Orcher, and 135,000 tpa in Lavera (France),
- 1 million tpa in the United States in La Porte, Texas.

The new 380,000 tpa Feluy plant uses the Spheripol® technology.

2002/6/5 Platts

Atofina inaugurates new PP Belgium unit

The new 380,000 mt/yr unit is the world's largest and takes total PP production capacity at the site to 800,000 mt/yr.
designed to deploy the metallocene catalyst technology developed by the Atofina Research laboratories

　

April 3, 2003 ATOFINA

ATOFINA increases capacity at its Antwerp polyethylene plant in Belgium
　　　　http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actuComm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9841

ATOFINA inaugurated on 3rd April 2003, new industrial facilities for increased Polyethylene (HDPE) production at its Antwerp plant in Belgium. The 160,000 tpa increase brings the site's overall capacity up to 510,000 tpa, and consolidates ATOFINA's position as a producer of specialized Polyethylene grades.

2003/2/25 Atofina

Atofina announces plans to expand styrene monomer facility in Carville (USA)
　　　　http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actuComm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9402

Atofina announced plans to modernize and expand its joint venture Cos-Mar Styrene Monomer facility located near Carville, Louisiana. This project will increase styrene capacity from 900,000 tons per year to 1,150,000 tons per year. Completion is planned for third quarter 2004.

Cos-Mar is a 50/50 joint venture between Atofina Petrochemicals, Inc. and General Electric Petrochemicals.

December 2000 ATOFINA

ATOFINA builds new polystyrene compounding plant in Thailand for the teletronics market
　　　http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actuComm/d_detail.cfm?IdActu=2546

ATOFINA is investing in a new 12,000 tpa polystyrene compounding plant near Bangkok in Thailand, at a cost amounting to Euro 4 M.

The new plant allows ATOFINA to consolidate the existing 13,000 tpa polystyrene compounding capacity of its Singapore site in line with its customers' development.

Platts 2003/8/20

France's Atofina defers China, Singapore PS expansions to 2006

France's Atofina plans to defer its polystyrene expansions in China and Singapore by two years to 2006.

February 19, 2004 Atofina

Proposed reorgainization of Total's chemicals branch
Proposed creation of a new Chlorochemicals, Intermediates and Performance Products Organization
http://www.total.com/ho/en/library/press/2004/pr3.htm

In the light of this situation, the Group is studying a reorganization of its Chemicals Branch which would entail lighter functional organizations as well as the creation, alongside Petrochemicals and Specialties, of a decentralised organization consolidating the Chlorochemicals, Intermediates and Performance Products assets.

Petrochemicals continue to implement synergies with Refining, and should speed up their expansion in Asia.
Specialties demonstrate their ability to maintain a satisfactory performance, despite an increasingly harsh environment.
With sales of some Eruo 5 billion in 2003, the Chlorochemicals, Intermediates and Performance Products business includes thirteen activities in which Atofina holds leading positions in Europe and, in some cases, in the World. This is the case of Thiochemicals (World leader), Fluorochemicals and Oxygenated Products (N°2 and 3 respectively in the World), Acrylics and PMMA (N°3 in the World), and Engineering Polymers (N°3 in the World).

Dow Jones April 8, 2004

Total Sees Third Of Chem Business As Stand-Alone By Oct 1
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/f_elf_2.cfm

Atofina, the chemicals division of French oil major Total S.A. (TOT), Wednesday said it plans to have a third of its business legally set up as a stand-alone company by Oct. 1.

Bernard Boyer, who is in charge of Atofina's strategy, acquisitions and divestitures, also said Total targets a spin off the company - comprising the chlorochemicals, intermediates and performance products units - in two or three years.

Platts　2004/10/4 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Release

Atofina renamed Total Petrochemicals; CIP renamed Arkema

Atofina, the Belgian subsidiary of Petrofina, was renamed Total Petrochemicals Monday, while the company's Chemical Intermediates Plastics divison will now be called Arkema, company sources said.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/110/110697.html

ATOFINA is a subsidiary of energy group TOTAL, which plans to change ATOFINA Petrochemicals' name to TOTAL Petrochemicals as of October 1, 2004. The name change reflects a larger move by TOTAL, in which it plans to separate its other chemicals activities from the petrochemicals business.

Total 2004/10/4

Creation of Arkema and Total’s New Chemicals Business Organization
http://www.total.com/en/press/press_releases/pr_2004/041004_arkema_5568.htm

In line with the February 19 announcement, on October 1 Total put in place a new organization for its Chemicals business, marked by the creation of a new legal entity, Arkema.

The Chemicals Division, headed by Francois Cornelis, now consists of three business units:

・Total Petrochemicals, covering all petrochemical operations and fertilizers;
・Specialties, combining Hutchinson (rubber processing), Bostik (adhesives),
　Cray Valley and Sartomer (resins), Atotech (electroplating);
・Arkema, a new unit destined to be independent, encompassing Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals
　and Performance Products.

“Headed by Thierry Le Henaff, Arkema is intended to become a competitive, independent operator by 2006*, able to take part in chemical industry consolidation in its areas of business. The new unit will take advantage of its remaining time with Total to enhance its performance while putting in place the organization necessary for an independent company. The creation of Arkema is a major milestone in Total’s Chemicals business reorganization, which is designed to streamline corporate structures and provide Arkema with the resources needed to become more independent, closer to customers and more responsive in its decision-making processes,” said Thierry Desmarest, Chairman and CEO of Total.

* depending on market conditions and after informing/consulting with labor representavies

Total　2004/2/19

Proposed reorganization of Total's chemicals branch
Proposed creation of a new chlorochemicals, intermediates and performance products organization
http://www.total.com/en/press/press_releases/pr_2004/040225_Chemicals_4701.htm

Like Europe's other chemical actors, Total's Chemicals branch is facing a difficult environment. It has to contend with acute competition in a climate of weak demand, high energy and raw materials costs, and a major depreciation of the dollar relative to the euro.

In the light of this situation, the Group is studying a reorganization of its Chemicals Branch which would entail lighter functional organizations as well as the creation, alongside Petrochemicals and Specialties, of a decentralised organization consolidating the Chlorochemicals, Intermediates and Performance Products assets.

This new organization will be in a position to adapt to market trends with more flexibility through a structure which is closer to its customers and more reactive in its decision-making processes, and which relies on coherent industrial activities. It will be run by Thierry Le Henaff (*), and will enjoy significant operational autonomy.

The performance of these businesses is affected by the current economic climate in Europe, and, accordingly, the new company's priority will be to improve results. On the strength of these improvements, it will pursue its development, in particular in Asia.

The new company will aim to become a competitive and independent actor. With a sound financial structure, it will have the opportunity to play an active role in the consolidation of the chemical industry.

Petrochemicals continue to implement synergies with Refining, and should speed up their expansion in Asia.

Specialties demonstrate their ability to maintain a satisfactory performance, despite an increasingly harsh environment.

With sales of some Euro 5 billion in 2003, the Chlorochemicals, Intermediates and Performance Products business includes thirteen activities in which Atofina holds leading positions in Europe and, in some cases, in the World. This is the case of Thiochemicals (World leader), Fluorochemicals and Oxygenated Products (N° 2 and 3 respectively in the World), Acrylics and PMMA (N° 3 in the World), and Engineering Polymers (N° 3 in the World).

(*) 40 year old Thierry Le Henaff is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique and of Ponts et Chaussees; he also holds an MBA from Stanford University (USA). After beginning his career with Peat Marwick Consultants, he joined Total's Adhesives Division in 1992 where he held a number of management positions throughout the world. In July 2001, he became Chairman and Managing Director of Bostik Findley, the new group created from the merged Adhesives businesses of Total and Elf Atochem.

On January 1, 2003, he became a member of the Executive Committee of Atofina (the Chemicals Branch of the Total Group), in charge of three Divisions: Agrochemicals, Fertilisers and Thiochemicals. He also oversees International Affairs, Purchasing and Research.

The proposal has been presented to employee representatives.

2005/1/27 Arkema

Arkema presents a Draft Consolidation Plan
to secure the long-term future of its Vinyl Products Business Segment
http://www.arkemagroup.com/arkema/gb/Comm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=1242

2004/10
Total put in place a new organization for its Chemicals business, marked by the creation of a new legal entity, Arkema, encompassing Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals and Performance Products.

Arkema confirms its wish to remain a leading European player in the activities covered by its Vinyl Products business segment, and today presented the Central Works Council with a draft consolidation plan to secure its long-term competitiveness and ability to ride out the economic climate. The plan entails no plant closure and no redundancies, and is backed by a Euro 300 M capital expenditure programme over 5 years.

The Vinyl Products business segment - Chlorochemicals, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), Vinyl Compounds, and Pipe and Profile Converting - accounts for 27 % of Arkema's turnover, achieved to a large extent in the European market.
With its overcapacity and acute competition, this market is also characterised by very clear economic cycles and an ongoing erosion of margins over many years.

Saint-Auban (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence): specialisation of the site around its strong points and closure of activities making significant losses
Saint-Fons (Rhone): recentring on PVC production
Balan (Ain): modernisation of PVC production plants
Jarrie (Isere): restoration of the site's competitiveness
Fos-sur-Mer, Lavera, Berre (Bouches-du-Rhone): increase in production capacities
Pierre-Benite (Rhone): improvement of WACR production process

2007/12/7 UOP

UOP LLC and Total Petrochemicals to Integrate Methanol-to-Olefins and Olefin Cracking Processes
Demonstration plant in Belgium to come on stream in 2007
http://www.uop.com/pr/releases/Total%20MTO.pdf

UOP LLC, a subsidiary of Honeywell, and Total Petrochemicals announced today they have signed agreements for a joint development program to integrate technology aimed at increasing the production of light olefins, the basic chemical building blocks for many commonly used plastic products.
Under the agreements, Total Petrochemicals will construct a demonstration plant at its petrochemicals complex in Feluy, Belgium. The demonstration plant will consist of a UOP/HYDRO methanol-to-olefin (MTO) process unit and a Total Petrochemicals/UOP Olefin Cracking process unit. The integrated plant will feed an existing, large-scale polymerization pilot plant.

The UOP/HYDRO MTO process converts methanol to ethylene and propylene along with some heavier olefins. The Total Petrochemicals/UOP Olefin Cracking process converts these heavier olefins predominantly to propylene with some associated ethylene.
By integrating the two processes, Total Petrochemicals and UOP will demonstrate a very significant increase in the production of light olefins, particularly propylene.
“
UOP also remains active in MTO joint development with Hydro of Norway. Hydro has successfully operated an MTO demonstration unit in Norway since 1995.

Platts 2006/3/2

Arkema on schedule to close St Auban, France, VCM unit end March

The closure of Arkema's 125,000mt/yr St Auban, France, vinyl chloride monomer unit is on schedule for the end of March, a company source confirmed Thursday.

The polyvinyl chloride unit at the site has already been switched from a suspension to a specialty PVC operation, producing paste and co-polymer grades. Suspension PVC production has been transferred to Arkema's largest manufacturing site at Balan, the company source said.

2006/9/25 Arkema

Arkema doubles high performance polyamides capacity in China, to be operational by September 2007

Arkema has announced that it will double its high performance polyamides capacity at its Changshu site, China. This increase will come on stream by september 2007. 江蘇省常熟市

Arkema manufactures 6 high performance polyamides product lines: Rilsan(R) granules and Rilsan(R) fine powders, Pebax(R), Platamid(R), Orgasol(R) and Orgalloy(R). Arkema produces two of these product lines at its Changshu facility: Platamid(R) copolyamides and Rilsan(R) polyamides (from September 2006).

Rilsan(R) polyamide-11
PEBAX(R) ナイロン系エラストマー樹脂
PLATAMID(R) copolyamide hotmelts
Orgasol(R) Ultrafine Polyamide Powders
Orgalloy(R) Nylon 6 Alloy

2007/1/22 Arkema

Arkema and Essar announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the production of acrylic acid in India.

Arkema, a leading French chemical company and Essar Chemicals Ltd., part of India's Essar Group, have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to study the feasibility of a 50/50 joint venture in India for the production and commercialization of acrylic acid and esters.

The new world-scale production plant would come on stream in 2010. It would be located at Vadinar in Gujarat Province on India’s Northwest coast, downstream from the recently commissioned Essar refinery, using propylene as feedstock.

With two existing production sites in Carling (France) and Bayport (USA), Arkema intends with this new project to reinforce its position as a global player in acrylic monomers whose main applications are paints and coatings, superabsorbents, water treatment, and the paper and textile industries.

Essar Group is one of the fastest growing business groups in India. The Group’s businesses span the core and infrastructure segments of the economy - steel, oil and gas, power, mobile telecom, shipping and construction, and has approximately 20,000 employees.

Essar Chemicals Limited is part of Essar Global Limited, an investment arm of Essar Group. This company will be a vehicle to enter into value added chemicals business and is currently evaluating various options available based on feedstock streams from Essar Oil Limited’s refinery at Vadinar, near Jamnagar in Gujarat.

2007/3/15 China Chemical Reporter

Sartomer Kicks off Special Acrylates Project

On March 15th, 2007 construction on the 17 000 t/a special acrylates project, in Nansha Development Zone, Guangzhou, Guangdong province was started by Sartomer (Guangzhou) Chemical Company Ltd.. The project is invested by Sartomer (Guangzhou) Chemical Company Ltd., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total Group of France and an important supplier of special chemical raw materials worldwide. In 2006, Sartomer (Guangzhou) Chemical Co., Ltd. established the Asian R&D Centre in Guangzhou.
The US$30 million project covers a land of over 70 000 m2 and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2007.

2007/4/23 .presstv.ir/

Total to continue Iran investment

French company Total says political issues and sanctions imposed against Iran have not affected the company's presence in Iran.

Speaking to IRNA during the 12th Oil Show in Tehran, director of the French oil giant, Pierre Fabiani said, "Total, like several other foreign companies, chose to take part in the Oil Show."

"Total plans to cooperate with Iran for production of LNG and expansion of upstream section of phase 11 of Iran's South Pars gas field," he said.
Earlier, the chief of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) had said that Total was expected to announce its Final Investment Decision (FID) regarding the "Pars LNG" project, which pertains to the development of phase 11, in the next 3-4 months.

Some 797 Iranian companies and 510 foreign firms, from 35 countries, have taken part in the 12th Oil Show in Tehran.

2007/9/24 Arkema

Arkema invests for Kynar® Fluoropolymer production in China

Arkema announces its intention to expand the global production of Kynar® polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF) by investing in a new facility in China.

The proposed Kynar® production facility, including VF2 monomer, will be built on an existing Arkema manufacturing site at Changshu, just north of Shanghai. Detailed engineering for the facility will start in the first quarter of 2008, for a startup planned in 2011.

2007/9/24 Arkema

Arkema doubles PVC Heat Stabilizer plant in Beijin

Arkema is investing in a major expansion of its PVC heat stabilizer production facility in Beijing (China), to respond to the strong growth of the construction and packaging markets.

The expansion will double the capacity of the site to 12,000 tons-per-year for production of the full range of tin-based heat stabilizers, and make it the single largest production facility for tin stabilizers in Asia. The extension is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2008.

January 16, 2008 Total

Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc. announces formation of Polyolefins Business Unit

Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc. (TPI) combined its Polyethylene and Polypropylene Business Units into a new Polyolefins Business Unit effective January 1, 2008.
“Operating these two key businesses under one banner gives us greater flexibility in meeting the market needs,” said Total Petrochemicals USA President and CEO Bernard Claude. “Combining our polypropylene and polyethylene operations into a single Polyolefins Business Unit more closely aligns us with Total Petrochemicals international business.”

TPI owns and operates a 900 million pound per year high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant in Bayport, Texas. HDPE is typically sold in pellet form and is a plastic used in everyday items such as milk bottles, detergent containers, grocery sacks, crates, automotive fuel tanks, pipe, crates, totes, garbage bags, panels, and bottles.
TPI owns and operates a 2.35 billion pound per year polypropylene facility in La Porte, Texas, which is the world’s largest polypropylene facility. Polypropylene is a plastic used in food packaging, tapes, carpet yarns, absorbent products, small appliances, outdoor furniture, and toys.

2008/3/5 Sartomer

Sartomer Company Opens China Manufacturing Plant
Nansha, China, site will supply Asia, Europe and United States

Global specialty chemicals manufacturer Sartomer Company today announced the opening of a new manufacturing plant in Nansha, in the Guangzhou province of China. The facility will manufacture specialty acrylate monomers and oligomers used as raw materials in products such as paints, inks, coatings, adhesives, circuit boards, flooring, CDs and DVDs. Sartomer will sell materials manufactured at the new plant to customers in Asia, Europe and the United States.

April 14, 2008　RubberWorld

Arkema to stop production of MBS modifiers at its US facility in Alabama

Arkema has announced it will cease production of Clearstrength(R) methacrylic-butadiene-styrene (MBS) impact modifiers at its U.S. facility in Axis (Alabama), and consolidate worldwide MBS production at its facility in Vlissingen, in the Netherlands. Over the next few months, customers for MBS modifiers in the Americas will be supplied by Vlissingen plant. Arkema’s Axis plant will continue to produce Durastrength(R) acrylic impact modifiers and Plastistrength(R) acrylic process aids. According to the company, this consolidation is expected to produce cost savings of approximately EUR3.2 million ($5 million) over the first year. Arkema produces impact modifiers, process aids, and organotins as additives for polyvinylchloride (PVC) resins and engineering resins used in a variety of applications including pipes, window frames, exterior cladding, packaging and automotive body parts.