The end of a slump in North American polypropylene prices is featured in this week's Material Insights video. Regional PP prices bounced up 1 cent per pound in September, after falling a total of 27 cents between May and August. Market sources said the increase may have been caused in part by increased sales of propylene monomer into the gasoline market, which would have left less material available for PP production. A potential second Mexican petrochemicals complex for the Braskem/Grupo Idesa joint venture also is featured in this week's video. The JV will open its first plant making PE and related products in Coatzacoalcos in 2015, but Braskem executive Cleante Leite Filho said a second project could be on the way in the next 5-10 years. The video wraps up with news of a report with high hopes for the global bioplastics market. The report from the European Bioplastics trade group expects the size of the market to increase from 2.6 billion pounds this year to about 13 billion pounds by 2016. Bioplastics growth will be led by bio-PET, which will see its share of the market grow from 40 percent to 80 percent.
An explosion at La. olefins plant leaves 2 dead, 76 injured
June 17, 2013 1:17 pm ET
