Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2023 winners
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Bioplastics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
March 10, 1997 01:00 AM

PHILLIPS PLANS TO INCREASE LLDPE ACTIVITY

Bruce Vernyi PLASTICS NEWS STAFF
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    NEW YORK — Phillips Chemical Co. has tossed its hat into the market for linear low density polyethylene resins based on metallocene catalyst technologies.

    Phillips long has been the leading producer of high density polyethylene in North America, but has had a minor role in the production of LLDPE.

    Although it boasts a long list of ``firsts'' in research and the development of thermoplastic resins — including the discovery of HDPE in 1951 — Phillips has not been overtly active, until now, in the development of metallocene catalyst technology.

    Don Brady, polyethylene manager for Phillips, and Jack Howe, senior vice president of natural gas liquids, chemicals and plastics, said they believe the proprietary metallocene technology Phillips has developed is distinct from developments at other companies, and is well-protected by 54 patents.

    Brady said Phillips is the third leading holder of patents for metallocene catalyst technology in the United States, behind Exxon Chemical Co. and Dow Chemical Co.

    Phillips made initial commercial runs of resins with its technology in December, and expects to have capacity to make 200 million pounds of metallocene-based LLDPE by 2000, Brady said March 5 at a news conference in New York.

    Further, he said Phillips expects to have capacity to produce 1.75 billion pounds of mLLDPE by 2005.

    While initial production will be done at Phillips' Houston Chemical Complex, the Bartlesville, Okla.-based company expects to build a dedicated production facility on the Gulf Coast, Brady said.

    While a decision has not been made, Brady said that the dedicated production facility likely will be at the Houston complex.

    Phillips developed its unique metallocene catalyst technology to complement its loop slurry PE production technology. Phillips licenses its loop slurry technology worldwide.

    Metallocene catalyst technology gives Phillips' production technology the ability to produce a wider range of PE resins, Brady said.

    ``Originally, we could produce PE resins with a 0.930 to 0.970 density range.

    ``Currently, we are able to produce resins with a 0.920 to 0.970 density range, and we expect to produce resins with a 0.910 to 0.970 density range in the future,'' he said.

    Howe noted that HDPE historically was the leading species of PE demanded by the market, but that LLDPE caught up and remains the fastest growing resin.

    ``We have long had the desire to move downward in density, and this technology gives us the ability to do so,'' Howe said.

    Both Brady and Howe said Phillips' mLLDPE resins provide increased clarity and toughness and higher strength than conventional LLDPE. Exxon and Dow have made similar claims, and Brady said Phillips' provides another new, competitive source for the materials.

    Brady cited several critical issues that continue to plague the widespread use of mLLDPE resins, including the high costs of producing metallocene catalysts, the relatively low productivity rates and the low availability of the catalysts and the resins' increased difficulty of processing.

    Further, he said it appears that mLLDPE producers have committed to production capacities that will cause an oversupply before demand for the resins develops, and that may lead producers to cannibalize markets for low density PE and conventional LLDPE.

    Because of the high costs of the catalysts and the costs of development, mLLDPE resins are priced 4 to 6 cents higher than conventional high-alpha olefin LLDPE resins.

    However, producers say they expect mLLDPE prices to soften as production capacities increase.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Clean Vision to spend $50M on West Virginia pyrolysis plant
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    PP resin prices saw a big drop in May
    2
    Orion steps up production at South Carolina compounding plant
    3
    EPA standing pat on pyrolysis regulations for now
    4
    Germany's Stratec buys medical molder Natech to boost US presence
    5
    Sustainable materials a focus of Primex expansion
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2023 winners
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Bioplastics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified