Dow JV launches PU plant in Russia
MIDLAND, MICH. — Dow Chemical Co.'s Dow Izolan joint venture has opened a polyurethane manufacturing plant in Vladimir, Russia.
The plant will make a broad range of rigid and flexible foam PU systems for construction, automotive, footwear and other applications.
The plant cost $45 million and the annual capacity is almost 80 million pounds, according to a report that Dow declined to confirm.
“Despite the challenging global economic environment, we have kept our promise and completed the plant as scheduled,” said Dow formulated systems' general manager, Juan Merino, in a Jan. 5 news release.
Dow Izolan is a joint venture between Midland-based Dow — one of the world's largest plastics and chemicals makers — and Izolan Ltd., Russia's largest PU systems producer. The venture employs 100 and supplies more than 700 customers.
DSM takes ownership of Ga. nylon 6 plant
HEERLEN, NETHERLANDS — Royal DSM NV has acquired full ownership of a nylon 6 resin plant in Augusta, Ga.
DSM, based in Heerlen, previously had operated the plant as Nylon Polymer Co. LLC, a joint venture with carpet maker Shaw Industries Group Inc. of Franklin, Pa. Terms were not disclosed.
DSM will incorporate the plant into its DSM Engineering Plastics unit, which is based in Evansville, Ind. Akulon-brand nylon 6, made in Augusta, is used in automotive parts, luggage, electronics, packaging films and sporting goods.
Fully owning the Augusta plant “represents a major expansion of our polymerization capabilities in the Americas,” said DSM Engineering Plastics Americas President Koen Devits, in a Jan. 7 news release. “It helps us to fully exploit our strong backward integration at the Augusta site.”
For DSM, it's the second nylon transaction in less than a year. In June, DSM announced it would swap its Xantar-brand polycarbonate business for the nylon operations of Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. of Tokyo by year's end 2009. The deal gave DSM access to nylon 6/6/6 resin for the first time.
DSM also in 2009 opened its first nylon 6 resin plant in China.
Graham to license Tahara machines
YORK, PA. — Tahara Machinery Ltd. has licensed Graham Packaging Co. LP to manufacture Tahara's electrically driven blow molding machines and market them in Europe.
Tokyo-based Tahara said it introduced the first electrically driven blow molding machine in 1994.
Graham Packaging will manufacture the machines at its Graham Poland factory and market them in Europe through a Warsaw company, Muehsam-Elektromech Jan K. Muehsam i Wspolnicy Spolka Jawna.
York-based Graham Packaging is the largest North American blow molder, with $2.2 billion in related sales for 2008, according to Plastics News' most recent survey. The firm has 84 plants in North and South America and Europe, and is majority owned by New York's Blackstone Group.
Tahara President Katsutoshi Saeki said in a news release that his company would collaborate with Graham Packaging to consolidate Tahara's position as a cutting-edge producer of electrically driven blow molding machines.
ExxonMobil appoints elastomer distributor
MEXICO CITY — Polimeros Nacionales SA de CV has been appointed as a new distributor by ExxonMobil Chemical Co. for its portfolio of specialty elastomers in Mexico.
Polimeros Nacionales will supply materials including Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers, Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate, Vistalon ethylene propylene diene monomer, Exact plastomers and Exxelor modifiers.
Polimeros Nacionales has distributed specialty polymers and finished products since 1984. It also offers its own brand of compounds and color concentrates.
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