Material Insights: Nov. 5, 2012

A look at the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the North American materials market is featured in this week's Material Insights video. The impact of the storm -- which hit the U.S. East Coast on Oct. 29 -- wasn't as bad as initially feared. The primary effect was the temporary shutdown of a pair of polypropylene resin plants -- one operated by Braskem Americas in Marcus Hook, Pa., and one by Phillips 66 in Linden, N.J. As of Nov. 2, both plants had power restored, but had yet to re-start resin production. An exclusive interview with top officials at PolyOne Corp. and Spartech Corp. also is featured in this week’s video. Plastics News interviewed Spartech President and CEO Victoria Holt and PolyOne Vice President of Corporate Marketing Julie McAlindon at the pack Expo International trade show in Chicago, shortly after compounding leader PolyOne announced it had acquired sheet leader Spartech. The video wraps up with news of a pair of materials-related expansion in the U.S. Bioplastics maker Meredian Inc. officially opened a 30 million pound per-year capacity plant in Bainbridge, Ga., making bioplastics based on oils from soybeans, cottonseed or corn. In Wallingford, Conn., BYK USA a unit of German firm Alanta AG will spend almost $50 million to build a plant making plastic additives and color-measurement instruments.