Domestic news
In the first five months, crude oil and coal imports increased and prices fell
The total value of China's imports and exports reached 16.77 trillion yuan in the first five months of this year, up 4.7 percent year on year (the same below), according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on June 7. Of this, exports reached 9.62 trillion yuan, up 8.1%; Imports reached 7.15 trillion yuan, up 0.5%; The trade surplus reached 2.47 trillion yuan, up 38 percent. In dollar terms, China's imports and exports totaled $2.44 trillion in the first five months of this year, down 2.8 percent. Of this, exports were $1.4 trillion, up 0.3 percent; Imports were US $1.04 trillion, down 6.7%; The trade surplus expanded by 27.8% to US $359.48 billion.
Bohai Chemical proposed to build acrylate project
On June 7, Tianjin Bohai Chemical Co., Ltd. announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bohai Petrochemical, intends to invest in the construction of new material projects of acrylate and super absorbent resin. The project investment is expected to be 2.25 billion yuan, It is proposed to build 160,000 tons/year acrylic acid plant, 30,000 tons/year methyl acrylate/ethyl acrylate plant (methyl ester and ethyl ester switch production), 160,000 tons/year butyl acrylate/isooctyl acrylate plant (butyl ester and isooctyl ester switch production), 40,000 tons/year ice crystal acrylic acid plant, 50,000 tons/year high absorbability resin plant and supporting public and auxiliary facilities. The project period is 24 months.
Baotellong works with Meida to develop graphene polyamide composites
Recently, Baotellong New Materials Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "Baotellong") announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Qitaihe Baotellong Graphene New Materials Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "Graphene Company") and Guangdong Xinhui Meida Nylon Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "Meida") signed a joint research and development framework agreement. According to the agreement, in terms of product development cooperation, both parties will carry out product development cooperation based on graphene and polyamide composite products, including graphene polyamide slices, master particles and fiber products. In terms of technical cooperation, the two parties will carry out technical cooperation based on the preparation and application technology of graphene and polyamide composite products, including graphene polyamide slicing, masterbatch and fiber preparation and application technology. Among them, the subsidiaries of Baolong are responsible for providing graphene, adjusting the performance according to the needs of Meida shares, developing graphene polyamide masterbatches, and evaluating the functionality of graphene polyamide slices, masterbatches and fibers. Meida is responsible for providing polyamide base material slices for masterbatch preparation, formulation and process development of graphene polyamide slices, masterbatch and fiber, evaluation of processing performance and application performance of graphene polyamide slices, masterbatch and fiber, and application and market development of graphene polyamide slices, masterbatch and fiber.
Shaanxi Coal Yulin Chemical Yu High-tech Materials 500,000 tons/year DMC project commenced
On June 6, Inner Mongolia Branch Yulin Chemical Yu High-tech Materials Co., LTD., Shaanxi Coal Group, held the commencement ceremony of the first phase of the 500,000 tons/year dimethyl carbonate (DMC) demonstration project of coal quality utilization to make new chemical materials. The project includes 13 main items: DMC public system, DMC synthesis, DMC circulating gas compression, DMC rectification, MN recovery, methanol rectification, high-purity DMC, nitric acid concentration, CO compression, on-site cabinet room, installation substation, circulating water station and heat exchange station.
Ningxia Baofeng PE, PP project EIA publicity
Recently, the Ecological Environment Bureau of Ningdong Energy and Chemical Base Management Committee issued a public notice on the proposed review and approval of the environmental impact assessment documents of Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co., LTD. C2~C5 and mixed hydrocarbon value-added utilization project. The total investment of the project is 10.2 billion yuan, It mainly built 720,000 tons/year olefin catalytic cracking (OCC) unit, 250,000 tons/year olefin steam cracking (SCU) unit, 1 million tons/year olefin separation unit, 400,000 tons/year polyethylene (PE) unit, 500,000 tons/year polypropylene (PP) unit, 250,000 tons/year ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) unit, etc. Public and auxiliary projects and environmental protection projects mainly rely on existing projects.
A 10,000-ton offshore oil production platform sets sail in Zhuhai, Guangdong province
On June 6th, the upper block of Enping 18-6 oil production platform with a total weight of more than 14,000 tons set sail on the barge "Offshore Oil 228" from the Zhuhai construction site wharf of CNOOC Engineering, heading for the Enping oilfield group in the South China Sea. The platform has pioneered a number of construction technologies and will provide stable and reliable oil and gas resources for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area after it is put into operation this year. According to reports, Enping 18-6 platform is an oil and gas drilling platform integrating drilling, production and living. The operating water depth is about 98 meters, about 200 kilometers southwest of Shenzhen, and two oil fields, Enping 18-6 and Panyu 19-1, will be developed at the same time. After preliminary processing, the crude oil produced by the platform will be transported to the "Haiyang Oil 118" storage tanker for processing and storage, and then exported to the coastal refineries.
Basf plans to gradually increase its European ethylene oxide and derivatives capacity
On June 6, BASF announced that it would begin gradually adding new alkoxylation capacity in Antwerp, Belgium, and Ludwittshafen, Germany. This investment has particularly benefited European customers, with a significant increase in capacity of more than 150,000 tonnes per year. Most of the capacity increase is part of the expansion of ethylene oxide and ethylene oxide derivatives at the Belgian Integration site in Antwerp. In addition to alkoxylation, the expansion includes investment in a second world-class ethylene oxide production line, including purified ethylene oxide capacity.
India plans to build a soda plant with an annual output of 500,000 tons
GHCL LTD plans to invest INR 40 billion in a new soda plant with an annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes at Mandewi in Kutch district, western Gujarat, the company said in a statement. The new capacity will help India meet growing demand from the solar and electric vehicle industries, GHCL said. Construction has already begun on the new unit, which will go into production around 2025 or 2026. The capacity of the newly built unit is set to double again to 1 mtpa by 2030. The added capacity will not only help meet India's domestic demand, but will also be used for export.
Toyochem builds new pilot plant for high-performance polymers in Japan
On June 5, Toyochem, the polymers and coatings division of Japan's Toyo Ink Group, announced that the company has completed construction of a new polymer test facility at its Kawagoe Plant, a manufacturing complex located in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The new plant, which was commissioned in April 2023, is engaged in the prototyping and medium-scale production of advanced polymers and their composites. In the first phase of the production line, Toyochem plans to produce condensed polymers with high heat resistance and flexibility, properties needed to meet the stringent requirements of today's semiconductor components. Key applications include highly heat-resistant and flexible adhesive materials for high-speed communication components and functional adhesives for electric vehicles. In line with its growth strategy, Toyochem will cooperate with its polymer Materials Research Institute and new polymer test facility in Japan to accelerate the development of new products and related businesses to support its present and future customer base. In addition to serving as a model system for the trial production of new polymers, Toyochem's polymer test facility has been used to consolidate Kawagoe's polymer test area and accumulate the necessary data to enhance the smart factory program at its manufacturing site.
Dow Chemical and Avery Dennison Co. launch hot-melt label adhesives
Dow Chemical Company and Avery Dennessen announced the co-development of an innovative and sustainable new hot-melt label adhesive solution that enables the mechanical recycling of polyolefin film labels and PP or PE packaging in a single stream. The adhesive, the first of its kind in the label market, has been Recyclass certified for recycling in HDPE color Stream (Class B). The development of the new adhesive was driven by Avery Dennison's recycling design thinking, aided by Dow Chemical's polymer science expertise. It is based on Dow Chemical's AFFINITY™ GA polymer and is marketed in the EMEA region by Avery Dennison Inc. under the name CF3050.
Ascend launches Medical Acteev product
Ascend announced that it combines the antimicrobial efficacy of active zinc ions with high-quality polyamides to launch the Acteev MED product line for the healthcare market, which can be widely used in the healthcare sector. Acteev MED can be used in a wide range of medical durable goods, high-frequency contact surfaces, drug delivery equipment, patient delivery equipment, wound care dressings and sutures, surgical gowns and masks, pressure suits and accessories, etc., to protect patients and healthcare workers from microbial invasion. The Acteev MED product range is available in yarn, non-woven fabrics, engineering plastics and other forms. Unlike some antimicrobial solutions on the market that rely on chemical coatings or use ground yarn that affects production efficiency, Acteev embeds active zinc ions directly into a high-quality polymer matrix for long-lasting protection, making it ideal for high-risk medical and health applications while being environmentally friendly and sustainable.
