Pn march 2014 issue low reg pdf

SAY YES TO PLASTICS Volume No. 76

MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12- 14

Issue No. 3

Pages 70

March 2014

Rs. 75.00

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CONTENT

IN THIS ISSUE...

17...... AIPMA At Work ...Indo-German International Seminar on “Plastic applications in Food Industry The Official Organ of The All India Plastics Manufacturers Association Estd. 1945

...Workshop on Anti-Dumping and CVD

MH/MR/N/200/MBI/12-14 Volume 76

March 2014 No. 3

... The Kayakalp - Pre Conclave

Chairman - Editorial Board

Mr. Anandilal Oza

... EU-India FTA Meet

Hon. Editor

Mr. Ajay Desai

... All Plastics Associations Meet

Members

Mr. A. E. Ladhaboy Dr. Y. B. Vasudeo Ms. Poorvi Desai

... Seminar on ‘Export Awareness’

Editorial Co-ordination: Padmesh Prabhune, Dhruv Communications, Mumbai, Tel No: 00-22-2868 5198 / 5049 Fax No : 00-22-28685495 • email: dhruvpr@vsnl.net Published by Ms. Umaa Gupta on behalf of the owners, The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association Plot No. A-52, Road No. 1, M.I.D.C., Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093. Tel: 67778899 • Fax : 00-22-2821 6390 E-mail : office@aipma.net Website : http://www.aipma.net and printed by her at Dhote Offset Technokrafts Pvt. Ltd., Goregaon (E), Mumbai-400 063.

... Mission Conclave

Annual Subscription Rs. 1,000/-

... Polymer banknotes: The way to progress

Single issue Rs. 75/-

... The variety and versatility of plastic closures present much for consideration

... The Making of Plastivision Arabia 2014

25...... Company News 29...... Features

Views/Reports/Extracts etc. published in Plastics News are those of the of formal AIPMA communications no other matter in this journal should

... New liquid silicone rubber molding technology gives molders more process control

be interpreted as views of The All India Plastics Mfgrs. Association.

... Recycled PET for the latest fashion wear

authors and not necessarily of the Editor. Furthermore except for copies

... India’s Polypropylene market capacity to grow

OFFICE BEARERS Mr. Anandilal Oza President

Mr. Sanju Desai Vice President (West Zone)

Mr. R. K. Aggarwal Vice President (North Zone)

Mr. Rituraj Gupta Hon. Secretary

Mr. Anil Bansal Vice President (South Zone)

Mr. Manoj R. Shah Hon. Jt. Secretary

Mr. Ashok Agarwal Vice President (East Zone)

Mr. Haren Sanghavi Hon. Treasurer

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... Driving the world: Zambello gearboxes

39...... International News 43...... Business News 58...... Product News 62...... Technology 64...... In the News 67...... Events

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THE PRESIDENT SAYS

The Testing Times the traditional trend, China returned on a softer note.

On top of that, PET prices continued to move down as PTA, MEG and PX costs did not stop their decreases and China’s export prices hit their lowest levels seen since July 2012. However, this past week, upstream markets started to gain lost ground while the high season for PET applications is nearing. In the feedstock market, Asian PTA prices gained US$15/ton while MEG prices recorded a larger gain of US$35/ton.

PX costs, on the other hand, indicated only a slow recovery of US$5/ton during the same period.

nterim budget announced by Finance Minister has disappointed the plastic industry. Though all of us know this might be a phase but still it matters. Despite making repetitive efforts for protecting the domestic industry, it seems that perhaps, it would take some more time to be heard by the government.

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For those who had just missed it I would like to bring to their notice that in this interim budget there is:

No reduction in customs duty on polymers.

No reduction in excise duty.

No increase in customs duty on finished plastics goods.

No reduction in direct taxes, no reduction in indirect taxes on polymers.

Reduction of mere 2% in excise duty only on items falling under chapter 84 & 85 of C. E. Tariff (machinery, mechanical appliances & parts and electrical/electronic machinery & equipment)

Reduction of 3-6% excise duty on automobiles.

Although PET prices continued to spiral down in global markets during this past week, expectations started to be more optimistic for the following week.

Export PET prices out of China increased by $10/ton while prices given out of South Korea maintained their previous week’s levels. PTA and MEG costs rebounded after continuous decreases. Many have shut their PTA plant Turkey also highlighted receiving higher import Chinese PET offers with respect to the previous week. According to ChemOrbis, meanwhile, in Egypt, import Far Eastern PET prices saw decreases on a week over week basis but a buyer noted that he was warned by his supplier about prospective increases in line with firming feedstock costs in Asia.. well that’s how it affects.

This would not only pinch the domestic processors but it would be difficult for any small time processor to make both the ends meet. Even globally things are almost same with PET markets dropping down.

According to reports Global PET markets were seen plunging amid weaker upstream costs and thin buying interest. Markets like China and Vietnam hit year-low levels. Global PET players were expecting some revival with China’s return from their New Year holiday by the second week of February.

However, opposite to the expectations and

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We need to consolidate and need to keep patience for some more time.

Anandilal Oza president@aipma.net 9

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FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN

Polymer batteries he technological advances it seems are

one-time passwords, card

raining. For every month we are having

balances and other key card

some interesting new happenings. With

holder information.

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the increasing financial frauds and the growing

Display cards are already

concern about counterfeiting, security especially

being used in other parts of the

with plastic money (read Credit cards) has been the

world, but U.S. manufacturers

topic of discussion. We have been hearing stories

have been slow to implement to date. The thin

how people steal credit cards and get way with huge

battery technology enables the deployment of

cash from ATM’s. But ,no more of it now.

display card technology into the market. While these

Yes as the use of electronics printed on extremely

cards are a primary market, the thin batteries can

thin substrates increases, powering compact

also be used in medical applications and a variety

systems is becoming more of an issue.

of sensor-based solutions. For example, grocery stores could use active shelf displays to alter pricing

Solicore Inc. is tackling this obstacle with a

based on volumes and availability.

polymer battery that's thin enough to fit inside a credit card. Its thin film batteries are less than 0.45

Using thin-film batteries makes it possible to

mm thick, yet they offer lifetimes of up to five years.

install wireless display modules throughout the store without the high cost of wiring each shelf. Similarly

The lifetime is long enough to meet the demands

in medical applications, the batteries can be used

of many extremely compact portable products.

to power telemetry devices and sensors.

One of the target markets is an application that

They could also power patch delivery systems,

has received a lot of attention this year, credit card

letting a patch deliver medication with or without

security.

patient control.

The polymer layers acts like a sponge, absorbing the electrolyte. It can be bent, twisted, broken or

As the technology has already been unveiled

have holes drilled in it without leakage. It's also

hopefully this would be available in India as well.

designed so there's no danger of overheating, which

Also this will bring about the revolution for not only

can be an issue with batteries.

the new generation plastic money but the overall electronic displays as such..

Cards--credit cards with displays enable information critical to validate the user and prevent

Hon. Editor

fraud if the card data is breached. These next

Ajay Desai

generation security cards enable the display of

editor@aipma.net

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AIPMA AT WORK

Indo-German International Seminar on “Plastic applications in Food Industry he Organization of Plastics Processors of India, (OPPI) had organized Indo-German International Seminar on “Plastic Applications in Food Industry” on 20 and 21 February, 2014 at The Lalit Ashok, Bangalore.

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H.E. Mr. Jorn Rohde, Consul General for Germany in Bangalore was the Chief Guest at the Inauguration Ceremony. The two-day seminar helped AIPMA to follow up its activities.

AIPMA Stall: Mrs. Sanjeevani Kothare and Mr. A. Ramarethinam were deputed to manage 9 sq. mtr. stall. This stall was elegantly designed to attract all the participants of the seminar. As usual the AIPMA team had clear focus to market Plastivision Arabia 2014 and registering new membership for AIPMA. Besides the delegates of the seminar Mr. Y. V. Raman- Regional Co-ordinator, Mr. Rohit Kanuga, Mr. Anil Reddy and other members of AIPMA visited the stall and encouraged to market Plastivision Arabia.

120 delegates registered at the seminar.

Mr. Jayesh Rambhia, Chairman PVA -2014, maintained and provide the necessary guidance and direction to enhance our efforts for marketing PVA 2014. There were

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Ms. Sanjeevani Kothare and Mr. Ramarethinam handled marketing activities in above seminar, under guidance of - Mr. Jayesh Rambhia.

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Most of delegates visited the stall and they were detailed about the benefits of participating in PVA - 2014

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The team was successful in confirming 8 potential exhibitors with an approximate area booking of 78 sq. mtrs., confirming 2 Potential Exhibitors for Plastivision Arabia 2014.

Workshop on Anti-Dumping and CVD n interactive workshop was jointly organized by the Centre for WTO Studies (IIFT); Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India; and FICCI in partnership with other Organizations, on February 21, 2014 in Mumbai to discuss various aspects of handling the AntiDumping and CVD investigations.

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CEO, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, a legal consulting firm were the key speakers.

During the workshop it was discussed that India’s exports are very often subjected to various trade remedy measures viz. Anti-Dumping Duty, Countervailing Duty or Safeguard Measures. Imposition of such measures, at times leads to chilling effect on export of the products subject to such measures. The workshop tried to bring out some cases for discussion that helped to understand the intricacies of the Subsidies Agreement and the Anti Dumping agreement. Issues of Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty investigations initiated by trading partners bring in several challenges in terms of business and legal complexities. Also

Mr. Manab Majumdar, Asst. Secretary General FICCI, Mr. Pamkaj Chadha Regional Chairman EEPC India Western Region made the opening remarks as this was the first ever workshop held beyond Delhi. Mr. Tapan Mazumdar Director Department of Commerce, Govt. of India, Mr. Mukesh Bhatnagar Professor ,Centre for WTO studies and Mr. S. seetharaman Executive Partner and P L A S T I C S N E W S

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AIPMA AT WORK meeting the norms of the information requirements within a stipulated timeframes for responding to the investigation questionnaires and interacting with Investigating Authorities of foreign countries while presenting the legal arguments to defend the interest of Indian exporters is quite difficult. Mr. S. Seetharaman categorically highlighted the US and EU model of Investigation suggesting the strategy to counter the action and preparing a strong defence. He also narrated some of his case studies explaining the need of urgency while responding to such legal investigations.

there is an increased role of the Government in responding to the investigation questionnaires to articulate the views in respect of the various programmes which are the subject matter of CVD investigations. While the exporters and the Department of Commerce may avail the services of professional consultants or law firms in handling these investigations, it was felt there has to be exchange of information with trade and industry so as to handle these investigations more effectively. Moreover the Government should try to create conducive atmosphere for better exports.

In the case of Countervailing Duty (CVD) investigations

The Kayakalp - Pre Conclave he Kayakalp pre conclave was held on 21st February 2014 at Hotel Waterstonnes - to introduce Kayakalp to all members. The function was attended by over 25 Managing Committee Members and Past Presidents of AIPMA. The evening began with the Gayatri Mantra being played during the registration. The dais was graced by Mr. Anand Oza, President AIPMA making the opening remarks. Past Presidents Mr. Arvind Mehta and Mr. Raju Desai discussed about the Requirement of AIPMA in Project Kayakalp and need of the Hour respectively.

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There was also a very interactive question – answer session with Mr. Deepak Ballani from UNIDO where a few of the Past Presidents voiced their views about the plastic industry. Mr. Shailesh Sheth our key personality then began the evening with “Here is to the Entrepreneur” being played as a tribute to all present.

Goals were defined for the next 20 years as follows: •

To make AIPMA best in class Industry Association in India.

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To be recognized as sole representative body of plastic Processors

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To improve membership satisfaction Index on a sustainable basis

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To make AIPMA financially strong by diversifying its revenue streams

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To supplement growth of Plastic Industry

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To create opportunities of exports from India vs China.

A very invigorating speech was given by Mr. Kamal Nanavati from Elite++ where he highlighted on plastic waste, Potential Road Blocks and why AIPMA should transform.

According to Mr Nanavati. AIPMA should truly exercise all activities with orientation towards being an All India Apex Body further discussions were held to design the appropriate strategy for the same. Sanjoo Desai Vice President West Zone made the concluding speech with the vote of thanks.

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AIPMA AT WORK

Seminar on ‘Export Awareness’ seminar ‘EXPORT AWARENESS’ was organized on 26th February evening at Hotel Sangam, Madurai. The objective was to create awareness on How to start exports and export Potential for Plastic Products.

by the MSME. Mr. Ramarethinam, Regional Sr. Manager, presented AIPMA's overview and explained how it helps bridging the gap between the government and industries.

He also highlighted special service of Plastivision India, Plastivision Arabia, international Trade fairs, Plastic parks and Plastic News further requesting delegates to join AIPMA.

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The seminar began in the evening with around 90 delegates both entrepreneurs, processors. Mr. Vijayan Asst. Director, Plexcouncil discussed in details about how to start export, the challenges and solution, quality management and marketing.

Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) Mr. Muruganantham Jt. Secretary & past chairman – Ideal home exhibition gave an overall presentation about PLEX council and the need for industries to improve, communication, quality and export. He also emphasized the good work done by AIPMA, appealing all delegates to utilize AIPMA Services.

F o l l o w i n g t h i s M r. V i j a y a n , M r. J a s w a n t h Soundarapandian, Director – Southern Region, explained about the Supports & Services from Plexcouncil for exports

Mr. Senthil President –PLASMA, presented vote of thanks. All the speakers were honored with memento and shawl.

EU-India FTA Meet meeting to discuss the proposed EU-India FTA and its implications on Indian industries and employment was held on 26th February 2014 in EFI office,Mumbai at 3.00 p.m. AIPMA was represented accordingly.

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trade unions and social activists.

During the discussions it was found that the issue of the proposed FTA is not reached appropriately to the industry level, as it is not disclosed anywhere by the government.

The Indian industries have very limited information on the proposed FTA, possibly gathered from different sources

As we know in order to liberalize more in respect of trade, investment and economic co-operation, Indian government has initiated negotiations for Free Trade Agreement with the European Union since 2006. The main aim is to achieve better economic growth for overall development and creating more employment opportunities. The FTA is yet to be concluded, despite more than 12 rounds of negotiations with the EU due to some contentious issues.

For reasons best known to the Government of India, the Ministry of Commerce, under which the FTA is being negotiated, has not declared the terms of negotiations on its official website except a short note. The government also has not made any effort to take this issue to the stake holders for their reactions and the FTA is being negotiated secretly. However, the proposed FTA is looked upon differently by different chambers of commerce and industry,

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AIPMA AT WORK The remaining 20 per cent respondents from sectors like placement services and banking and financial sector believe that the proposed FTA may not have much effect on their businesses. The respondents do not foresee any adverse impacts of the proposed FTA on Indian Banking and Financial sector.

such as news items, articles and reports published in the media.

A study was conducted by the EU Study Centre in to understand the opinion about the proposed FTA and the results were discussed at the meeting. The study reveals that more than 60 per cent respondents do not have enough knowledge on the proposed FTA, as the issue remained undisclosed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The remaining 40 per cent respondents found some knowledge about the FTA, but unclear on terms of the negotiations.

EU is the largest trading partner of India. India’s exports to EU accounted for 16.75 per cent, while imports accounted for 10.81 per cent of the total exports and imports respectively during 2011-12. With signing of the proposed FTA, India’s foreign trade with the European Union is expected to go up by 15 to 20 per cent. What impact it will have on business across the sectors and employment resources and be seen, although the study makes some assumptions in this regards. The European Union (EU) consists of 27 countries, combine GDP of which is largest in the world, close to US$ 17.5 trillion, 25 per cent of the world’s total economy. Among the EU-27, five big countries Germany, France, UK, Italy and Belgium have a substantial imports and exports with India.

A Major portion of 80 per cent participants construe the FTA as “drastic reduction in tariff rates”, that could help to increase India’s trade and business with the EU. This category believes that the tariff reduction is likely to have advantages to some sectors like textiles and garments and gems & jewelry, but they expect that the proposed FTA is likely to have some adverse implications on sectors like automobiles, steel, MSMEs. AIPMA categorically stressed its focus was safeguarding the domestic plastics industry and it should be protected.

All Plastics Associations Meet meeting of All Plastics Associations was held in Mumbai on the 1st of March, 2014 at the Board Room of AIPMA House to discuss on “Recent Volatile situation arising out of Ban imposed by various State Governments on Plastics Packaging Materials” as Plastics Industry is reeling through adverse setbacks,

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Mr. Arvind Mehta, Chairman Advisory Board convened the Meeting with an address to all present on behalf of AIPMA. He then requested Mr. S. K. Ray – ICPE, Mr. Haren Sanghavi – Hon. Treasurer, Mr. Manoj R. Shah – Hon. Jt. Secretary, Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava – Chairman Environment Committee to give their valuable inputs on the ongoing issues of ban in various states

Mr. Arvind Mehta requested Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava – Chairman, Environment Committee to give his presentation.

Mr. Akhilesh Bhargava in his presentation said that from past two years Plastics is facing lot of legal action and negative propaganda is arising due to use of plastics from PET bottles, Bags, etc. There must be holistic approach towards these issues. The issue of ban on plastics by various states and in various courts for burning issues is in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab & Daman. This PIL’s create lots of confusion and misguides the population against

Mr. Arvind Mehta conveyed the importance of the gathering by saying that we are here to discuss the burning issue of Plastic Industries and the various cases filed in different Courts of India and proposed plastic ban in various States. He also emphasized some solutions should be suggested to the local Municipal Bodies for Solid Waste Management systems.

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AIPMA AT WORK use of plastics. The local bodies, various Pollution Control Boards, few NGO’s are taking such negative steps without knowledge of the benefits of plastic products and putting onus on plastics.

process of segregation of waste in some area. We must have an awareness Programme to stop littering.

Mr. Gopal Rathi – President, Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers Association (MPMA) said that MPMA is fighting from 10 -15 years with the Corporation of Pune for not handling the waste Management Rule in Pune. But the Pune Municipal Corporation does not implement proper method to segregate and collection of waste. In some places the waste is segregated well but in such cases it is noted the not enough plastic waste is available to sustain the cost of equipment and manpower employed to do the job.

He also emphasized that we (AIPMA) have to jointly work with ICPE, NGO’s and various other associations together to create awareness amongst the public about their overall responsibility for collection of waste and segregation of

Mr. Deepak Lawale shared that the OPPI took delegation to Germany in March, 2012 to study segregation of waste at source, as Germany is the country where 100% recycling is done. OPPI had invited the Officials from Germany and introduced to the big stakeholders in India. The report of the same will be circulated later.

Mr. Sundaresan of IPI suggested that we can have a joint awareness program with AIPMA & ICPE, but segregation of plastics will be more expensive Mr. Pramod Shah intervened and said that we must involve people from the Industry and have awareness

plastics. We must communicate with FMCGs as they are very strong in media & communication and can promote to handle better the waste generated by their products through their various CSR schemes. The local bodies and municipal authorities should involve all local Associations stakeholders, civic bodies – Municipalities, PCB, FMCG’s, etc., and study the Carbon Footprints (CFP) impact, product life cycles and evolve a solution for making decision.

Mr. Haren Sanghavi – Hon. Treasurer, AIPMA informed that lot of legal suits are going on in various courts which require lots of funds to fight these case. Everywhere a particular association or a group alone cannot fight the case and spend a huge amount independently. Each of the Association heads seconded Mr. Sanghavi’s concern for huge financial burden which is for irrelevant reasons.

programme to educate people through schools where the children’s can be made aware of how to stop littering and how to segregate waste.

Mr. Sanghavi also suggested that we must involve stakeholders, private companies together to support the cause and fund so that we can fight the case with ease.

Mr. Harshad Desai gave suggestion of writing a caution on the products that “This product is not injurious” and also the recycle logo with product description.

Mr. S. K. Ray complimented AIPMA for taking such an issue. He also shared his observations about issues of perceptions of plastics in human psychology. Mr. S. K. Ray further said that one has to work with BMC to find out the

This meeting concluded after Mr. Manoj R. Shah – Hon. Jt. Secretary thanking all the association’sfor coming to a consensus and giving support to AIPMA for the Plastic Industry.

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AIPMA AT WORK

Mission Conclave he Mission Conclave was held for two days starting March 15, 2014 at Treasure Island Resort, Lonavala.

The occasion was graced by around 30 members of the Managing Committee. During this conclave, Vision and Mission statement for AIPMA were formulated.

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On day 1 the seminar began with chanting Gayatri Mantra. Mr. Anand Oza, President, AIPMA welcome everyone. In his speech he stressed the need of being punctual and working together towards a common goal.

Mr. Arvind Mehta elaborated on Kayakalp and AIPMA’s role in the growth of the plastic Industry. Mr. Rituraj Gupta highlighted on contributing & reconstructing AIPMA thus making a change to make it possible and applying these

AIPMA Vision : "Professionally managed, premier organisation, powering growth of India through plastics".

The Lonavala Declaration, March 15, 2014 There was yet another breakaway session in which the members and the secretariat collectively formulated our Mission. With these highly interactive sessions the day 1 of the conclave was concluded.

AIPMA Mission: AIPMA Shall passionately strive to lead Indian plastics industry to process 20 kg of plastic per head by 2020, leveraging knowledge and innovation for inclusive growth.

values in life. Mr. Raju Desai enlightened everyone with discussing in details the scheme and the methodology workshop. Mr. Shailesh Sheth started the 'Program Me' with a greeting all the members present playing, ‘Here’s TO The Entrepreneur”.

On day 2, the Weaknesses were acknowledged & corrective methods were discussed.

The final vote of thanks was given by Mr. Sanju Desai.

There was a session on SWOT Analysis where the members formed groups and identified, what according to them were, the STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS (SWOT) of AIPMA as an association and the industry as a whole. Later the Vision Statement for AIPMA was evolved and was tentatively called as the Lonavala Declaration.

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The Making of Plastivision Arabia 2014 lastivision Arabia made history with its very first edition in 2012, recording record number of pre registered visitors, excellent exhibitor response, good visitor turnout and extensive media coverage.

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of pre-registered visitors, excellent exhibitor response, good visitor turn out and extensive media coverage.

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The show was promoted at all major plastic shows worldwide, featured 150 exhibitors from 19 countries and attracted 7000 visitors from 66 countries. It also received extensive media coverage and had the distinction of seeing most live machines on display sold.

PLASTIVISION ARABIA 2012 emerged as one of the most important plastic trade show in the UAE.

Why to invest in the Middle East Market: The Middle East and the North African Market has become a global hub for the growth of the plastics industry due to its unique advantage of low raw material and feedstock prices and proximity to the Asian market. The annual production capacity of 7000 plastic factories in the GCC is set to grow by 7 million tonnes by 2015 to reach 25 million tonnes from the current 18 million tonnes. All these factors have led to the emergence of the Middle East region as a key player in the global plastics industry that would offer plentiful opportunities to equipment and machinery suppliers and manufacturers.

This grand success was courtesy to the emergence of the Middle East region as a key player in the global plastics industry and the plentiful opportunities it offers to equipment and machinery suppliers and manufacturers.

7000 Plastic Factories in GCC processing 18 million tons, growing at 13% p.a. offers a tremendous opportunity to materials, machines and mould makers.

Leveraging on the success of the inaugural edition, organizers Expo Centre Sharjah and All India Plastics Manufacturers Association have announced the second edition of the show, to be held at Expo Centre from 7 – 10 April 2014.

Middle East & North Africa: Global hub for growth of plastic industry The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is now a serious player in the global plastics market due to its unique advantage of low raw material & feedstock prices and proximity to the Asian market that drives demand.

The Phenomenal success of the previous show has also prompted majority of the exhibitors to book bigger and more prominent space for the next edition.

Here are some positive market indicators:

Highlights of PVA 2012:

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The annual production capacity of 7,000 plastic factories in the GCC set to grow by 7 million tonnes by 2015 to reach 25 million tonnes from the current 18 million tonnes.

Distinction of seeing almost all live machines displayed sold out.

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GCC factories are the most cost-efficient in the world owing to cheap feedstock and energy costs.

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Spread across an exhibition area of 10,000 sq. meters.

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49% international buyers.

The region's strategic location & emergence as a major transportation hub will help producers enjoy a huge competitive advantage over others.

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29% of the exhibitors made more than 10% of their annual business in just 4 days.

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80% of the exhibitors rated the show as good to excellent.

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The event created history registering record number

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Exhibitors from 19 countries.

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Over 7000 trade buyers from 66 countries during 4 days of exhibition.

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• A steadily growing GCC population, which is expected to cross the 50 million-mark by 2013, is a significant driver of the economy and supports plastics consumption.

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The flexible packaging sector in the GCC is poised to grow from 273,200 tonnes in 2009 to 480,950 tonnes in

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AIPMA AT WORK 2016, mainly due to increased demand for processed foods.

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Placement Pavilion, which will help companies recruit technical manpower

Annual consumption of resins in GCC is set to grow 50 per cent to 5.4 million tonnes over the next five years from 3.6m tonnes in 2012, according to Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA) figures.

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Annual resins production in the Gulf to jump more than 70 per cent, from 13.6 million tonnes to 23.6 million tonnes by 2015.

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The GCC construction sector, which has USS 500 billion worth of opportunities in store, accounts for 25 per cent use of resins, the second largest after packaging.

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New construction trends such as no-dig pipes and geotextiles and membranes to further boost consumption of plastics resins.

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Petrochemical projects worth US$ 19 billion are under execution in the GCC, while projects worth US$ 81 billion are in different stages of planning.

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legal advice and troubleshooting for processors

Business Opportunity Pavilion , to exchange buy/sell leads among visitors, facilitate sourcing needs from large end – users Product Design & Innovation Pavilion, which will help add value to products through designs & presentation Green Pavilion, espousing and spreading awareness on the green values of plastics.

Added attraction Plastivision Arabia 2014 will be held along with Arabia Mold, in association with DEMAT, the organizer of world – renowned Euromold, the world’s leading fair for moldmaking & tooling, design and application developed.

Arabia Mold will provide an ideal opportunity for the regional dies and molds industry to upgrade its know-how and keep pace with the latest developments in this segment.

GPCA expects GCC petrochemical capacity to increase from 77.3 MTPA to 113 MTPA by the end of 2015.

Print Pack Arabia 2014 will aim to be a comprehensive sourcing platform for commercial and package printing in the region. It will be promoted as an important event that will attract printers, industry professionals, buyers and design agencies.

Plastivision Arabia & Arabia Mold 2014 – Great Expectations Given that the lunch editions of both the shows were a huge success, the second editions of Plastivision Arabia Mold & Arabia Mold have already generated keen interest in the regional and world plastics industry.

Extensive Display Range Plastic Raw Materials, Blow Moulding Machines. Multilayer film plants, Woven Sack Plants & looms, Thermoforming Machines, Lamination & Coating Machines, Plastic Welding Machines, Materials & Spares for Moulds, Auxiliary Equipment, Packaging Lines, Flexo gravure Printing Machines, Screen Printing machine, Consumables & supplies for printing, Material Handling Equipment, Finished & Semifinished Products, and many more.

Local industry majors like Borough and Sabik, Sahara have already agreed to be the platinum and silver sponsors, while most of the exhibitions who took part in the 2012 edition of the biennial event have either booked their space or shown interest in participating in the forthcoming show.

Along with this exhibition we have a conference by GPCA (gulf chemical and petrochemical association) which is the leading association of all major polymer manufacturers and petroleum product manufacturers across GCC countries.

It will be an excellent opportunity to showcase and attract investment into PCPIR region (Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Regions).

Vast visitor profile Plastic Processors, End Users from: Packaging, Automobile, Construction, Healthcare, Agriculture sectors, Manufacturers from various sectors. Agents.

Undoubtedly PLASTIVISION ARABIA 2014 will prove to be an excellent platform to transact one-to-one business under one roof with visitors from more than 66 countries for 4 days.

Plastivision Arabia will continue to have:Consultants’ Clinic, offering free technical, business &

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M A R C H 2014

COMPANY NEWS

Cereplast files for Bankruptcy, protection from creditors ioplastics specialist Cereplast has filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The company said it made the move "to strengthen its balance sheet, clean up its capitalisation structure and gain financial flexibility as it continues to realign its operations".

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The US company plans to continue to operate although one creditor has petitioned the US Bankruptcy Court in New Albany, Indiana, to convert the case to a Chapter 7 liquidation.

Cereplast reported a net loss of US$34 mln on sales of US$2.1 mln for the nine months ended 30 September – the latest financial results that the company reported.

Last year the company moved its headquarters to Seymour – where the company operates a bioplastics plant – from El Segundo, Calif. At the time, the company said the move would save the firm at least US$600,000 pa. Now, through the Chapter 11 reorganisation, the company is taking steps to align its cost structure with the realities of market demand.

Cereplast expects to redirect its operations in two directions: toward traditional compounded products and recycling polyolefins, and bioplastics made of diversified feedstock including algae and polylactic acid.

Chief executive Frederic Scheer said: "We have taken a number of steps to improve our operations over the past few months and we were making great progress; however, the lack of traction of bioplastics demand in

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the United States, the repetitive delays in implementation of the bioplastic regulation in Europe and especially in Italy combined with the legal problems created by several of our lenders made clear to our board that reorganization was the proper path forward.

“We believe that this reorganisation will enable us to reduce our debt and implement operational changes, while maintaining our commitment to the environment." In a motion filed on 14 February, Horizon Technology Finance said that Cereplast is in default on loan agreements. Horizon had planned

to auction Cereplast's assets on 11 February and had informed Cereplast of that plan on 23 January, according to Horizon's motion. Cereplast attempted to stop the auction through a restraining order filed on 10 February, which was rejected, according to Horizon's motion. Cereplast then filed for Chapter 11 protection.

According to Horizon, its plan to sell the company had generated interested bidders, including at least one that has expressed an interest in continuing to operate the Seymour plant.

Lender approval awaited for Haldia Petrochemicals Limited rights issue aldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) Board has approved the proposed rights issue of the company two months back, but the approval from the lenders is awaited. According to PTI a meeting has been scheduled with the lenders.

of TCG expressed reservations on the proposed rights issue and suggested alternative means to raise capital for the company.

Sources said that the capacity utilisation has increased to 83% at 200 tons/hour from as low as 90 tons/hour a few weeks back.

The Then industry minister and chairman of HPL Partha Chatterjee announced that rights issue was the only way for an immediate infusion of capital in the company.

This has been made possible as HPL had signed an agreement with state-owned MSTC Limited which had agreed to open L/Cs on behalf of the company to buy naphtha from oil companies.

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HPL had planned to issue 52 crore equity shares at Rs. 25.10 per share on rights basis which was expected to fetch Rs. 1,300 crore to the company. However, the other promoter Purnendu Chatterjee

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HPL has managed to bring down naphtha imports to negligible levels and source from IOC and other oil PSUs like BPCL and HPCL.

M A R C H 2014

COMPANY NEWS

Ningbo Fortune Petrochemical Co. selects UOP's C3 Oleflex process technology OP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced that Ningbo Fortune Petrochemical Co. Ltd., a Chinese petrochemical producer, has selected UOP's C3 Oleflex process technology to convert propane to propylene, a high value monomer used in plastics production.

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Ningbo Fortune will install the technology at its facility in Ningbo City, China. Production is expected to begin in 2016, with a licensed capacity of 600,000 metric tons of propylene pa. In addition to technology, UOP will provide training, technological services, catalysts, adsorbents and

equipment for the project. Ningbo Fortune Petrochemical Co., Ltd., located in Ningbo Daxie Development Park, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oriental Energy Co., Ltd.

River Petrochemical Co., Ltd., which announced in 2012 that it will license C3 Oleflex technology for a separate project at Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, China.

This is the 18th license for UOP's Oleflex technology worldwide since the beginning of 2011 as petrochemical producers move to meet the growing, global demand for light olefins. This is a repeat technology selection and strong endorsement for UOP Oleflex technology by Ningbo Fortune's parent company Oriental Energy Co., Ltd. Oriental Energy is the primary investor in Zhangjiagang Yangzi

Ningbo Fortune selected Oleflex for its stable catalytic performance and high product yields. Compared with competing processes, UOP's C3 Oleflex technology has the smallest environmental footprint, lowest cash cost of production and highest return on investment.

Graham Packaging set to close Chicago plant raham Packaging, a maker of blow molded containers is all sit to close its Chicago plant. A total of 170 people will lose their jobs as early as May as Graham Packaging Co. LP is shuttering another site in Illinois, this time in Chicago.

in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs.” Graham Packaging, a maker of blow molded containers, filed its WARN notification with the state on Feb. 18, which released all WARN notifications for Illinois at the end of that month.

The unit of Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd. filed paperwork under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification ACT, or WARN - indicating the first possible date for layoffs will be May 7. WARN, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, requires “most employers with 100 or more employees to provide notification 60 calendar days

As for why the plant is closing, the state listed one word as the reason: “Consolidation.” The final date on which layoffs can take place is Sept. 30, according to the WARN information provided by the state.

Graham Packaging is the North America’s No. 2 blow molder in North America, posting sales of $2.63 billion in 2012.

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Engineers India Ltd wins US$139 mln EPCM contract for refinery ngineers India Ltd (EIL) has won its largest ever overseas consultancy contract for a US$139 mln contract from Nigerian company Dangote Group for providing project management consultancy (PMC) and engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for a refinery and polypropylene plant.

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Under the agreement, EIL will provide project PMC and EPCM services for implementing a grassroot 400,000 bpd (20 mln tons) refinery and 600,000 tpar polypropylene plant.

M A R C H 2014

COMPANY NEWS

Stewart Group now offering carbon Paccor fibre injection moulding International tewart Group Holdings, a UK manufacturer and supplier of plastic moulded products for technical, packaging, professional catering, gardening and home sectors, has announced that after extensive research and development, it will now offer services for injection-moulded carbon fibre.

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The group was recently certified to the ISO/TS16949 standard, positioning the company for future projects with automotive, aeronautical and mechanical design OEMs Manufacturing with carbon filled plastics opens up possibilities for several metal-replacement projects, including components with thermal and electrical insulation properties.

Carbon fibre is used extensively in

the aerospace, automotive, sports equipment, and medical equipment industries, for its light-weight combined with versatility, strength, impact resistance and durability.

The material is 70% lighter than steel and 40% lighter than aluminium, has a high strength to weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance.

It has a low mass and also has the ability to replace complex postcasting assemblies through injection mould tooling design; a significant cost reduction benefit in labour and process.

Stewart Group claims that its carbon-fibre mouldings will be stable, heat resistant and robust. Clients will also reportedly benefit from greater design flexibility.

Fire breaks out at Lukoil's Stavrolen petrochemical plant fire broke out at Lukoil's petrochemical plant in the southern Russian city of Budyonnovsk, according to Reuters. A fire at Lukoil’s Stavrolen petrochemical plant in the southern Russian city of Budyonnovsk halted production.

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The integrated petrochemical complex is a major producer of polypropylene and low-pressure polyethylene. A fire broke out after a loss of pressure in the ethylene section.

According to reports, the fire began P L A S T I C S N E W S

at 12:35 Moscow time after valve depressurization. Local authorities claim that ignition was preceded by explosion; wounding several people, Stavrolen’s Budyonnovsk complex is Russia’s second largest polyethylene complex and the third largest polypropylene manufacturing site.

The Emergency Ministry said the fire broke out after a loss of pressure in the ethylene section of the Stavrolen plant in Russia's southern region of Stavropol.

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expands with high-tech multilayer co-extrusion ermany-based Paccor International, which is now a member of the Coveris group, has expanded its production capacity for PET sheet with the purchase of a complete 3-layer coextrusion line, including an in-line lamination station, for its Polish factory in Skierniewice.

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The line, which comes from, battenfield cincinnati has an output of 1.1 tonnes per hour with thicknesses ranging from 200m to 1.2mm. Due to the inclusion of an in-line lamination station, multi-layer sheet can be produced as easily as barrier sheet, says battenfeldcincinnati.

The complete line includes components ranging from material dosing through to the sheet winder and lamination unit. The co-extrusion line is capable of producing 3-layer PET sheet in thicknesses ranging from 200m to 1.2mm.

With an optional rotating infrared tube (or heater) for precrystallisation of the material, regrind can also be used for the middle layer.

M A R C H 2014

COMPANY NEWS

ADDIVANT™ to launch Customer Formulation Center in China DDIVANT™ is to launch its latest “Customer Formulation Center” in Shandong, China. The new facility will be the company’s first in China and will come on stream on August 1, 2014. The center will be available for the latest in “form-giving technology” including the company’s proprietary non dust blends, NDB® and equipment.

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The center will complement the company’s existing Customer Formulation Centers in North America, Europe and the Middle East. “The Addivant strategy is to deliver value to its customers through innovative additive solutions. These solutions are designed to improve operational efficiency, enhance application performance and improve health and safety in the work environment by eliminating dust in operations.

To expand our leadership position, we are increasing our investment in the areas of R&D to deliver new chemistries and manufacturing: to build new formulation centers that are close to our customers allowing us to tailor our solutions and deliver them quickly and safely.

The expansion into China makes tremendous sense given the region’s position in new polymer production and the fast growth of its downstream processing industries,” said Peter Smith, President and CEO of Addivant.

“The new operations in China will join our network of existing formulation centers and will be supported by our worldwide R&D facilities to ensure the very latest technologies are deployed.

The facility will be further supported with an increase in our local technical

Technip to work on new ethylene furnace in Kazan, Russia echnip has been awarded a contract by Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC) Kazanorgsintez, to provide technology and services for a grassroots furnace at Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.

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The project includes engineering, procurement/licensing of Technip’s SMK double-cell cracking furnace. This technology is preferred for cracking high-capacity, low-cost ethane and propane feedstocks. In the framework of the cracking furnaces replacement

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program of Kazanorgsintez, the project follows the successful startup and operation of a Technip SMK double-cell cracking furnace supplied in 2007. The furnaces are part of the ethylene plant at the Kazan site, with the product ethylene to be used as feedstock for other downstream units.

Technip’s operating center in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, will execute the project, which is scheduled for mechanical completion in 2015.

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organization who will work alongside our customers to execute on the Addivant mission of delivering Solutions to Breakthrough.” added Smith.

Westlake completes Louisiana plant estlake Chemical Corporation, an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products, announced completion of its US$425 mln chlor-alkali plant in Geismar, Louisiana , after nearly three years of construction.

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The State of Louisiana helped Westlake Chemicals secure $89 million in GO Zone Bond financing for the project. It constituted a portion of the $425 million capital investment.

Westlake will also utilize Louisiana's Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs to offset costs. The new chlor-alkali plant will give Westlake Chemical necessary feedstock material for its adjacent vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in Geismar.

The chlor-alkali plant will feature 350,000 tpa of chlorine capacity and 385,000 tpa of caustic soda capacity to support of its Ascension Parish manufacturing operations.

M A R C H 2014

FEATURES

Polymer banknotes: The way to progress Introducing polymer banknotes would really be a boost for the industry, but how long will it take… he Bank of England has recently announced its decision to join many other nations and adopt polymer bank notes following the completion of its UK wide consultation process. This is great news: polymer supply, machinery investments, employment, skills and training are all set to reap the benefits in the plastics industry.

Bank of England decides to follow Canada, Australia and Hong Kong with banknotes that are cleaner and harder to counterfeit.

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Let us not forget India is also toying up with this idea and had declared it way back in 2009 but it still remains to be implemented

The Red tape As with all innovations that impact the public at large, it may just come with a price. Just as the reported side-effects of BPA have been held in reserve for slow news days in the national press, polymer banknotes will, undoubtedly, hit the headlines in the run-up to the 2016 launch.

Once again, this will turn the spotlight onto the plastics sector itself, with the general public forming opinions based, in some cases, on questionable sources.

Whilst some surveys in the UK

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have demonstrated strong public support for the move, those in the industry have seen how quickly the tide of opinion can change.

Innovia Security, a division of the Innovia Group, has been selected to manufacture the polymer substrate destined to produce the new notes.

Innovia says it has been identified as the preferred supplier because its ‘Guardian’ polymer substrate is “already well established, being used by over 20 other countries, including Canada.” Innovia announced that it intends to build a opacification plant at its Wigton site, which will require an investment of over £20 million.

The new opacification plant has been forecast to be fully operational in early 2016 and is destined to produce the polymer substrate required for the new Winston Churchill £5 note, which will be launched in 2016. The Jane Austen £10 note will follow around a year later. The investment will also “create 70 to 80 additional jobs” said Innovia Security.

David Beeby, CEO, Innovia Group said: “We are very proud to have been selected as the preferred supplier of the polymer substrate for the new £5 and £10 bank notes.

This decision not only recognises the benefits that polymer notes have to offer but also Innovia’s expertise in this field.”

H o w e v e r, o n e f i r m ( w h i c h also works in the plastics sector) has warned that the switch may

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create health and safety concerns.

Symphony Environmental, a firm which supplies anti-microbial additives recently issued a press release which cites an initial report from the UK’s ‘The Independent’ newspaper, that “A study of the survival rates of microbes such as E.coli and the MRSA superbug, when placed on seven different currencies has found that they thrive best on money printed on the plastic banknotes earmarked to be introduced in Britain” (13 September 2013).

For Symphony of course, these findings could help to open up a potential market, and also bring new revenue streams to speciality additives suppliers in the UK and Europe.

Symphony’s CEO Michael Laurier said: “Some of these bacteria can be extremely dangerous and have proved resistant to antibiotics, so we need to deal with them before they get into our bodies. Following years of R&D, Symphony can now supply an anti-microbial and anti-fungal formulation called d2p, which can be added to most types of plastic, and it should be introduced as quickly as possible,” said Laurier. “not just for banknotes, but for bank cards, driving licences, bus passes, retail cards, shopping bags, computer keyboards, steering-wheels, telephones, door handles, and many other applications. “d2p has been independently tested by recognised laboratories M A R C H 2014

FEATURES and is effective against over 50 dangerous organisms, including MRSA, E.Coli, salmonella, listeria, pseudomanas and aspergillus niger. These are germs which lurk everywhere, in hospitals, schools, homes and offices, as well as inside long-life shopping bags.”

On the other side of the coin Innovia Security Website, Managing Director Philippe Etienne refers to a different piece of research: “There was a study in 2010 where researchers in 10 different countries around the world took banknotes out of circulation, and they then examined the bacterial loading on those banknotes. They compared paper banknotes with polymer banknotes. That study showed conclusively that there was a dramatically lower loading of bacteria on polymer notes versus paper.

“Intuitively I think that’s what you’d expect when you compare a smooth, non-porous material with a porous material.”

A n d r e a s Vo s s , P r o f e s s o r of Infection Control at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands was a co-author of the first study (mentioned in The Independent) and suggests that the findings are not necessarily evidence that polymer banknotes would provide a major source of transmission. Quoted on the webmd. boots.com website, Voss says: “I don't believe in them [polymer banknotes] being a major source of transmission. In addition, all other objects around us are ‘contaminated’.

Though this rationale may align with some opinions in the plastics sector, the reality is that physical P L A S T I C S N E W S

money is the ultimate consumer commodity. If the mainstream media want to find an angle to decry the benefits of polymer substrates, they certainly will. Before 2016, the plastics sector needs to be prepared for that prospect — thought-leaders, suppliers and processors could all be challenged with yet more negative publicity.

The Indian Scene Introducing polymer bank notes, or in simple words, plastic bank notes had been on the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) agenda since 2009.

The then Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao had said it on record that RBI was trying to introduce plastic currency on trial basis and if that succeeds it would be replicated in the entire country. He emphasized that plastic note is environment friendly because it has longer shelf-life than the paper notes.

Australia and Singapore have already introduced plastic currencies.

With a view to elongating life of bank notes, particularly of lower denominations, it was decided by the RBI and government to introduce one billion pieces of Rs. 10 notes in polymer/plastic on a trial basis in Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Shimla.

would be reluctant to put it on record.

"You want to get away because you don't want to get entangle with the police and bank want to get away because it means a lot of work for them. So, within the system there is disincentive for detecting fake currency," he said.

As the current norms are too draconian, he said, the RBI has convinced the ministry of home affairs that FIRs should be filed only if the more than four fake notes are found with a person.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is getting ready to circulate 1 billion plastic, or polymer, bank notes of the 10 rupee denomination, which equals around 14 euro cents, across five Indian cities.

K o c h i , M y s o r e , J a i p u r, Bhubaneshwar and Shimla have been chosen for their vast geographical differences and to test the effects their varying climates may have on the plastic notes.

RBI has maintained that the switch to plastic banknotes is not only aimed at increasing the longevity of the notes but also a move to tackle people attempting to counterfeit the currency.

Plastic vs. Paper

The finance ministry had recently said that the review of policy of producing currency notes is a "dynamic and continuous process".

Thirteen billion banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 20092010, the RBI reported - amounting to a quarter of all banknotes in circulation at the time.

On the issue of fake currency, Subbarao said the problem is that whenever a fake currency is detected both the customer and the bank

Polymer bank notes are more expensive to produce. While no cost analysis has been done in India of paper printing versus plastic,

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M A R C H 2014

FEATURES central banks in Canada and New Zealand report that producing plastic banknotes is double that of paper.

In India most notes, especially the lower denominations like 10 rupee notes which are circulated the

most, get very dirty and damaged quickly. People here often scribble on notes, crease them and make them ugly - they cannot do so if they are plastic notes. Plastic bank notes can be easily cleaned. With the latest available technology they are also able to be recycled.

Along with their environmental benefit, polymer banknotes are also more hygienic, The paper notes get very dirty in humid regions of India and they are carriers of many germs.

If finally a switchover to plastic notes takes place in India, the banknotes will be cleaner from a hygienic point of view, and we shall be able to cut down on many infections that are spreading through soiled paper notes now.

A decision to issue plastic banknotes for long term circulation will be taken on the basis of the outcome of the field trial," as has been discussed in the parliament last month. If the trial circulation of the 10 rupee notes goes smoothly, the RBI will introduce polymer notes of higher denominations in future. However there is no fix date decided as such to start the trial.

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The Crime fighter While no banknote is ever completely counterfeit proof, introducing polymer will make things much harder and more expensive for fakers. First, where criminals have counterfeited polymer notes around the world so far they have had to produce a substitute material as they cannot get their hands on the real polymer substrate. Second, If they do manage to replicate the material, printing on plastic brings big challenges.

People who produce counterfeit notes using commercially available equipment such as inkjet printers will find it extremely difficult to get the inks and toners to apply to the

polymer substrate. They will find it even more difficult to apply the security features such as the metallic strip.

Polymer also allows banknote issuers to bring in new security features, such as transparent windows.

Anti-microbial technologies may offer a solution. Others in the industry may argue they are unnecessary - no doubt further studies in coming years will provide more knowledge on this.

The good news is that other countries have managed to successfully ride the storm - indeed for many years - and have embraced polymer money with open arms.

How the notes are made? olymer banknotes are produced from a thin, transparent and flexible film made of polypropylene. This is coated with multiple layers of special ink (usually white) to the front and the back. A portion of the film is typically left clear to form a window or clear portion in the design, to be used for protection against counterfeits. Other security features can be embedded in, or laid onto, the banknote. Once the film has been cut into sheets, they can be printed using standard banknote printing equipment.

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Why aren't plastic banknotes more popular?

The new notes will initially cost more to make but the extra durability of the notes means they will be cheaper to issue than paper notes, the Bank has argued. They will have smaller dimensions than the current stock of notes.

Other countries with Plastics Currency Australia was the first to issue purely plastic notes.

This was followed by New Zealand Mexico, Singapore, Fiji and Canada Mauritius started Plastics notes of late..

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M A R C H 2014

FEATURES

The variety and versatility of plastic closures present much for consideration Sterling Anthony lastic threaded closures (hereafter, closures) have wide applications with bottles and jars, sure; however, not to be forgotten are applications with tubes (metal and plastic), cartons (gable-top and aseptic), and flexibles (single-layer and multi-layer bags). With closures being a key component in so many packaging systems, considerable thought and planning are required for the optimal compatibility between that component and the other components of the system.

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There are two categories of plastics used for closures: thermoform and thermoset. Their major distinction is how the formed closure is affected by subsequent exposure to heat. A thermoform closure will deform, and even melt under sufficient heat, but a thermoset closure will not.

Closures serve other functions beyond the obvious one conveyed by the term itself. So whereas all closures must perform the function of containment, they also can perform protection, communication, and convenience. There are not strict lines of demarcation among the aforementioned functions; to the contrary, they overlap, so much so that a particular feature can be categorized under more than one.

Containment. Once applied, the closure must remain in place, preventing the escape of the contents, throughout all reasonably foreseeable

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conditions, until the closure is intentionally removed.

Protection. The closure must prevent adulteration or other compromise of the contents by not serving as a means of entrance for undesired elements (oxygen and moisture, for examples) or as a means of escape for desired elements (moisture, flavor components, and active ingredients, for examples). And with some types of products, protection of the user is essential, hence the need for child-resistant, tamper-evident, and other forms of safety closures.

Communication. The closure, when size allows, can carry print, whether of an instructional nature, or simply of a product-identification nature. The latter also includes being of a signature color, or alternatively, of a color that complements the other colors of the container and labeling.

Convenience. The closure needs to facilitate use of the product.

Easy-opening and easy-resealing may come most readily to mind; however, other features that can favorably differentiate the product include measuring and dispensing.

Depending on the product, those features can equate to safety (as in the proper dosage) or to economy (using only the desired amount).

Sometimes, what's required is a more complex design-multi-component, for 32

example-or, even a one-piece that allows dispensing in more than one way, such as sprinkling and spooning.

Specialty closures (anything other than the conventional, stock varieties) typically are an innovative marriage of function and aesthetics.

The supply side The designation of features is an early step, ultimately leading to design and manufacture. Sourcing can be approached by soliciting bids and then comparing the proposals, factoring in such considerations as reputation, time in business, experience with similar clients, references, etc. Even so, it would be highly unusual for a bidding firm to not make mention of its manufacturing technology, making that another factor to consider. Plastic closures are manufactured by either of two technologies: compression molding and injection molding.

In the not-so-distant pass, the conditions that favored one over the other were more clear-cut. More M A R C H 2014

FEATURES

recently, advances in both technologies have blurred many of those conditions.

Claims and counterclaims fly like shrapnel regarding how the two compare across such parameters as economies-of-scale, mold costs, cycle-times, energy consumption, maintenance, changeover, waste generation, and dimensional tolerances, among others. If all of that adds up to greater flexibility of choice for the end-user, it comes at the price of acquiring the requisite knowledge to evaluate those claims and counterclaims Compression molding. A preheated, softened amount of plastic is dropped into an open mold. A mating part presses down into the mold, and it's that pressure, along with continuous heat, that causes the plastic to flow (that is, be compressed) to the shape of the mold. The process is marked by high output, especially when the machinery is rotary.

Thermoplastics (i.e. polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET) are compatible with compression molding; however, the technology is the best choice when it comes to thermosets. Thermosets result in a sturdier closure, having a heftier

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feel, important if the desire is for a higherend presentation.

Additionally, thermosets are the practical choice for heat-intensive applications, such as retorting and even when the packaged product is expected to encounter ambient temperatures hot enough to deform thermoplastics. Color is a factor that influences the type of thermoset used: phenol formaldehyde yields dark colors; urea yields lighter colors.

Injection molding.

Resin melted inside a barrel-and-screw assembly is shot (that is, injected) through nozzles into molds, wherein the plastic takes shape and cooled before being ejected. The process is mostly the same as what was described in Injection blow molding (Packaging Insights 1/9/14), with the exception of those aspects that apply solely to the manufacture of containers, as opposed to closures.

Tight but not too tight No factor is more critical to the performance of closures than that of torque. Application torque is the amount of force necessary to achieve a sufficiently tight sealing of the closure. Insufficient torque can result in product leakage and all the headaches it engenders, not just with the consumer, but throughout the distribution channel. On the other

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hand, excessive application torque also can result in product leakage, if threads are stripped. Then again, excessive application torque increases the required amount of removal torque, triggering the frustration that accompanies difficult-to-remove closures.

The determination of a proper application torque and the ability to maintain it within tight tolerances are at the core of an effective capping operation. High-speed, automated capping operations make direct measurement of application torque difficult; therefore, machinery calibration and scheduled checks

should be supplemented with sealed containers being taken off the line and having their removal torques measured. That way, the measurement of the removal torque becomes a proxy for the measurement of the application torque, with the objective being the development of a reliable, formulaic relationship between the two.

There's much more to consider in making decisions about closures, liners being one, thread designs being another. But space limitations can be tyrannical, so for now, it's time to assign this article closure.

M A R C H 2014

FEATURES

New liquid silicone rubber molding technology gives molders more process control ecause it is biocompatible and withstands high temperatures, and has a number of desirable properties such as flexibility, transparency, and compatibility with thin-wall molding, liquid silicone rubber (LSR) is increasingly specified for medical applications. The material is used in catheters, tubing, and sealing caps, and the growing homecare sector will further fuel demand for the material. LSR is not a simple material to process, however.

Getting the right balance can translate into many hours of material and process selection, and require an extensive inventory of grades of silicone to meet the tooling requirements for a portfolio of parts. Once production begins, the molder also must deal with lot-to-lot variation that can affect viscosity, cure reactivity, and mechanical properties.

The molder must match a traditional two-part LSR with a fixed cure rate to the part geometry, size, and weight and to the injection molding equipment that will be used.

Bluestar Silicones has developed a process that eliminates the conventional Part A/Part B LSR system, giving the molder better control of cure reactivity, and, thus, of the overall molding process.

Reduced cycle times and less scrap are among the reported advantages of the LSR Select system.

During the liquid injection molding process, the molder typically adjusts injection speed, temperature, and other parameters to produce a part that meets end-use requirements.

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Umar Latif, Technical Services M a n a g e r, e x p l a i n e d t h e L S R Select concept at the Molding 2014 conference in Newport Beach, CA, last week. The typical two-drum LSR process, in which the base chemistry is laced with a catalyst in Part A and a crosslinker and inhibitor in Part B, leaves few options for the molder to optimize the cure profile, said Latif.

Essentially, he or she can adjust the mold temperature or choose a different LSR product.

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LSR Select replaces the conventional Part A and Part B kit with a base component that contains vinyl functional polymers, hydride crosslinkers, and a small quantity of inhibitor. The material's cure reactivity is adjusted by adding the appropriate amount of LSR Select inhibitor. "The molder now has control over the silicone chemistry to optimize cure," said Latif.

During his presentation, Latif outlined a field study that Bluestar Silicones conducted. The base product was pumped into molding equipment using a standard 1:1 mix ratio meter-mix pumping system.

The inhibitor and catalyst were introduced into the LSR base stream and travelled through a static mixer into the injection unit. Both hot and 34

cold runner systems were used and parts ranged in size from 11.5 to 422 grams. The result? Cycle times were reduced by 19 to 50% compared with conventional LSR molding, according to the company.

To further optimize the process, Bluestar Silicones has partnered with Graco Inc. to develop a productionready closed-loop metering system that provides elevated levels of repeatability and traceability. An intuitive touch screen interface affords the user precise control over cure kinetics of the parts, according to the companies.

In addition to a significant reduction in cycle times, the LSR Select concept allows molders to reduce product line complexity, since the same catalyst and inhibitors are used for all LSR Select durometers, says Bluestar Silicones.

An optional third-stream injector enables the introduction of additives, further reducing the need to stock specialized LSR products.

M A R C H 2014

FEATURES

Recycled PET for the latest fashion wear hat was common in the uniforms of the nine teams of World Cup Soccer… well, it was pet bottles! The jersey worn by the players were made out of recycled plastic, an endorsement to the use of recycled plastic bottles in the clothing industry, which is being supported worldwide as a variable sustainable initiative to protect the environment. The textile recycling process receives a thumps up from nearly all consumers for saving natural resources while protecting the environment; In case of PET bottles reprocessing, the advantages to the ecology are even greater. To what extent an intercontinental PET bottles recycling can be climate-protecting and environment-friendly is a matter of intense debate worldwide.

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Even if most of the fashion manufacturers aren't socially and environmentally motivated to reduce their own impact on the environment, consumer sentiment may sway them in the right direction. According to Marks & Spencer, 85% of its surveyed customers claimed that the company's initiatives towards PET bottles recycled products have made them happier to shop at the store.

A Sustainable Initiative Fabric made from recycled PET bottles is currently priced at more than US $ 3.87 per kilogram, making it pricier than other synthetic fibres.

Still, more and more world's famous brands are using such fabric in their products because it brightens their environmental image. Some of the innovations that are leading the

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industry in recycled PET bottles include Australian surf and skate brand Billabong's Eco Supreme Suede.

Five million plastic bottles that could have been choking marine life or filling up landfills have been given a second chance.

Billabong extends its green charge to include a new material called Eco Supreme Suede, a material made from recycled textiles and plastic soda bottles (PET). This exclusive material is used to create sleek surf shorts and bikinis. Approximately 10 plastic soda bottles are used to create a single pair of boardshorts. These trashed liquid containers are collected, inspected and stripped of their caps and labels and then granulated into small plastic flakes. Through a process called polymerisation, the granules are dried and then made into a polyester fibre, the main material of Eco Supreme Suede.

PET Bottle Recycling: Cash the Trash As demand increases, the marketplace will foster more incentives for consumers to recycle PET. As of 2005, 23.1% of the 5.075 billion tonnes of PET bottles produced in the US were collected for recycling.

This percentage is likely to grow as 35

consumers become more educated and more countries adopt legislation to use the SPI's easily recognisable “Chasing arrows” symbol for PET bottles so that consumers find it easier to know-how to recycle them.

Some states in the US have already implemented financial incentives for consumers to bring in plastic bottles for recycling, and others have encouraged “Curbside” collection to make recycling easier for the average citizen.

The European Union has been more aggressive in PET bottles recycling legislation. In 2001, all EU countries were required to meet a 15% plastic packaging recycling target, and by 2011 the experts say it will increase to 25%.

The PET bottles recycling industry has caught up fast in Asia in recent years especially in China followed

by Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia.

During 2006, China bought 3.9 million tonnes of PET-waste from across the globe to have cheaper manufacturing of synthetic fibre. The Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) estimates that about 100,000 tonnes of PET M A R C H 2014

FEATURES bottles are collected for recycling in Taiwan each year to be processed into yarn for weaving into fabrics.

How plastic is converted into yarn to weave or knit fabric and converting it into garment or home furnishing products is an interesting transition.

It actually happens by re-melting the PET bottles and then thick material is pressed through spinnerets, leaving them as filaments - just like in case of the production of virgin synthetic fibres. Filaments can be used as endless yarns or curled and cut into length-defined fibres for spinning. After weaving, the fabric is converted into garment, preferably fleece pullovers, jackets or sweatshirts.

The recycled PET thread or yarn can be used either alone or together with other fibres to create a very wide variety of fabrics. Traditionally these fabrics were used to create strong, durable and rough products, such as jackets, coat, shoes, bags, hats and accessories. However, these fabrics are too rough on the skin and could cause irritation. Therefore, they are not used on any clothing that may irritate the skin, or where comfort is required.

But in today's new eco-friendly world, there has been more of a demand for “Green” products. As a result, many clothing companies have started looking for ways to take advantage of this new market and new innovations in different ways to process the fabric, to use the fabric, or blend the fabric with other materials for better finish so as to be more wearer-friendly.

India Cued into the Trend In India as well there are companies, which have put up PET phase

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capacities. As per the estimates, India produces 500,000 tonnes of pet waste every year and due to increasing use of pet bottles in daily consumption, the amount of waste is going to grow by leaps and bounds. At present, the total recycling capacity in India is around 145,000 TPA, out of which Reliance Industries Ltd. has a capacity of 42,000 TPA and Kanpur-based Ganesh Polytex Ltd (GPL) has a capacity of around 39,600 TPA and rest is with other small local players. Presently GPL is recycling about 1.4 billion PET bottles annually at its Rudrapur plant where the bottles are first cleaned and then sent to shredders and grinders to reduce them to flakes. The flakes are forwarded to the cleaning section for a series of sorting and washing process performed with chemicals to remove any residual.

Once the flakes are dried up, they pass through a process called electrostatic separator, which produces magnetic field to separate PET flakes from metal, besides different kinds of plastic particles and other contaminations. The cleaned flakes of reclaimed PET are then forwarded to production section for the final product to produce fibre. According to Gopal Agarwal, CFO, GPL, the sorting and processing of raw material is a key factor for maintaining uniform quality of finished product on constant basis as raw material is not having uniform characteristics, and quality of finished goods may have significant degree of variations. “The major customers for our PET recycled fibre are spinning mills like Birla Cotsyn, Chenab Textiles, Orient Syntex to mention a few. The end use of this recycled fibre is - spun yarn, hosiery yarn, blended woollen 36

yarn and technical textiles,” shares Gopal.

The yarn produced out of the recycled fibre is being exported as well as being sold in the domestic market. Delhi-based Orient Syntex is exporting its yarn to Malaysia and in the domestic market it is selling its yarn through agents in Erode, Tirupur, Salem, etc. who are selling these yarns to companies like Export Tex, Javan Knits Garments, etc.

According to Gautam Sureka of Eastern Silk Industries, Kolkata which has gone for a joint venture with an Italian company SATI to manufacture technical textiles in India for industrial wear, the recycled PET fibre has not picked up so much in India for textile purpose as it is a very expensive process and there is yet no real demand for the same. “The fabric made out of the PET fibre is basically polypropylene and it is ten times stronger than a normal polyester fabric.

But to weave or knit the yarn made out of PET bottles needs very heavy machines and till now Europeans have mastered in this technology and the looms/knitting machines are very expensive,” points out Gautam.

However, the company is exploring the possibility of manufacturing PET based fabrics in India.

Though it is still early, buyers have started showing interest. While interacting with various buying offices like Ahlens, JCPenney, to mention some, they are looking at recycled PET as an alternate to man-made fibre. Says Richard James, Head Ahlens India, “On my recent visit to Thailand, I met a company which is making yarn out of PET, I found the M A R C H 2014

FEATURES product very interesting and I am now looking at developing fabric with this yarn to do some product development in home furnishing items like for rugs and carpets.”

Whatever developments in PET yarn Richard found in Thailand was in thicker count and not finer counts which can be used for making garment.

JCPenney too is looking for PET yarn and fabric makers in Taiwan.

As things are moving it would not take too long for fabrics made out of PET bottles to get popular with consumers especially for industrial garment and sportswear. The demand of course has to percolate from the buyers' end and when there is

demand, the developments will take place. How soon the concept spreads, that is still to be speculated as the technology is expensive but then it's environment-friendly preposition which is buyer's first concern; However, it also contradicts their belief that it is not organic and cannot be organic.

Courtesy: Contify

India’s Polypropylene market capacity to grow ndia’s Polypropylene market capacity is to grow 5155,000 tpa by 2017 says report. Polypropylene demand in India grew from 1535000 tpa in 2006 to 3072000 tpa in 2012, at a CAGR of 12.3%. According to Indian Petro Group, production capacity more than doubled during this period to reach 4190000 tpa in 2012 from 1945000 tons in 2006. Domestic production of PP kept pace with demand, increasing from 1844000 tons in 2006 to 3692000 tons in 2012 (CAGR of 12.3%). Production exceeds demand in the Indian PP market and India exported over 800000 tons of PP in 2011 and 2012.

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India imports about 250000 tons of PP every year in spite of production exceeding demand as imported PP is cheaper than domestic PP in some cases. In 2012-13, RIL continued to dominate the Indian market with a share of 64%. Four companies- RIL, HPL, HPCL (HMEL) and IOCL - are the major producers of Polypropylene in India. ONGC (OPaL), MRPL and BCPL (Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd) are expected to join this elite club when their petrochemical (PP) plants are completed. Capacity additions by major players will increase P L A S T I C S N E W S

production substantially over the next 5 years. Capacity is expected to reach 5155000 tpa by 2017. Overall domestic PP production is forecast to grow at a CAGR of about 6.1%. We expect robust demand growth over the next five years and rate of growth of demand will be 10.3% per annum. As production fails to keep pace with demand, we expect exports to peak at around 900000 tons in 2013 and 2014 before declining steeply during the period 2015-17.

By 2018, India could become a net importer of PP in the absence of any new large capacity additions.

Polypropylene is consumed by a large number of small and medium sized manufacturers to make finished products. In recent years, manufacturing of finished polypropylene products has experienced rapid growth and has generated significant wealth for investors and entrepreneurs. It remains one of the fastest growing sectors in India and around the world. PP is the second most widely traded polymer in the world after polyethylene. Global demand for polymers has reached about 218 mln tons and the share of polypropylene in total polymer consumption is about 25%. PP is used 37

in a host of applications across sectors such as automobiles, FMCG, textile, agriculture, housing, health-care, electronics and infrastructure due to its versatility, ease of manufacturing, cost efficiency and affordability.

PP is used for a variety of end-uses: like say, PP is used to make Raffia used in carpets, packaging material and geotextiles. Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) films are used in a variety of applications including flexible packaging, pressure sensitive tape, printing and lamination, stationary items, cable wrap and insulation. PP homo polymers are used for Injection molding to make components for automobiles, appliances, furniture, industrial products and a host of other products. PP ICP (Impact copolymers) are used to manufacture pipes, films, injection molding (caps, batteries, pails, automotive and other components) and for thermoforming. TQPP (Tubular Quenched PP) film is used in the textile industry, food industry, footwear, utensils, packaging of snacks and bakery foods. PP Random copolymer (RCP) is used to make heat seal films, blow molded bottles and injection molded parts.

M A R C H 2014

FEATURES

Driving the world: Zambello gearboxes ounded in 1957, Zambello Riduttori serves the extrusion industry for more than fifty years. The company began in Mr. Manish Sanandiya Castellanza as a small factory and now, it has great extensions developed for different markets all over the world. As every big company, Zambello starts at a humble stance but later in 1962, founder Mr. Zevio Zambello commenced to design gearboxes and speed variators according to one catalogue which has features not seen on the market.

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Now Zambello Riduttori is an international corporation, branches around the world work diligently for every local markets. In India, one of the most significant emerging market where both opportunity and risks are high, there is one CEO in charged of the Indian market whose name is Manish Sanandiya. This time Mr. Sanandiya is interviewed and talked about plastics industry in India and the world.

Ringier: What do you think about plastics industry in India?

Mr. Sanandiya: Plastics industry is an indispensable part of the Indian economy because plastics are used in a variety of sectors, such as packaging, infrastructure, plasticulture, food processing, and other consumer durables. India is considered the world's third largest consumer of polymers recently after the US and Mainland China with a share of about 6% of global consumption. Growth in P L A S T I C S N E W S

polymer industry kicks off after the economic liberalization in 1991 and which results in the deregulation and privatization in this field, booming the end use sectors like packaging, construction, telecom, automotive, and white goods. According to a recent report it is estimated that within 201213 there are around 9.7 kilograms consumed in India.

Moreover, India is advanced in the R&D of plastics. Now our people are developing the first 100% biodegradable plastics which could be completely decomposed into the earth, that is to say, disappears as going back to the environment. This amazing process involving the addition of an enzyme when the plastics bags are produced.

After bags are discarded into the soil, the contact between bags and soil enact the molecule break down in polythene and after about six months the discarded bags are completely disappeared without toxic residue.

Ringier: What do you think about the future trends in the India?

Mr. Sanandiya: I think that for India plastics and plastics machines the future is optimistic since plastics is considered as a replacement material. For example, I know one plastics material which is eight times lighter than steel and is resistance to chemicals, corrosions, and abrasions.

This material is sound dampening and is non-conducting. Moreover, as it is plastics, it is highly colorable and is recyclable.

said they are now planning to tap the Middle East and African nations, expecting a 20% growth in shipment of plastics products and 22% in plastics machines.

Ringier: What is your expectation towards Indian market?

Mr. Sanandiya: Since the local market is pretty much strong, we expect a 20% growth in plastics products and 22% in machinery exports in 2014.

Indian OEM manufacturers upgrade their quality day by day and hence they are now able to compete with the international competitors with advanced quality and technology.

Ringier: As high end as Zambello, what is your forte in the market?

Mr. Sanandiya: Zambello Riduttori opened its Indian office since last October, the ZAMINDIA. I myself am looking for an Indian operation and I am equipped with twelve-year experiences in the sector of gearboxes in both the local and MNC companies. ZAMINDIA recently participated in PLASTVISION 2013 in Bombay, by which we received good responses from customers and they expressed that the ZAMINDIA office is highly appreciated.

I know that we are strong in marketing and services for Indian extruder regarding the gearbox issues, accordingly, we will join with OEM manufacturers to promote Zambello products. We are now working hard in the Indian market and I believe that within a short period of time we will tie up with important customers.

I heard that exporters of plastics 38

M A R C H 2014

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Georgia injection molder expands to Michigan ustom injection molder Thomson Plastics Inc. has opened a plant in Howell, Michigan., the company’s first expansion beyond its home state of Georgia. Thomson Plastics was drawn to the region because of its rich automotive sector, said Rick Kibbey, president and chief operating officer.

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Established in 1975, the company until recently made products for highly seasonal industries such as lawn and garden and golf carts, he said;

expanding into automotive is part of the company’s effort to rid itself of that seasonality. The Howell facility, formerly occupied by another plastics manufacturer, already had much of the necessary infrastructure for injection molding, making it an attractive choice financially, Kibbey said.

Thomson Plastics currently occupies 25,000 square feet of the facility on Parsons Road, with plans to expand. Earlier this month , the company operated 4 presses ranging

from 400 tons to 750 tons press capability, with a fifth press on the way and two more expected by June. The facility currently produces automotive seating components at a rate of about 4,000 pieces per week.

Thomson Plastics is a portfolio company of Connecticut investment firm Altus Capital Partners Inc. Its headquarters facility in Thomson, Ga., covers 200,000 square feet and operates 54 presses ranging from 165 to 3000 tons, according to its Website.

Australia debating national bottle bill n academic has attacked a push to implement a national container deposit scheme (CDS) in Australia, but the leader of a coalition of environmental groups says criticism of the proposal is wrong. Dick Gross, a lawyer and a tutor on climate change at the University of Melbourne, has said on record News the economics of a cashfor-containers scheme do not “stack up.”

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He said CDS is popular among environmental activists, but will “increase expenses; lead to a duplication of systems; target a small part of [the waste stream]; undermine curbside recycling; and create two streams of litter and a complex array of deposits.”Under CDS, consumers receive a refund for each recyclable container they take to a collection depot. Gross said CDS is “environmental vandalism” and will cost about A$680 million (US$615 million) to implement nationally.

“Even if people don’t care about the cost of a CDS, it could crowd out P L A S T I C S N E W S

good ideas,” Gross said. “People who are pro-CDS tend to ignore other proposals.”Jeff Angel, executive director of Sydney-based Total Environment Centre, disagrees. He said claims that a CDS would cost consumers more “wrongly assume no one redeems their deposit.” South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT) are the only

Australian states or territories with deposit programs.

Angel said SA has an 80 percent return rate. Angel also heads a network of 27 environmental groups called the Boomerang Alliance, which is campaigning for the national deposit proposal.

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M A R C H 2014

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

San Francisco Passes Strict New Bottled Water Ban he San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved a measure that would ban the sale of the bottled water at events held on city property. Specifically, the measure would ban the sale or distribution of bottled water in plastic bottles of 21 fluid ounces or less at parks, concerts, large public events and mobile food trucks.

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The ordinance, which was approved earlier this month unanimously, looks to expand tap access in city parks and require the installation of hydration stations or water hook-ups where there is a capital project in a popular park or plaza.

It must be approved by the board one more time before it is sent to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. "Every 27 hours, Americans consume enough bottled water to circle the entire equator with plastic bottles stacked end to end.

We have to do better," said David Chiu, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. "This ordinance will not only reduce our bottled water waste, it will also put our city's resources in the right place-investing in residents' access to pristine Hetch Hetchy water." The measure affects all city parks, even those adjacent to Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA).

The Think Outside the Bottle, a campaign run by the Corporate Accountability International, says it has been working closely with GGNRA and parks across the country to help them take steps toward going bottled

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water free. In 2012, Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks made the move, clearing the way for smaller parks like GGNRA to follow suit. "We applaud Supervisor Chiu and San Francisco's leadership in the movement to think outside the bottle," said Erin Diaz, campaign director of Think Outside the Bottle at Corporate Accountability International. "By taking this step, the city continues to be a pioneer, paving the way for cities, states and national parks across the country to follow suit and buck the bottle.

Not only does this measure eliminate wasteful spending on such an eco-unfriendly product, but it also opens doors to increased investment in the most essential of municipal services-water." The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA)

expressed its outrage over the bill. "The IBWA opposes this bill and supports the right of San Franciscans to choose clean, safe, healthy, refreshing, reliable and zero-calorie bottled water when making their beverage decisions.

Efforts to eliminate access to bottled water on San Francisco city or county property will force people to choose less healthy drink options, which have more packaging, more additives (e.g., sugar, caffeine), and greater environmental impacts than bottled water. Moreover, this legislation would mean that there would be no bottled water available on city or county property for immune compromised people or during emergency situations when tap water is compromised," the organization said in a statement.

Cirko stepping down from CPIA as search begins for replacement athy Cirko The de facto environment official for Canada’s plastics sector will resign effective May 30. Cathy Cirko is a vice president of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, where she worked for the past 17 years after holding senior positions in the private sector.

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In her stint with CPIA she was the public face for sustainability, recycling and the environment and health, although in recent years she has worked behind the scenes

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and deferred to CPIA President Carol Hochu on leadership on such matters.

Cirko helped spearhead CPIA programs for advocacy, including strengthening the industry’s role in more widespread post-consumer recycling and reduction in marine litter. Cirko “ably represented CPIA throughout Canada and internationally as a vocal proponent for a sustainable plastics industry,” Hochu stated in a news release.

M A R C H 2014

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PRE says “biodegradable plastic bags are a myth” lastics Recyclers Europe (PRE)a representative body for Europe’s recyclers, has published on its website a recent claim that “biodegradable plastic bags are a myth”. The original claim was made during a public hearing on plastic carrier bags organised by the by The Greens/European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament on 19 February 2014.

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The claim was made by Professor Richard Thomson, who works for the School of Marine Science and Engineering at Plymouth University in the UK. However, the Oxobiodegradable Plastics Association (OPA), has since issued an objection to the public hearing, stating that: “Advocates of bio-based plastics had ample opportunity to speak, but neither the OPA nor any member of the oxobiodegradable plastics industry had been invited to provide a speaker.”

During the workshop Ton Emans, PRE President, claimed that as little as 2% degradable material in the recycling stream is enough to create quality problems for recyclers. Reference was made to a study commissioned last year by European Plastics Converters EuPC where industrial scale tests were performed on PE films produced with recyclates. This independent study is said to demonstrate “problems caused by degradable materials in the actual recycling streams”. Professor Richard Thomson made the claim that biodegradable bags are a myth, and discussed the importance of re-use and recycling in order to reduce littering.

Other panel speakers expressed

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concerns that degradable material has to degrade in a defined period of time, which they say means that the material poses “a large threat for this period and this is environmentally unacceptable and creates confusion amongst consumers.”

The opposing statement from the OPA includes a copy of a letter sent to MEP Margarete Auken, by Michael Stephen, Chairman of the OPA itself. Mr. Stephen is also Deputy Chairman of Symphony Environmental Technologies, a firm which specialises in oxo-biodegradable additive technologies, amongst others. The letter expresses concern that the OPA was not invited to contribute to the discussion. It highlights what the group describes as a degree of “ignorance, misinformation, irrelevance and emotional argument”, particularly with regards to distinguishing between compostable plastics and oxobiodegradable plastics.

On the subject of the abovementioned EuPC study, the letter refers to findings from an earlier study, which has since been reviewed by the original laboratory in the wake of the EuPC report. “We were aware of concerns expressed by recyclers, so the oxo-bio industry identified an expert laboratory and asked them for a report. Extensive tests were carried out by Roediger Laboratories who reported on 21st May 2012 that ‘Plastic products made with oxo-biodegradable technology may be recycled without any significant detriment to the newly formed recycled product.’ Roediger Laboratories examined the TCKT

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report [commissioned by the EuPC] and reported on 5th December 2013 that bio-based could not be recycled but they had no reason to change their opinion on oxo-bio.”Plastics Recyclers Europe says that its members constitute 80% of the European recycling capacity.

Total signs preliminary accord with Iraq rench oil giant Total is exploring the option of building a "world-scale" petrochemical complex in Iraq as part of its strategy to develop its activities in the Middle East's growth markets according to AFP. The head of Total's refining and chemicals division, Patrick Pouyanne, said he signed a preliminary accord with Iraq's industry ministry in November 2013 to examine the feasibility of the complex in the southern Iraqi port of Basra. "They are exploratory discussions at this stage that should be confirmed in coming months," a company spokeswoman said. Total did not put a value on the mooted project, or a timeframe.

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Total plans to boost its refinery and chemicals activities in the Middle East and Asia, where it sees better long-term prospects than in Europe, where competition is pressuring margins.

M A R C H 2014

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Non-bottle recycling tops 1 billion pounds in the U.S. on-bottle rigid plastics recycling continues on its meteoric rise, topping a billion pounds for the first time and tripling in only a matter of six years.

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New statistics from a study commissioned by the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council also show that rigid plastic recycling increased by 10 percent from 2011 to 2012, hitting a total of 1.02 billion pounds.

That’s three times the total of the amount of rigid plastics recycled in 2007 when the industry first started tracking such numbers, said the ACC, a trade group.

Non-bottle rigid plastics includes items such as toys, tubs, cups, caps,

lids, crates, buckets, automobile parts, pipe, and lawn and garden products.

Steve Alexander, executive director of the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, called the increase amazing.

“In a short period of time, rigids have become the fastest growing category of plastics recycling, and we are excited about the future,” Alexander said in a statement.

Rigid plastic recycling has exploded in recent years as it has become easier for people to find a second life for their discards.

The growing popularity of singlestream recycling around the country, and the associated larger carts that are being provided for this all-in-one

Plastics made from algae cultivated by industrial CO2 panish research institute Aimplas, and 14 European partners, have launched a project that aims to cultivate microalgae in photobioreactors, which need only sunlight and industrial CO2 emissions, to produce different products for the chemical industry.

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The European Commission financed project, Bisigodos, is an initiative that aims to select and cultivate new varieties of these organisms to produce artificial fuel and then commercialize the research through Bio Fuel Systems SA, a company based in Alicante, Spain.

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The scope of the project and its ambitious objectives require the participation of partners from different fields. In a first phase, the project activity includes the selection and cultivation of the best varieties of microalgae in photobioreactors from the laboratory which will also be optimized to achieve the highest possible volume of the product.

Microalgae have rapid growth rates in CO2-rich environments. Therefore, more than 150 metric tons of dry biomass per hectare can annually be produced in those photobioreactors.

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recycling, is allowing folks additional room to put more and larger rigid plastic items in the recycling stream.

“The increasing popularity of large bins and access to single-stream collection programs are making it easy for consumers to recycle their used plastics,” said Steve Russell, ACC's vice president of plastics, in a statement.

Polypropylene accounted 38 percent of the post-consumer plastics collected while high-density polyethylene made up 34 percent, according to the 2012 National Report on Postconsumer Non-Bottle Rigid Plastic Recycling.

Ineos Group to increase ethane imports to Europe neos Group said has signed an agreement to increase imports of ethane to Europe from the United States for use in its petrochemicals plants. According to a report from Reuters, Inoes the company, which owns refineries and petrochemicals plants in Europe and elsewhere, said it signed an agreement with Consol Energy to import the ethane which is processed from shale oil. It said supplies would start from 2015.

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M A R C H 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

Asahi and Mitsubishi unify their naphtha cracker facilities in Muzishima sahi Kasei Corp. and its subsidiary Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. (hereinafter collectively “Asahi Kasei”) and Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (hereinafter collectively “Mitsubishi”) have concluded an agreement to unify their naphtha crackers in Mizushima into one.

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Asahi Kasei and Mitsubishi have jointly operated the limited liability partnership Nishi Nippon Ethylene LLP since April 1, 2011, for the purpose

of strengthening the competitiveness of the Mizushima industrial zone, including through alliances with oil refineries, and have performed studies for the eventual unification on one of the naphtha crackers that each company has in Mizushima.

Since the operating climate in the domestic market for petrochemical operations is expected to become increasingly severe, Asahi Kasei and Mitsubishi thus judged that there is an increasing necessity to establish the optimum production configuration

Indian Oil Corp to wait till March 31, to decide on Haldia Petrochemicals ndian Oil Corporation (IOC), which had made a bid to buy out West Bengal government's stake in ailing Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL), plans to wait till March 31st before taking a call on the matter.

are members. IOC has learnt that the West Bengal government was in talks with TCG, the other promoter, to find a way out, he said, adding, "We will react once the outcome of the talks are made public."

Earlier IOC had quoted a price of Rs 25.10 per share for HPL's stake and was the sole bidder. It is also learnt that there has been no official communication so far from the West Bengal government after the bid was submitted in October 2013.

TCG, which was supposed to exercise its right of first refusal on the IOC offer, moved the Supreme Court over the controversial 155 million shares which were clubbed together with the state government's stake holding in HPL.

In the absence of any decision in the issue regarding transfer of shares to IOC, it will be taken up by the executive committee in which all the functional directors and the chairman

The apex court subsequently allowed TCG to move the arbitration cell of Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce to resolve the ownership issue of the shares.

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for highly efficient operation in order to strengthen competitiveness and enhance earnings ability.

The parties have agreed to unify their naphtha crackers in Mizushima in April 2016. The products to be affected by the agreement include ethylene and propylene as main products; C4s, cracked gasoline (mixture of C5s, benzene, toluene, xylene, C9s, etc.), crude hydrogen and other secondary gases (methane, ethane, and propane), and heavy ends as byproducts.

BP to invest US$1 bln in Oman P has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Oil and Gas to build the project to manufacture acetic acid using a patented technology.

BP plans to invest over US$1 bln. to build this petrochem plant.

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Jamie Bowden, British Ambassador to the Sultanate, said, "With this potential investment BP intends to build the world's first acetic acid manufacturing plant. Acetic acid is a versatile intermediate chemical, used in a variety of products, such as paints, adhesives and solvents manufacturing polyester.

M A R C H 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

BASF opens global R&D center in Mumbai ASF SE has inaugurated a new global Research and Development (R&D) Center at its Thane site in Navi Mumbai, India, focusing on organic synthesis, advanced process and formulation research, discovery chemistry for modern agricultural solutions, and molecular modelling. With an initial investment of €2 million, this new facility has been set up by BASF under its group Company, BASF Chemicals India Pvt Ltd. The new R&D facilities will accommodate more than 60 scientists in the first phase.

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“With our R&D Center in Navi Mumbai we have taken a significant step closer to BASF’s globalization goal in R&D. By 2020, we plan to conduct 50% of our research activities

outside of Europe – one quarter in Asia Pacific,” said Dr. Harald Lauke, President, Biological & Effect Systems Research at BASF. “By establishing a global research presence in Mumbai, we will be able to work directly with a wide range of scientific talents in India and take steps towards our strategic goal to innovate from Asia Pacific, for Asia Pacific and the world.

We are also currently evaluating further investment options into R&D in Asia Pacific, including India.”. BASF recently established an Agronomical Research and Development Field Station in Pune, near Mumbai, for its agricultural business. “India is a core market for BASF with a strong scientific community. By enhancing our local R&D presence, together we

S-OIL to build R&D center in Seoul -OIL plans to build the world’s best technical service & development center in the Magok Industrial Complex in Seoul. S-OIL’s Technical Service & Development Center will ramp up its R&D function essential for its advance into the downstream petrochemical area.

S-OIL pushed to build Technical Service & Development Center to bolster its R&D function, which will play a pivotal role in its refining and petrochemical downstream businesses.

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The refiner plans to conduct research on technologies related to high valueadded petrochemical materials by using basic petrochemicals produced

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by upgrading facilities. “With the construction of Technical Service & Development Center in Magok, S-OIL will beef up its R&D capability, which is essential for the success of our new project, the largest size ever since the company’s foundation, as well as the key to our advance into the petrochemical downstream field,” said CEO Al-Mahasher.

“We will conduct research activities to the highest standard in and out of the country in the petrochemical material field by making the best use of high-quality infrastructure for R&D activities in Seoul, which is the heart of the economy, academic study, and culture”.

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can realize advances which go beyond the scope of today’s solutions,” said Dr. Raman Ramachandran, Head South Asia, Chairman, BASF Companies in India.

In 2013, BASF continued the worldwide expansion of its research and development centers, especially in Asia and North America.

UAE keen to explore investment opportunities in Philippines AE seems to be keen to exploring investment opportunities in Philippine petrochem sector. According to reports a trade mission from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is visiting the Philippines to look into business opportunities in the petrochemicals and property sectors.

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Also the Bilateral trade between the Philippines and UAE amounted to US$515 mln in 2012. Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said the Philippines can provide UAE with raw materials and intermediate goods, and not just skilled labor.

The UAE is one of the top destinations of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

M A R C H 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

Sibur to buy Rosneft’s share in the Russian gas processing JV i b u r, t h e g i a n t R u s s i a n petrochemicals company 57.5% controlled by Russian billionaire Leonid Mikhelson, has reached an agreement with state owned Russian oil company Rosneft to acquire its’ 49% interest in their Yugragazpererabotka gas processing joint venture.

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The interest has been held by Rosneft-owned RN-Holding, formerly TNK-BP. The terms for the purchase of the Rosneft stake were not disclosed but analysts estimate the price may be in the range of between US$1-2 bln.

After the deal closes Sibur will own 100% of the venture, and will continue to have access to guaranteed gas supply from Rosneft of up to 10 billion cubic metres/year of gas as feedstock for their plants under a new supply agreement now extending to 2032.

Dmitry Konov responded: “By signing the agreement with Rosneft to increase associated petroleum gas supplies, Sibur reaffirms its commitment to the corporate strategy of securing long-term access to feedstock.

The sale of the plant, which processes gas co-produced at some of Rosneft’s oil fields, known as APG, which stands for associated petroleum gas, will be among the first sale by Rosneft of assets it picked up in the US$55 billion acquisition of the TNK-BP joint venture last year.

The extended tenor of the APG contracts highlights the strong ties between Sibur and Rosneft, which remains the key APG supplier for Sibur’s gas processing facilities.

Foster Wheeler collaborates with Tecnimont oster Wheeler USA Corporation, a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, has signed a collaboration agreement with Tecnimont USA Inc., a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont S.p.A., for front-end engineering (FEED) design, detailed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilizer facilities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Foster Wheeler and Tecnimont will collaborate in pursuing specific opportunities for new plants and plant revamps. This collaboration aims to deliver clients significant added value, combining the world-class skills of both companies: Foster Wheeler with its global chemicals project track record and its reputation as a FEED P L A S T I C S N E W S

and EPC contractor in North America, and Tecnimont's track record in technology-driven chemicals sectors, including olefins and fertilizers and, in particular, its leading track record in polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene). "Delivering growth in the North American gas monetization market is a key strategic objective of Foster Wheeler," said Roberto Penno, Chief Executive Officer, Foster Wheeler Global Engineering and Construction Group.

"We have already achieved a number of key wins in this sector, and this outstanding combination of the technical and project delivery skills of Foster Wheeler and Tecnimont is designed to position us strongly in key growth sectors in this market.

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Petron Engineering awarded Rs 196 crore contract etron Engineering Construction Ltd has received Rs 196 crore contract from JBF Petrochemicals Limited for composite works comprising civil, structural, underground piping, buildings, mechanical piping, insulation, painting, electrical & instrumentation works for its JBF PTA OSBL project at Mangalore, Karnataka.

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JBF is setting up a purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant inMangalore SEZ and will have 1.25 mln metric tpa capacity, which its claims to be amongst the largest in India. The company is aiming to commission the project by mid of 2015.

M A R C H 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

BPCL offering low aromatic naphtha in a rare one-year contract harat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) has offered a total of 456,000 tons of low aromatic naphtha in a one-year contract starting in April, which traders said was rare as the refiner usually offers cargoes on a spot and quarterly basis. BPCL stated three options in its sell tender, which closed on March 10, with bids to stay valid until March 11. One

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option was for a total of three cargoes, each at 38,000 tons a month for April to June loading from Mumbai. The second option was for a six-month period starting in April and ending in September for one 38,000-ton a month cargo. The last option was for a one-year contract under which the buyer will lift a 38,000 ton cargo every month until March 2015. Spot naphtha

Al Karaana looks for Asian markets he new Al Karaana petrochemicals project - a 80:20 joint venture of Qatar Petroleum and Shell - is eyeing Asian markets to a great extent for its 2 mln tpa production. The estimated US$6.5 bln project, currently in the FEED phase being conducted by Fluor, will now embark on the next stage of engineering, procurement and

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construction (EPC). The project is also considering a mix of conventional bank loans and Islamic financing. AlKaraana comprises a steam cracker, 1.5 mln tons of mono ethylene glycol, 300 mln tons of linear alpha olefin and another 250 mln tons of oxo alcohol.

The steam cracker will be supplied feedstock from natural gas projects in Qatar.

Budget disappoints plastic industry nterim budget announced by Finance Minister P Chidambaram earlier this month has nothing much for the plastics Industry.

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While everyone understands that interim budget is normally meant to boost the ailing industry however it has disappointed the plastic industry for, there are no reduction in customs duty on polymers, No reduction in excise duty. Also despite regular presentations the customs duty on finished plastics goods is not

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increased. This will affect the domestic industry. Moreover there is no change in direct taxes.

The Indirect taxes on polymers also remains unchanged. However the excise duty is reduced by 2% only on items falling under chapter 84 & 85 of C. E. Tariff (machinery, mechanical appliances & parts and electrical/ electronic machinery & equipment) Also the excise duty on automobiles. is reduced by 3-6%.

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cargoes are expected to tighten due to reduced shipments from Europe as it needs the light fuel for gasoline production. Asia is structurally short of naphtha and relies on the West to plug its supply gaps. Europe was exporting a monthly average of 1.1 mln tons of naphtha to Asia in 2013, double the volumes it had shipped to the East in 2012.

KPC keen on buying stake in Paradip refinery uwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) is in talks with Indian Oil Corp (IOC) for buying a stake in the state-owned firm's R29,777crore Paradip refinery and a proposed petrochemical complex.

According to reports IOC, which will start commissioning the 15 mln tpa refinery at Paradip in Odisha in June, is willing to offer no more than a 26% stake in the project.

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The refinery has been built to process at least 40% of toughest, heaviest and the dirtiest crudes like Maya of Mexico which are cheaper than the cleaner and easier varieties available from the Middle East. The refinery will have a Nelson Complexity Index of 13, the highest in the world.

IOC plans to set up a Rs 3,150 crore Polypropylene unit adjacent to the refinery in 39 months, at an investment outlay of about Rs 3,150 crore.

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M A R C H 2014

sewa shakti products

newly developed in india up to 12 micron Aluminium Potassium Silicate Also it is called MICA POWDER

mica powder is used high volte insulation Cellulose (BECALET) POLYMERS ADDITIVE, PLASTIC FILLER Fibber Glass Raw, Insulation Raw, Heat Proo ing, Sound Proo ing sheets.

TYERS, PAINTS, RUBBER & CHEMICALS, LOT OF USES OUR OTHER PRODUCTS IS MICRONICES CALCAIED, MICRONTALC (SOAPSTONE) CALCUM CARBRONATE NATHURAL & MOSHTHR POWDER

OFFICE ADDRESS SEWA SHAKTI PRODUCTS 26-J, Shakti Nagar, Behind Andhra Bank, Udaipur – 313 001 (Rajasthan) Tel:-+91 294-2411051, Fax: - +91 294-2411950 Mob: -+91 9214420351, 9462679618 Email: sewashaktiminerals@gmail.com Web: http://in.kompass.com/c/sewa-shakti-products/ in714239/; www.kompass.in\sewa-shakti-products

FACTORY ADDRESS MICA MINERALS & EXPORTS F-116 M.I.A., Madri, Udaipur – 313 001 Mob: +91-9784780178, 9214460351 Email: b1234vikas@yahoo.com; micron.mineral.powder@gmail.com

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M A R C H 2014

PRODUCT NEWS

STEER MEGA SPECIAL Extruder Most desired choice for general purpose compounding lobal compounders and new material developers have always wanted the best suited extruders for specialized applications or for general purpose compounding at the most economical value with committed customer services.

The MEGA SPECIAL has demonstrated capability to support high volume manufacturing of most legacy engineering thermoplastics, including polycarbonate, nylon, POM, ABS, PPE, PET, PBT, filled and reinforced ETP’s, as well as commodity plastics such as PP and PE.

STEER offers the “Right Extruder for Exacting Applications” with 100% service commitment, globally.

MEGA SPECIAL PREMIUM & MEGA SPECIAL PLUS extruders are most suitable for general purpose compounding / applications. MEGA SPECIAL PLUS extruder with new technology to utilize full motor power at different screw speeds of 625 rpm, 750 rpm, 1000 rpm and 1200 rpm. MEGA SPECIAL EXTRUDERS range also has ZL & LT versions, catering to certain customers needs. MEGA Special meets the exact needs of customers to achieve truly world-class standards in addition to economic viability and MEGA compounding performance.

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MEGA SPECIAL EXTRUDER [Do/Di: 1.55]: It’s a proven outperformer.

The MEGA SPECIAL Co-rotating Twin-Screw Extruders are the most desired choice amongst several world class compounders. The MEGA SPECIAL Extruders are not just WP compatible, it’s a proven outperformer known for Uncompromising Quality and Best after-sales service.

Contact: STEER Engineering Private Limited 290, 4th Main, 4th Phase, Peenya Industrial Area Bangalore – 560058. India Tel: +91 80 42723300 Email: info@steerworld.com

The MEGA SPECIAL extruders shares the general purpose Do/Di of 1.55 with earlier MEGA models, with added features of a Continua shaft for improved safety and reliability apart from availability of STEER proprietary line of conveying and mixing elements.

MEGA SPECIAL PREMIUM

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MEGA SPECIAL PLUS

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M A R C H 2014

PRODUCT NEWS

Nordson Xaloy introduces SmartHeat™ system n innovative heating system from Nordson XALOY replaces conventional heater bands with a highly energy-efficient heater coating for maintaining melt uniformity in extrusion melt pipes and adapters, and eliminating downtime for removing melt “blowback” from injection nozzles, the company announced. Introduced as an injection barrel coating, the SmartHeat™ system has since been successfully adapted for these additional uses: Replacing band heaters with the continuous coating of the SmartHeat system ensures a consistent temperature over extended lengths. Injection nozzles.

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A SmartHeat coating can simplify maintenance and prevent downtime caused by blowback, the backward oozing of molten polymer (particularly when the seal is not tight) into the spaces between the heater bands and the nozzle. Available on new

nozzles or as a retrofit, the coating is easily cleaned without need to stop production. Melt pipe or adapters.

These components for transferring molten polymer from the extruder to downstream equipment can cover considerable distance, making it difficult to maintain melt uniformity.

The SmartHeat system consists of two layers of plasma-sprayed metallized ceramic with a nichrome wire wrap sandwiched in between, plus a thermal insulation cover. Because the heat from the wires is conducted throughout the ceramic material, the system raises the temperature of a machine component to target levels more quickly than with band heaters, maintains it more uniformly, and uses less energy. The tightly strapped thermal insulation wrap over the ceramic coating virtually eliminates heat losses to the workplace, saving on air conditioning costs and reducing

Ferromatik Milacron machines bags design awards erromatik Milacron’s F-Series and Elektron injection moulding machines have won Germany’s presitigious iF Product Design Award in the industry/skilled trades category, from a field of 3,249 entries.

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The criteria for selecting the winner included innovation, environmental impact, functionality, and brand-value.

In collaboration with defortec, an industrial design house in Germany,

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Ferromatik developed the distinctive visual concept for its new machines three years ago.

New models feature red ‘fins’ on the clamping and injection units, which Ferromatik says “communicate dynamics and performance”. The bold horizontal grey band wrapping the machines has also become synonymous with Ferromatik designs.

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the risk of operator injury.

“The SmartHeat system is 25 to 60% more energy-efficient than band heaters, and as a continuous coating it distributes heat more uniformly-a crucial advantage for any melt pipe or barrel,” said David Hotchkiss, global product manager for Nordson XALOY. “Since all SmartHeat wiring is run underneath the thermal insulation, it eliminates the hazard of having numerous exposed wires connected to multiple heater bands.

Conair add web-based controls for feeders onair Group has expanded its web-enabled control software to make its TrueFeed feeders controllable with most networked devices.

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Existing FLX users can add gravimentric feeder control to their Web-enabled control suite at no additional cost in the thirdgeneration software upgrade, said Conair’s product manager for conveying, Doug Brewster.

“You can have 40 independent systems running on FLX at once from anywhere and still never have to worry about being out of touch.”

Conair has also introduced its new small-diameter planetary cutter, which automates cut-to-length operations and speeds production of medical tubing without concerns about particulate contamination or distortion.

M A R C H 2014

PRODUCT NEWS

Zahoransky claims ‘world’s first’ seven-component mould ahoransky has delivered a seven-component injection mould to Schiffer, a German moulder of toothbrushes and dental care products. The mould-maker claims that this is “the first 7-component mould ever built worldwide”.The 16fold injection mould has two injection stations and one loading and removal station located on the outside.

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Two different materials in the same colour are processed in the first station, while two different TPEs are used in the second station. One of these is injected in four different colours. This design feature has been implemented due to the fact that toothbrushes are retailed in four different colours. The use of the 7-component mould means that Schiffer does not need to perform

colour changes. Zahoransky even claims that toothbrushes produced during the day could be in supermarket storerooms by the evening. The system links the mould in-line with the downstream production process and through to Seven injection units had to be connected to the mould in an extremely tight space.

technology for the application. The system features a two-part soldered runner. Instead of having just straight channels, these runners have as many as three melt levels with curves and turns incorporated. This design uses the principle of natural balancing, as well as a uniform thermal profile and a relatively low construction height.

The availability of several material feeds, the different processing temperatures of the various materials and the close spacing between the different nozzles at the same cavity needed to be taken into account. The moulding was performed by a sixcomponent machine from Engel, while a seventh injection unit from Boy was integrated into the production process.

Mold-Masters supplied the hot runner

Zahoransky says that this technology allows two or more melt flow channels to be integrated into a single runner.

The design also allows six or more materials and colours in a single runner.

The group states that though complex, multi-component moulds are the most cost-effective solution for applications where identical products are to be moulded in different colours.

Teknor launches TPES Sarlink and Halguard eknor Apex will luanch its new series of low-smoke, flameretardant thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) enables manufacturers of power and other flexible cords to produce non-PVC insulation and jacketing that do not contain halogenated flame retardants or phthalate plasticizers, while avoiding the processing limitations of highly filled halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) polyolefin compounds.

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The series will be introduced at Wire 2014 (Hall 9 / Stand F 0503).

Inherently elastic, Halguard® E 59000 Series HFFR compounds contain no plasticizers but compare well with

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plasticized PVC in mechanical and electrical performance. They are based on polymer chemistry different from the polyolefins in other HFFR compounds, and they incorporate intumescent flame retardant formulations rather than the metal hydrate fillers used to render the polyolefin products flame retardant.

While having flame performance similar to that of polyolefin HFFR compounds and greater oil-resistance, Halguard E 59000 Series TPEs exhibit lower density, lower melt viscosity, and higher elongation at break and avoid the processing challenges posed by high loadings of metal hydrate fillers.

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Teknor Apex recommends Halguard E 59000 Series compounds for flexible cords, appliance wire, power cords for computers, HDMI cables for televisions, and wiring for device chargers and USB connectors, as well as other specialty cable applications.

Earlier Teknor had also launched a new family of Sarlink® thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). The new compounds are the first Sarlink products to be based on styrenic TPE (TPE-S) chemistry. According to the company “In the past, interest in TPE-S compounds intensified as a result of sharply increasing costs for EPDM.

M A R C H 2014

PRODUCT NEWS

Solicore introduces Polymer battery for credit cards s the use of electronics printed on extremely thin substrates increases, powering compact systems is becoming more of an issue. As per pcb007.com, Solicore Inc. is tackling this obstacle with a polymer battery that's thin enough to fit inside a credit card. Its thin film batteries are less than 0.45 mm thick, yet they offer lifetimes of up to five years.

drilled in it without leakage. It's also designed so there's no danger of overheating, which can be an issue with batteries."Our primary market is authentication display cards--credit cards that have displays," said Dan Tillwick, COO of Solicore. "The displays enable information critical to validate the user and prevent fraud if the card data is breached.

The lifetime is long enough to meet the demands of many extremely compact portable products. One of the target markets is an application that has received a lot of attention this year, credit card security. The polymer layers acts like a sponge, absorbing the electrolyte. It can be bent, twisted, broken or have holes

These next generation security cards enable the display of onetime passwords, card balances and other key card holder information."

Display cards are already being used in other parts of the world, but U.S. manufacturers have been slow to implement to date. Tillwick states that the thin battery technology

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enables the deployment of display card technology into the market. While these cards are a primary market, the thin batteries can also be used in medical applications and a variety of sensor-based solutions. For example, grocery stores could use active shelf displays to alter pricing based on volumes and availability.

Using thin-film batteries makes it possible to install wireless display modules throughout the store without the high cost of wiring each shelf. "In medical applications, the batteries can be used to power telemetry devices and sensors," Tillwick said. "They could also power patch delivery systems, letting a patch deliver medication with or without patient control."

SRF Ltd inaugurates

Pelletiser cutting chamber designed for BOPP film low downtime manufacturing plant in eduction Engineering Scheer has launched a new cutting chamber for large strand pelletisers.

The company states that it has designed the chamber in such a way that allows for fast removal with less downtime.The quick change cutting chamber features a gearbox which positively drives the upper and lower feed rolls and helps to maintain machine performance and dependability, claims the group.

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It is designed specifically for continuous polymerisation systems t h a t c a n ’ t b e s h u t d o w n . To m Kernstock, Product Manager at Reduction Engineering Scheer said: P L A S T I C S N E W S

“Our next-generation design was developed in response to customer demand and is differentiated in the market by our unique gearbox which ensures high performance and durability.”The system features quick couplings which detach all connections between the stationary structure and the cutting chamber.

Other design elements include universal joints which connect the gearbox to the cutter and feed rolls, along with a quick tension belt release.

Connections to the air lines, gearbox, and belt can reportedly be removed in 15 minutes, claims the group.

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South Africa ith an aim to propel its growth in Africa region, India’s one of the leading players in chemicals, engineering plastics, packaging films and technical textiles, SRF Ltd has inaugurated the sophisticated and ultra-modern BOPP film manufacturing plant in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

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SRF strongly believes that the African packaging industry is developing very positively, partly with two-digit growth rates.

M A R C H 2014

TECHNOLOGY

“Fully-compostable” WPCs erman composites specialist Jelu claims to have developed a fully compostable biocomposite for industrial processing. The new material, which is made from polylactides (PLA) and wood fibres is a wood plastic composite (WPC), which can be recycled in composting plants.

The group says that it is suitable for injection moulding and extrusion on conventional plastics processing machines.

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Jelu says that it compounds PLA with wood fibres to form a homogeneous material that consists of 100% renewable resources. In its basic blend, the compound contains 40% PLA and 60% wood fibres. The material is granulated, as the processing of granulates makes it possible to create extremely homogeneous end products.

The WPC granulate reportedly demonstrates consistent running properties on the machine, facilitating a higher output. Compounding also gives the biocomposite a higher density, improving the properties of the material. As a result, products have greater strength and stiffness.

Jelu only uses fibres obtained from selected woods that have specifically defined properties. Only processed fibres that meet certain criteria, such as having a fixed grain size and being of the same type of wood, are used. This is supposed to allow the group to set the biocomposite’s physical and mechanical properties to specific values. By using additives, the characteristics can be varied and adjusted to individual applications.

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standards for use in foods and toys.

Wood-plastic composites are typically used in construction applications such as extruded profile decking

Anti-counterfeiting technologies tackle fake resin The recent debacle at Aston Martin that saw counterfeit DuPont polyamide material used in a critical component highlights the need for processors to ensure their material are legit.

Technology from Celanese Corporation (Dallas, TX) is one means of making sure resins are indeed those that have been specified. The company has announced a range of detectable polymer technologies that can help OEMs and suppliers ensure products contain components and parts that meet their material specifications.

Resin users will be able to spot counterfeit materials with technology from Celanese. "Celanese is working with customers to help them meet their security and safety needs as they relate to protecting against counterfeiting," said Stefan Kutta, global director, Celanese Transportation industry.

"These technologies are especially important today in light of several recalls due to inferior and counterfeit materials."

Engineered materials from Celanese are available with anticounterfeiting technologies to help assist OEM and Tier suppliers in reducing the potential risk and loss of revenue from counterfeits in automotive parts, consumer products, 62

medical devices, packaging and consumer electronics. "Celanese material scientists have developed various traceability technologies to help customers avoid significant losses due to missed business opportunities, image-loss of brand, unwarranted claims for damages and patent infringements," added Jos Bastiaens, European technology and innovation manager for Celanese. "Celanese can provide different solutions for customized product protection through anti-counterfeiting features in plastics."

Available anti-counterfeiting technologies include: Unambiguous part analysis based on unique engineered material additives; Ultraviolet-detectable technologies for enhanced quality control that are primarily used in the production of complex medical devices; Printing and laser marking technologies that allow Celanese engineered materials to be marked with a visible barcode, such as manufacturer, batch number and raw material/batch.

Other anti-counterfeiting technologies include X-ray detection, micro-tagging - invisible color coded small particles that can be identified via microscopy (10x magnification) - and optical verifiable pigments/ nanoparticles that are an invisible marker or "optical fingerprint."

"Celanese is committed to helping our customers protect and enhance their brand," said Kutta. "This portfolio

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TECHNOLOGY of anti-counterfeiting technologies can help them protect and grow their business.

Zero-Maintenance Fiber Reinforced Polymer Trail Bridge Composite Advantage, has manufactured the zero-maintenance Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) trail bridgespans a stream as part of a new trail construction project at the Germantown, Ohio park. The 20-footFiberSPAN™ trail bridge is installed at Ohio’s Five Rivers MetroParks.The Dayton area’s Five Rivers MetroParks covers nearly 16,000 acres. Germantown MetroPark is considered one of the most diverse and significant natural areas managed

by MetroParks.

“We were very impressed with the ease of installation of this product,” saysChris Pion, park project manager for Five Rivers MetroParks. “The bridge was light enough to make installation easy in a remote location without the use of heavy equipment.

It also was installed in just one hour in single-digit temperatures.”

“The anti-slip wearing surface provides excellent slip resistance,” Pion adds. “We expect this surface to perform well in our all-weather trail application.”The fiberglass bridge was delivered to the site with curbs and steel railings attached; and meets the industry standard of 90 pounds persquare-foot pedestrian live load. CA engineers its fiberglass trail bridge and bridge deck products for superior strength, lighter weight and corrosion resistance to water and chemicals.

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These performance properties give the manufacturer’s bridge products a lifespan of 50-plus years.

C o m p o s i t e Advantage is the leading manufacturer of very large Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite parts, up to 52 feet, for structurally demanding applications and corrosive environments. CA combines its unique knowledge, innovative design, field experience and efficient manufacturing processes to support its core products - zero

maintenance bridges and bridge decks.

CA’s other product lines include vehicle bridge decks to handle fully loaded 90,000-pound truck-trailers;temporary road mats for energy exploration; and waterfront infrastructure for US Navy bases.

Inhance Technologies Introduces Its Reactive Gas Technology for Automotive Plastics nhance Technologies, the leader in enhanced barrier and surface modification technology, is pleased to introduce its Reactive Gas Technology to the Automotive Industry through the establishment of its Automotive Business Unit.

resistance, or to impart fuel and solvent barrier properties on the treated part. The opportunities for inter-material substitution and the creation of higher performing materials using the Reactive Gas Technology are endless.

I n h a n c e Te c h n o l o g i e s ’ proprietary Reactive Gas Technology permanently modifies surface properties of a wide variety of materials.

The surface modification can be very rapid, often only a few seconds, which enables processing to be done continuously in-line - leading to reduced cycle times.

The process results in tenacious adhesion, maximizing the bonding of water-based coatings and adhesives for interior and exterior applications, and eliminates the need for adhesion promoters. The technology can also be tailored to increase lubricity, abrasion resistance, chemical

The technology offers a more sustainable alternative to chemical adhesion promoters and solvent based systems and is an excellent economical alternative to current processes such as flame, plasma, or corona treatments.

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IN THE NEWS

West Bengal Govt to offer the post of Haldia Petrochem chairman Purnendu Chhatterjee n a move that may resolve the long dispute over Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL), the West Bengal government, plans to offer the post of chairman to The Chatterjee Group (TCG) chief Purnendu Chatterjee. Bankers of HPL too have endorsed the idea and are pitching hard for the chairmanship of Chatterjee, as reported by the Business Standard.

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According to a senior banker, who is part of the lenders’ consortium on HPL, the state government has been informing the lenders about meetings with TCG and the government over the past couple of months. During a crucial meeting on Wednesday in Mumbai, the government has proposed the idea of giving the post of chairman

to Chatterjee. “We are backing this idea strongly as this would lead to a concrete solution for the company, which is in dire need of funds.

However, we would take a call on further lending to HPL after they (promoters) take a final call on the matter,” the banker said, adding that this would be the top agenda on the next board meeting of HPL on March 10. SBI, IDBI and PNB are the lead bankers for HPL. But things would not be as smooth as they might appear to be. PSU major, IOC, which emerged as the sole valid bidder for the Bengal government’s 40% stake on the sale, might call off its bid if the TCG chief is given the mandate of chairman in HPL.

After submission of Expressions of Interest by the sector majors in reply to the government’s invite for the stake sale, IOC had emerged as the sole valid bidder for Bengal’s stake earlier this year and offered to buy the shares at Rs 25.10 each.

So far, the government has not been able to close the sale due to legal battles with key private promoter TCG. In the past, Chatterjee has said that he would infuse about Rs 500 crore if he was given the control over the management of the ailing petrochem firm. The company, at present, does not have a chairman after former state industries minister Partha Chatterjee resigned from the industry department portfolio.

Thailand’s trade fair TIPREX rebranded to T-PLAS hailand’s trade fair TIPREX initially launched in 2006, has been rebranded to T-PLAS to signify its relevance to the robust growth and developments in the plastics sector, enhance the regional focus and international outlook of the event, and to highlight a unified business platform for the plastics and rubber industries.

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The rebrand to T-PLAS, will see the trade fair co-locate with the wellestablished event PACK PRINT INTERNATIONAL 2015, emphasising the global market synergy of the plastics, rubber, packaging and printing sectors. The venue will be BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand, from P L A S T I C S N E W S

26 to 29 August 2015. Mr. Gernot Ringling, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf Asia said: “The T-PLAS brand underpins Messe Dusseldorf Asia’s expertise in delivering a highly relevant platform that features a full spectrum of solutions, including the latest machinery and equipment, semifinished products, technical parts and reinforced plastics, raw materials to services for the plastics and rubber sectors.

T-PLAS 2015 is also strategically positioned as Thailand is home to more than 4,000 plastics processing companies, making it Southeast Asia’s largest plastics processing industry.”

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Thailand also features a robust local presence of factories of global car and electronics manufacturers, and has the ambitious goal of being the regional leader in the production of bioplastics.

More significantly, Mr. Ringling added that T-PLAS substantiates an inevitable evolution of Messe Dusseldorf Asia’s plastics and rubber trade fairs to deliver a meeting place with a strong local flavour and global appeal. “This ensures we provide participating companies with strategic opportunities to springboard their foothold into the regional plastics and rubber markets.

M A R C H 2014

IN THE NEWS

Global agricultural films market forecast to grow to 2019 ith the increasing capacity additions of LLDPE and LDPE the market for the agricultural films is to grow in coming years down the line. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) dominate the overall agricultural films market. Due to capacity additions of PE in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, the prices of these films have relatively reduced.

Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) is expected to be the fastest growing film type growing at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2013 to 2019. LLDPE and LDPE together accounted for more than 78% of the total demand in 2012.

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LDPE film is expected to reach nearly US$2059 mln by 2019. Reclaimed films are widely used in developed countries due to environmental regulations regarding use of plastics.

The consumption of reclaimed film is expected to reach nearly 315 kilo tons by 2019. The other film types such as PVC, EVOH, etc. are expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% between 2013 and 2019. HDPE films find limited applications as they are known for their rigid characteristics. HDPE films accounted for more than 7% of the total market in 2012. Agricultural films are predominantly used in greenhouse and mulching applications. Greenhouse and mulching applications together accounted for more than 85% of the overall market in 2012.

Greenhouse application is expected to reach more than 2768 kilo tons by 2019. Mulching and silage application is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% and 5.4% respectively, from 2013 to 2019. The growing demand for vegetables and fruits such as

Heavy arbitrage supply pressures naphtha margin to fall to 4 session low he Asian naphtha margin came under pressure and fell to a four-session low of US$115.9/ ton earlier this month due to heavy arbitrage supply and perhaps the prospect of declining demand in coming months is to stay. According to Reuters, Asia will receive about 1.5 mln tons of naphtha from Europe and the Mediterranean in March.

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These levels are similar to February's levels, multiple cracker maintenance in the region is to

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displace some demand. A total of some 900,000 tons of naphtha cracker capacity will be lost between February and April because of the service shutdowns. Despite the softer sentiment, Bahrain Petroleum Corp.

(Bapco) came forward with what is possibly its first spot cargo this year.

It sold 50,000 tons of naphtha for H2-April lifting from Sitra to Chevron at premiums of nearly US$29/ton to Middle East quotes on a free-onboard (FOB) basis.

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tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, etc. is expected to drive the market for greenhouse films especially in Asia Pacific. It is expected to be fastest growing application during the forecast period, expected to reach US$4145 mln by 2019. In terms of revenue, silage films are expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 7.9% between 2013 and 2019.

The consumption of agricultural film in North America was nearly 196 kilo tons in 2012. The European market is highly saturated due to decreasing arable land and shift towards organic farming, with demand expected to reach 826 kilo tons by 2019. China is expected to be fastest growing market growing at an estimated CAGR of 6% from 2013 to 2019.

ExxonMobil reports shutdown at Texas PE facility S chemical producer ExxonMobil reported a shutdown at its Beaumont Polyethylene Plant in Texas, a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has shown, The shutdown hapenned earlier this month when evidence of a leak was discovered, the filing said. About 584 lb of ethylene was released.The Beaumont Polyethylene Plant produces 1.25 billion lb/year of HDPE 1.55 billion lb/year of LDPE and 518 million lb/ year of low density polyethylene.

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M A R C H 2014

IN THE NEWS

Increasing use of plastics proving a boon to auto industry growth he automotive industry continues to have a large impact on the economy of the country and is a visible industry for plastics.

The importance of the automotive industry is evident as it is one of the largest industries in the world employing around ten million people.

is plastics. Plastics help produce lightweight, resilient and recyclable car components and parts. Plastics have enabled auto manufacturers to produce lightweight vehicles at an economical cost, enhancing safety, strength, reliability and comfort, in addition to fuel economy.

India is today, the 7th largest producer of automobiles in the world and with more and more overseas auto majors preferring to set up manufacturing in the country, India has emerged as hub for autos and ancillaries. Plastics have played a pivotal role in this growth and as a material, it is today the industry’s delight.

The fuel economy resulting from replacement of metals with plastics has been a key consideration for the switchover to plastic auto components.

While presenting the significance of growing use of plastics in automotive industry, Mr. Ajay Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Precision Pipes and Profiles Co. Ltd, said that, " Plastics is no more an option.

It is, infact, the material of choice for the vibrant automotive sector.

While plastics is 3 times lighter than

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The trend, world over, is to go for smaller, lighter, safer, greener and more fuel efficient cars. The viable solution

aluminium and 7 times lighter than sheet metal, it meets regulatory requirements, functional requirements, environmental requirements, all in one go! Bumper, dashboard, fenders and body trims are already well established with plastics.

Intake manifolds, cylinder cover heads, air ducts, oil panes and reinforced tires are areas where plastic is also replacing the traditional sheet metal and aluminium parts.

Replacement of metal with plastics to make fuel tank and battery boxes reduces the weight of the components by 40% and 70%, respectively making the vehicle more fuel-efficient. The fuel economy resulting from replacement of metals with plastics has therefore, been a key consideration for the switchover to plastic auto components.

BayerMaterialScience inaugurates Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties laboratory in Dubai ayer MaterialScience, a world leading manufacturer of high-tech polymer materials, has now inaugurated its new Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties laboratory at DuBiotech premises in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This application and development lab will offer local customized technical support to the industry across the Middle East and Africa. DuBiotech is the major life science cluster in the Middle East. The

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lab will work in close cooperation with Bayer's global competence network having its established laboratories and technical centers in India, China, Japan, Russia, Brazil, USA, Spain and Germany. Dubiotech, offering international standard services and facilities, hosts the state-of-the-art laboratory that is equipped with advanced testing and application equipment, meeting global standards and guidelines.

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"In keeping with our mission statement, ´Bayer: Science For A Better Life´, our company develops innovative and sustainable solutions as answers to global challenges," said Bayer Middle East Managing Director Harald Liedtke. "One example is combating climate change and CO2 emissions which results in rising demand for high-tech raw materials for eco-friendly construction.

M A R C H 2014

EVENTS

Events and Exhibitions manufacturers and distributors of technology and solutions for the plastics industry, mainly in Machinery and Equipment, Controls & Components, Equipment, Instrumentation and Process Control, Raw Materials, Molds& Tools, Recycling, Services among others, like manufacturers or manufacturing of plastic articles.

3P Plas Print Pack Pakistan Exhibition Date: March 18 - March 20, 2014 Venue: Karachi Expo Centre The 10th International Plastic, Printing and Packaging Industry Exhibition and Conference is committed to establish new as well as strong business alliances between Pakistan and the rest of the world through an interactive showcase of cutting edge tools and equipment, synergy of allied services for more networking opportunities and, most importantly, quality attendance of trade visitors from international and regional countries.

Plastic Expo Italy International Date: March 27 - March 29 2014 Venue: Parma Exhibition Centre,Parma, Italy PLASTIXEXPO is the one of the most attractive trade show for the manufacturing and processing industry of plastic, for both the industries that manufactures finished products and who are involve in industrial processing outsourcing. Throughout the exhibition, the most significant companies presenting equipments and machinery for manufacturing plastics, untreated materials and additives, will make accessible their knowledge and capability to assist you optimize production of plastic products.

The 3P Conference is designed specifically for plastic, printing and packaging professionals bringing together leading experts from top companies and industry associations.

EPLA 2014 International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber Date: March 26 - 28-March 2014

Plast Show

Venue: Poznań International Fair, Głogowska Poznań, Poland

Date: April 1- April 4, 2014 Venue: Expo Center Norte, Sao Paulo, Brazil

EPLA is an event which reflects the original idea behind fairs: it is a place to present novelties and conclude contracts. The keys to success of this fair are its clear form and substantive atmosphere, which facilitate valuable meetings between representatives of plastics industry.

Plast Show is one of the biggest trade fair for Plastic Processing Industry, for 3 days it will be held at Expo Center Norte, Sao Paulo, Brazil. It will showcase manufacturers of plastic products, synthetic resins, packing industry & diverse chemical raw material, tools, instrumentation, control y automation, services & technical projects and many more.

The exhibition at the EPLA Plastics and Rubber Trade Fair is divided into:Raw materials showroom, Rubbers showroom, Thermoforming showroom, Injection showroom, Composites showroom, Machines showroom

Plastivision Arabia 2014 Date: 7April to 10 April 2014

EXPO plastics

Venue: Expo Centre Sharjah. UAE

Date: March 25- March 28, 2014.

Plastivision Arabia 2014 will be held in association with The All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA). With more than 2,500 direct members and 12,000 members through 27 affiliated associations across India, AIPMA represents various segments of the industry such as polymer manufacturers, machinery manufacturers, processors, mould & die makers, traders, exporters, manufacturers, consultants, institutions and many more.

Venue: Expo Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Expo Plasticos 2014, is celebrating its 10th edition in the beautiful city of Guadalajara Jalisco as the best international exhibition on plastics solutions for all industries. Expo Plásticos is a international exhibition for suppliers and the plastics industry in Mexico. The show puts together the main P L A S T I C S N E W S

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YUDO Hot Runner .. ...................................................................................................................................... cover Madhu Machines & Systems ...............................................................................................................inside cover Anupam Heaters...................................................................................................................................................3 Polymechplast ......................................................................................................................................................4 Plastlink Technologies ..........................................................................................................................................6 Ferromatik Milacron . ............................................................................................................................................7 Neejtech India ......................................................................................................................................................8 GMS Plastic Machinery ........................................... ..........................................................................................10 PASL Windtech... ................................................................................................................................................12 Reifenhauser India Ltd.. .....................................................................................................................................13 R R Plast Extrusion ...........................................................................................................................................14 Steer Engineering Pvt. Ltd. ................................................................................................................................15 Reliance Polymers..............................................................................................................................................16 Esquire Multiplast Pvt. Ltd. .................................................................................................................................39 Iplex 2014... ........................................................................................................................................................47 Plastindia 2014... ................................................................................................................................................48 Shanghai Forward Machinery... ..........................................................................................................................49 E-Multi... .............................................................................................................................................................50 Leister Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.. ...................................................................................................................51 KABRA Extrusion Technik Ltd.. ..........................................................................................................................52 Plastivision Arabia 2014 .....................................................................................................................................53 Plastic Park.........................................................................................................................................................54 TAGMA ..............................................................................................................................................................55 Hi More Robot Co. Ltd. ......................................................................................................................................56 Forwell Presision Machinery Co. Ltd. .. ..............................................................................................................57 Sewa Shakti Products .. .....................................................................................................................................57 Zambello Riduttori Group ...........................................................................................................Inside back cover Rajoo Engineers ................................................................................................................................... Back cover

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