Chemical World - July 2012

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INDUSTRY WATCH - Chemical World

July 2012

EDITORIAL

Towards green and clean pastures

O

ne of the fastest growing domestic industries, the petrochemical sector in India has played a key role in the country’s transformation over the recent years to one of the emerging economies in the world. Primarily consisting of a few large players, its critical connect with user-industries such as packaging, automotive, textiles, pharmaceuticals, construction, agriculture etc has ensured its growing significance in the economic value chain spanning both industrial and consumer utilities.

The mega trends that have significantly shaped the plastics industry over the recent months indicate that the demand patterns have been distinctly region-specific across the globe, while tremendous progress has been made in the development of new materials as well as products, thereby driving the formulations. Apart from high volatility in raw material prices and availability of some products, greenfield capacity additions for both resins & finished plastic products have been the other recent industry trends amid significant shifts in technology for resin transformation.

According to a recent report, India’s petrochemical productioon is likely to see a substantial surge in capacity expansion by 2014-15, driven byy increasing local and overseas demand. To elaborate, polypropylene (PP) prroduction capacity is projected to rise by 180 per cent from 2008 production figures, uction to touch 5.77 million tonne per annum (tpa), while ethylene produ is forecast to grow by 153 per cent to 7.21 million tpa. During the same period, polyethylene (PE) capacity is likely to surge by 156 per centt to 5.52 million tpa. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS), not to be left behind in this race, are forecast to reach production figurees of 1.78 million tpa and 9,20,000 tpa, respectively.

In this context, the Petroleum, Chemicals & Petrochemicall Investment Region (PCPIR) policy of the Government of India,, rolled out with a great deal of expectations a few years ago, has not been able to take off as desired. The need of the hour is further indigenisation in its approach and implementation across the country.

Editorial Advisory Board Pothen Paul Former Chairman, Aker Powergas Pvt Ltd

So, what is the way forward? As the Asia-Pacific region, particularly India and China, clearly emerge to boost the petrochemical industry in the mid- to long-term horizon, the next phase of growth will give shape to a wider range of new-age plastics, novel end-use applications and, last but not h the least, further emphasise on clean processes in line with green legislations.

D P Misra Director, TCE Consulting Engineers Ltd and Former Director General, ICC

P D Samudra Executive Director (Sales) & Member of the Board, Uhde India Pvt Ltd

Manas R Bastia manas@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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Insight & Outlook: Petrochemicals Indian petrochemical industry .......................................... 42 Emerging petrochemicals market....................................... t 44 Acrylonitrile markett ........................................................... 48

28 Cover visual: Mahendra Varpe & Sachin Pandit

Special Focus: Supply Chain Management for Chemicals IT in chemical logistics ...................................................... 28 Stringent transportation regulations .................................. 30 Interface - Amol Mirajgaonkar, Head - Chemical Vertical, Damco India Pvt Ltd............. 34 Interface - Marcus Smith, Vice President - International Sales, ShockWatch Inc.......... c 36

In Conversation With

Food packaging industryy .................................................... 50 Polystyrene ......................................................................... 52 Roundtable .......................................................................... 53 Singapore’s chemical hub .................................................... 54 Human element in accidents .............................................. 56 Mist cooling system ............................................................ 58

Automation Trends Case study - Heubach Colour: Embracing ‘all-in-one’ solution to reduce customer response time ....................... 60

Energy Management Asit Gangopadhyay, Managing Director, Praxair India Pvt Ltd.................................. 24

Renewable resources: The eco-friendly alternative to energy security................................................................ y 62

Policies & Regulations Free trade agreement: A boon or bane for domestic petrochemical industry? ...................................................... 63

Facility Visit: Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd

Strategy

Gaining competitive edge through technology acumen .... 38

Case Study - Jotun India: Designing a lean approach to manufacturing................................................. g 65

Tips & Tricks

Regular Sections Editoriall ........................................................................ 5 News, Views & Analysis .............................................. 10 Technology & Innovation............................................ 18 Technology Transferr .................................................... 22 Projects ........................................................................ 67 Tenders ........................................................................ 68 Event Listt .................................................................... 70 Book Review................................................................ w 72 Products ...................................................................... 74 List of Products .......................................................... 83 List of Advertisers ...................................................... 84

Wellhead maintenance: Practical tips to ensure optimised production .......................................................... 66

Highlights of Next Edition Special Focus: Safety, Health & Environmentt Insight & Outlook: Bulk/Base Chemicals

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Business Insights Technologies Opportunities

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July 2012 | Chemical World

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NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

SUSTAINABILIT Y REPORT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

BASF India organises panel discussion on sustainability

Solvay inaugurates research centre in India Solvay has inaugurated its new Research, Development and Technology Centre at Savli, India.

The centre will focus mainly on the development of high-performance polymers, organic chemistry, nanocomposites and green chemistry.

Housed in a new and highperformance sustainable building, it will employ over 200 researchers when fully operational. The centre will tap the country’s huge innovation talent potential and carry out open innovation in collaboration with premier institutes in India.

Prakash Raman, Managing Director, Solvay Specialities India Pvt Ltd, said, “This will enhance the scientific and technical knowledge of students, as they will learn about the new technologies employed by Solvay at its plant and new centre.”

The centre has also established three fellowships for research in sustainable chemistry, nanotechnology and polymer science at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara.

The collaboration between university, research institutes and business organisations is essential to foster breakthrough innovation, speeding up the design process and the launch of new products in the market.

Avani Jain

BASF India unveils sustainability report 2011

To discuss key issues, challenges and benefits of Sustainability & Corporate Reporting and share best practices in reporting, BASF India conducted a panel discussion in association with The Energy and Resources Institute’s Business Council for Sustainable Development (TERI BCSD). The event was held on June 29, 2012, to coincide with the Bengaluru stop

of the Indo German Urban Mela, under the German Year in India celebrations. Prasad Chandran, Chairman, BASF Companies in India & Head – Asia, commented, “In the private sector, new investments are increasingly dependent on conformance to environmental, social and governance factors. In this context, sustainability reporting responds to the pressing needs of improvement in corporate transparency and helps restore trust in the private sector.”

At the forum, BASF also published its 2011 Sustainability report, based on its performance across three dimensions of sustainability – economic, environmental and societal.

MARKET FORECAST

Cefic urges EU leaders to create strong Europe In an open letter to European Heads of State and Government, members of the board of Cefic, the European chemical industry association, have urged Europe’s political leaders to create a stronger and more integrated Europe. This is the first time members of the European chemical sector expressed their views in this way. The chemical sector is a fundamental part of European manufacturing industry, which is essential for sustainable growth. A stronger Europe, where stability and predictability prevail, is an essential prerequisite for a competitive European economy, said a Cefic press release.

Earlier, Cefic had announced that the EU debt crisis will weigh down European chemical sector production in 2012 more than initially forecast. The European chemical trade group’s mid-year summary forecast of chemical sector economists predicts a standstill in EU chemicals output in 2012, after a relatively weak 1.3 per cent increase in 2011. Hubert Mandery, Director General, Cefic, said, “Domestic demand for chemicals will decline slightly as compared to 2011 as austerity measures in EU member states dampen business orders, and inventory build-up remains flat due to continued weak EU business sentiment. The EU economy should stabilise during the second half, partially compensated by overseas demand and a weaker Euro boosting eurozone competitiveness. A weaker Euro should also help increase EU chemical exports.”

FOOD INGREDIENTS

IFF inaugurates facility in Gurgaon International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) Inc opened a new facility in Gurgaon.

It will service to the companies that provide prepared foods, sweets, beverages and dairy products to the Indian market.

“Our increased presence in India furthers our ongoing strategy to expand our geographic reach and create infrastructure to serve emerging markets, especially those enjoying the most dynamic growth rates and demographics,” said Doug Tough,

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Chairman and CEO, IFF. This investment follows announcements of the opening of a new creative centre in Shanghai, a major upgrade to the creative centre in Mumbai, and two new manufacturing plants in Asia – a flavours production facility in Guangzhou and a liquid flavours and fragrances compounding site in Singapore.

“This is an exciting time for our industry in India. Like a lot of working families and busy individuals around the world, India’s

consumers are not only looking for great, authentic taste and convenience, they are also looking for healthier options in the foods they eat. We have extensive in-house talent creating the best tastes for the Indian market as well as excellent R&D capabilities and technologies that have already helped customers in other regions reduce sodium, sugar, and fat in their products,” said Hernan Vaisman, Group President - Flavors, IFF.

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AU TOMATION CONTRACT

Honeywell bags mega project in Nairobi Honeywell has won a $ 2.4 million project to deliver a full automation solution for Petrocity’s Greenfield Konza terminal storage facility 60 km southeast of Nairobi, Kenya. The project is important as the new terminal facility will cater to Nairobi’s growing demand for fuel, which accounts for more than 50 per cent of the country’s oil consumption. The project includes comprehensive solutions for the pipeline receipt system, tank farm, truck loading system, and terminal automation, through Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) and Terminal Manager. It also includes all industrial security, emergency shutdown (ESD) and fire & gas (F&G) systems. Equipped with high-accuracy measurement instruments and approved for custody transfer applications, the Petrocity project will also increase availability of petroleum products to new entrants and independent dealers in Kenya who have limited access to truck loading facilities in the area.

Nagarjuna Agrichem’s R&D to focus on new eco-friendly processing methods

K S Raju unveiling the plaque during the inauguration of the R&D centre

WHITE PAPER

The new R&D centre of Nagarjuna Agrichem Ltd (NACL) will focus on new formulations of pesticides and developing cost-effective, eco-friendly and safe method for manufacturing offpatent insecticide, herbicide, fungicide and their intermediates. The R&D centre, which is located at Shadnagar (Hyderabad), was recently inagurated by K S Raju, Chairman, Nagarjuna Group.

“A number of products are going out of patent in the next few years. The new R&D centre will carry out research to make these molecules. In addition, there are enquiries from multinational companies for contract manufacturing of technicals and intermediates. The centre will develop synthetic methods for these molecules. The new formulation

Malvern launches a study for on-line particle size analysis

GREEN MANUFACTURING

A new white paper from Malvern Instruments examines the different strategies open to anyone adopting on-line particle size analysis, providing guidance on its design and implementation, and highlighting the economic and practical benefits of selecting an approach best suited to the project in hand. The proven ability of on-line particle size analysis to transform process control and deliver substantial economic benefit has resulted in its widespread application across industries.

Typically, the installation of on-line particle size analysis involves a number of steps, including: hardware selection, process interface design, automation and integration within an existing control platform, validation, and commissioning and control optimisation.

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development laboratory will carry out work for introduction of new environment-friendly, safe and easy to apply formulations including combination molecules,” said Dr B Saha, Chief R&D Officer, NACL. A portion of the R&D centre will be carved out as an OECD accredited Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) Lab. Dr Saha explained, “For acceptance of pesticide products in the international market, data on physico-chemical, toxicological and other properties are to be generated in a GLP certified analytical lab. Currently, we are getting most of the data from foreign laboratories. Many reputed international laboratories are booked well in advance and there is significant waiting period. When we have our own OECD accredited GLP lab, the same data can be generated fast. This will enable us to generate data for many products cost-effectively within a shorter period of time.”

The company is presently in the process of identifying active ingredients (AI) and intermediates for which research can be undertaken at the centre.

Rakesh Rao

Bio-based products are in demand in personal care industry There has been a significant change in the personal care industry the world over. The demand for bio-based products is on the rise in the personal care industry. According to Dr Dileep Wakankar, Head, Product Stewardship-India, Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd, owing to the growing anxiety of the customers regarding the green cosmetics, many cosmetic giants have now ventured into the natural, eco-friendly and biodegradable cosmetic segment. Such products are not only safe for the environment but also prove to Dileep Wakankar be equally safe for the human skin. He further added, “Ecological and effective natural ingredients would definitely stand up to the expectations of the consumer.” Since personal care is a potential segment in India, the specialty chemicals manufacturers are trying to address the need of the consumers. “Our Velsan R Softt is a modified biopolymer on vegetal base, which is ideally suited as skin-feel ingredient to replace silicones or to reduce silicones, hair & skin conditioner and foam booster for surfactant systems. It is of vegetal origin and exhibits low ecotox. The concept for the product Velsan Softt has been recently introduced in the Indian market, with a positive response from the customers,” said Dr Wakankar.

Prasenjit Chakraborty

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

NEW CONTRACT TITANIUM DIOXIDE MARKET

Aker Solutions wins engineering contract from SRF Ltd

Sachtleben’s crenox acquisition to boost production The acquisition of Krefeld (Germany)based crenox GmbH is expected to help Sachtleben GmbH, the titanium dioxide (TiO2) joint venture of Kemira Oyj and Rockwood Holdings Inc, meet the growing demands of Sachtleben customers. Sachtleben GmbH recently reached an agreement to acquire the TiO2 production assets and inventory of crenox GmbH from the insolvency administrator. “For most of 2010 and 2011, Sachtleben’s TiO2 business was completely sold out, with sales limited by capacity/output. In order to grow in the future, meeting the needs of our customers and taking advantage of the growing global demand for high quality TiO2, we needed to either build or acquire more capacity. The acquisition of crenox’ plant was the quickest and most economical way for us to add capacity,” said Matti Lapinleimu, Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, Kemira Oyj. The acquisition is expected to add over 1,00,000 metric tonne of TiO2 production, increasing total capacity to approximately 3,40,000 metric tonne, further enhancing Sachtleben’s position as a leading global supplier of high quality TiO2 pigments, which are mostly used in the synthetic fibre, packaging inks, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries.

Speaking about the demand for TiO2, Lapinleimu said, “Demand in 2011 was strong with most major producers of high quality pigments operating their plants at full capacity throughout the year. Demand in Q1 2012 was below prior year levels when customers were rebuilding inventories. Slower growth in China and the weaker economy in Europe, in particular Southern Europe, have also reduced demand in the first quarter.”

Rakesh Rao

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L-R: Rajdeep Anand, President-Projects and R&D, SRF Ltd, and Sanjay Joshi

Aker Solutions has been awarded a contract by SRF Ltd to provide detailed engineering, procurement support and construction supervision services for the company’s new HFC 134a project.

Currently, SRF is the only producer of

this ozone-friendly refrigerant in India.

“We are proud of our first association with SRF Ltd, a globally recognised billiondollar company. SRF is the market leader in most of its businesses in India and also enjoys a significant global presence in some of its businesses,” said Sanjay Joshi, Head, Aker Solutions’ Engineering Operations in India.

SRF’s new plant located in Dahej, Gujarat, will produce specialty chemicals and have a capacity of 12,500 MTA. The existing HFC 134a plant of SRF located at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan has a capacity of 5,000 MTA. Aker Solutions has provided similar services to several clients across different industries locally and globally.

WATER TECHNOLOGIES

Nalco appoints new India head Nalco Water India Ltd has announced the appointment of Mahesh Rao as Managing Director. Alok Kumar Bhadra, the former Managing Director, will join Ecolab’s AsiaPacific Marketing Team as Heavy Industry Marketing Lead. A chemical engineer by profession, Rao has been with Nalco for 26 years. Prior to his appointment as Managing Director, Rao led marketing for Nalco’s Water Business in India and Chemical Business unit for the Asia-Pacific region.

As a product line manager, among other accomplishments, Mahesh Rao he spearheaded the successful introduction of Nalco 3D TRASAR R technology into Asia. Speaking on his new responsibility, Rao said, “It has been an enriching experience being a part of the Nalco India story through the initial build-up phase, and I look forward to the challenges of my new role. India is a strategic long-term growth market for Nalco.”

EPC BUSINESS

ThyssenKrupp acquires Energy & Power Global Ltd With the acquisition of the UK-based Energy & Power Global Ltd, ThyssenKrupp’s chemical engineering capabilities have further strengthened in global oil, gas and energy business.

The acquisition is part of the strategic development programme adopted by ThyssenKrupp AG in May 2011 and is a further step in the systematic expansion of the Group’s technology business. “The acquisition of Energy & Power further expands our portfolio in the acquisition and delivery of engineering projects for the industry

and enables us to provide our customers with even greater advantages in the marketplace,” said Dr Niclas Müller, CEO, Plant Technology Business Area, ThyssenKrupp AG. Energy & Power provides engineering services to support project development, from screening and sanction to delivery, and will be an important addition to ThyssenKrupp’s global network of companies serving the chemical process industries. The Plant Technology business area is focussed on specialised and large-scale plant construction.

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

GREEN CHEMISTRY EPC INDUSTRY

Newreka organises seminar in Lote-Parshuram region

Vinayak Pai moves to KBR Technology After a successful stint at Aker Solutions for 25 years, Vinayak Pai is now India Head and Director – Vinayak Pai Operations for KBR Technology. He succeeds Jaspal Singh, who retired after leading the India operations of KBR Technology during the past three years. John Derbyshire, President, KBR Technology, said, “I am pleased to announce the appointment of Vinayak Pai. With 25 years experience in the oil and gas industry in India, he brings exceptional leadership experience in executing and growing business in a competitive environment.”

KBR has been operating in India since 1974, delivering key grassroots and revamp projects in ammonia, refining, petrochemicals and coal gasification. The KBR Technology operations centre was inaugurated in October 2009 in Gurgaon. This centre works with other operations centre located in Houston, London and Beijing to deliver the engineering design packages, proprietary equipment and services to the global process industry.

Steve Pringle, Sr Vice President, KBR Technology, said, “With his vast operations experience, Vinayak Pai would be able to lead the India technology team to deliver projects independently and contribute to KBR’s growth in this region.”

Seminar on green chemistry in progress

Newreka Green Synth Technologies Pvt Ltd, in partnership with the Lote Parshuram Industries Association (LPIA) and with support & partnership from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Excel Industries Pvt Ltd, recently organised one-day seminar on green chemistry for the companies of Lote-Parshuram region. The objective of the seminar was to create collective awareness on the urgency and importance of implementing green chemistry and engineering-based technologies.

The seminar also intended to connect the participants to the solution providers of few emerging technologies, which has the potential to address some of the pressing environmental challenges

existing in their manufacturing units. The seminar was attended by 40 representatives of 15 member companies, which mainly included large-scale units such as AB Mauri, Deepak Novachem, Dow Agro Sciences India, Excel Industries, Gharda Chemicals, Kores India Ltd, Rallis India Ltd, SI Group, Supriya Chemicals Ltd, Swastik Industries Ltd, USV Ltd, etc.

Apart from these organisations, there were representatives from MPCB, Chiplun; LPIA Secretary and Praj Industries Ltd. During the seminar, six speakers, who actively participated in technical interactions, cleared participants’ queries.

Lote-Parshuram industrial area is established on both sides of MumbaiGoa National Highway 17. This area is 12 km from Chiplun taluka (towards Mumbai) and 17 km from Khed taluka (towards Goa) and 115 km from Ratnagiri district. The Lote MIDC consists of 119 industry units, of which 80 per cent of the companies are chemical manufacturing companies.

APPOINTMENT

Jeremy Hunter to head Henkel’s India operations The Germany-headquartered FMCG global major Henkel AG & Co KGaA has appointed Jeremy Hunter as President of the Henkel Group in India. With a total experience of 20 years in the industry, Hunter relocated to India and took charge of this position after the company decided to divest their Indian FMCG division and focus on the adhesives & cosmetics businesses.

Hunter joined Henkel in 2002 when it acquired Sellotape, New Zealand, where he was the General Manager. Prior to his current position in India, he was the Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand for Henkel adhesives business. During his tenure, he led the business through major restructuring, with focus on profitability and sustainability during the challenges of the global financial crisis.

Hunter said “Within India, we are in the midst of consolidating our core efficiencies and businesses to make a constructive difference to the market. Henkel’s long association with India since 1987 has helped us to create a foothold for ourselves among the general masses. The business plan for Henkel in India is to focus on closer co-operation with our customers, enhance our service capability and achieve our full business potential.”

NEW FACILIT Y

JBF Petrochemicals to set up PTA unit JBF Petrochemicals Ltd, the whollyowned subsidiary of JBF Industries Ltd, has entered into an agreement with BP for licensing BP’s latest generation Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) technology. JBF

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said it intends to build a 1.25 million tonne per annum (tpa) unit at Mangalore SEZ to produce PTA, the primary feedstock for polyesters used in textiles and packaging.

The company expected the Mangalore

plant to go on stream by the end of 2014.

B C Acharya, Chairman, JBF Industries Ltd, said the investment would meet the company’s requirements for captive PTA at the lowest possible cost.

NEWS, VIEWS & ANALYSIS

TECHNOLOGY SHOW

ACHEMA registers stable growth

Numbers of exhibitors and visitors remained stable for the ACHEMA 2012, which was held from June 18-22, 2012, at Messe Frankfurt. For five days, 1,67,000 participants explored the wide range of offerings by the 3,773 exhibitors, which they presented on

136,400 m² of exhibition area. From laboratory equipment to components, and plant-building to packaging lines, one could see products for chemistry, process technology and bio-technology requirements. For the first time, the exhibition group ‘Pumps, Compressors, Valves and Fittings’ on its own comprised more than 1,000 exhibitors.

“We are especially happy that the new layout of the halls was so well-received,” said Dr Thomas Scheuring, CEO, DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH, at the end of the event. Dr Scheuring added, “This

shows that precisely in our strongly globalised industries, ACHEMA is and will continue to be the leading event. Globalisation does not just mean Europeans and Americans going to Asia – increasingly, Asian exhibitors and visitors are coming to Europe.” This was also evident in the exhibitor statistics: more than 200 Chinese and more than 150 Indian companies presented their ranges. But numerous European and US companies once again also used the opportunity to present their innovations at the exhibition, which takes place every three years.

LUBRICATION CHEMISTRY

ALTERNATIVE FUEL

ExxonMobil launches online lubricant selector

Honeywell Green Jet Fuel powers commercial flights

ExxonMobil Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties introduced Looble, a user-friendly, online industrial lubricant selector designed to help maintenance professionals make informed lubricant decisions for optimising equipment performance and minimising unplanned downtime. It allows access to lubricant recommendations and application guidance based on their specific applications and operating conditions for a wide range of industries. Besides, Looblee simplifies the lubricant selection process by providing targeted Mobil-branded l product recommendations with performance ratings based upon users’ specific industries, applications and equipment. “With the introduction of Looble, maintenance and production professionals now have a readily accessible resource for lubricant and maintenance best practices that can help them optimise equipment performance and ultimately, enhance their companies’ bottom line and gain a global competitive advantage. Looblee is powered by our valuable application-specific expertise and unique insights that we have gained during more than a century of working with customers and the world’s leading industrial equipment manufacturers,” said Paul Grives, Global Industrial Marketing Advisor, ExxonMobil.

RECOGNITION

Aquatech wins Frost & Sullivan Award Aquatech, one of the global leaders in water & Sullivan. Aquatech has a strong track purification technology for industrial and record in leveraging our deep technology portfolio to offer competitive infrastructure markets, received Frost & Sullivan’s Award for solutions to the markets we Growth Excellence in the serve. Whether it is making zero liquid discharge more Middle East and North Africa affordable, or increasing the Desalination Plant Market in economic viability of oil and gas 2011. Since 2007, Aquatech has received five awards from Frost extraction through cost-effective & Sullivan for its technology produced water treatment, Sushil Bajaj, GM we are focussed on finding leadership in water treatment Middle East, Aquatech innovative ways to deliver the as well as several Global Water with the award Awards presented by Global optimal lifecycle cost to our clients,” said Devesh Sharma, Executive Water Intelligence. “We are honoured to Vice President, Aquatech. receive this prestigious award from Frost

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, recently announced that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, produced from its UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process, powered flights to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This conference brings together world leaders, governments and other participants to discuss worldwide sustainable development.

“Honeywell Green Jet Fuel has been proven repeatedly in military and commercial flights to be a practical solution for using alternative fuel sources, as well as meeting increasingly strict emissions standards,” said Jim Rekoske, Vice President and General Manager, Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Energy and Chemicals Business Unit.

Honeywell Green Jet Fuel can offer a 65-85 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to petroleum-based fuels. When used up to a 50 per cent blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel is a dropin replacement for petroleum-based jet fuel that requires no changes to the aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight.

July 2012 | Chemical World

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TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

WACKER eliminates boroncontaining additives from silicone lubricant pastes

New high pressure sensors enhance FTIR spectroscopy performance under varied pressures and temperatures

The Munich-based chemical company, WACKER, presents three novel silicone lubricant pastes for the fitting of cable accessories for the transmission and distribution (T&D) industry – WACKER SILICONE PASTE P 250 0 and P 3000 as well as the newly formulated lubricant POWERSIL PASTE AP. P The pastes are free of boron-containing additives and, therefore, environmentand user-friendly. In the past, small amounts of trimethyl borate were added

Mettler Toledo has launched its new FlowIR R High Pressure (HP) sensors for use with FlowIR R – a small, dedicated Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument that offers real-time flow chemistry monitoring nearly anywhere within a continuous reactor set-up. The addition of durable HP sensors expand the use of flow chemistry by allowing users to gain the enhanced control of critical process parameters provided by FlowIR R in high-pressure experiments.

The benefits include faster experiment optimisation, easier lab-to-plant scaling, reduced costs, and shorter time-to-market. Interchangeable FlowIR R HP sensors, available in both DiComp and SiComp models, allow chemists working with high pressure experiments to quickly and easily swap sensor types to meet the needs of the current application. The new models can be trusted under pressures up to 50bar (725psi) and temperatures up to 120°C. FlowIR R HP sensors cover the full spectral region with swappable diamond and silicon sensors. Their insensitivity to bubbles makes them ideal for continuous hydrogenations, and the inclusion of a temperature variable flow head maintains reaction integrity. No extra equipment or set-up is required to use the new sensors.

Users simply substitute the high-pressure version for the standard FlowIR R sensor, gaining the same performance, optical window, chemical compatibility, and flow characteristics they enjoy with the standard sensor.

in the production of silicone pastes. This improved the stability and shelf-life of the products. However, the additive can release boric acid, which has been listed as a hazardous substance by the EU since 2009 and classified as a substance of very high concern by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) since 2010. The required product stability is now ensured by pyrogenic silicas and other additives that are not subject to mandatory labelling.

By modifying the formulation in this way, WACKER claims to be the first company to offer a completely boric-acid-free range of silicone pastes.

The new colourless silicone pastes are used particularly for fitting cable accessories in the T&D industry. They have a medium-to-soft consistency and a certain degree of thixotropic properties. The term ‘thixotropic’ means that the pastes have a somewhat lower viscosity while under mechanical shearing, and are therefore more fluid than in a stationary state, which has advantages for their storage. All grades bond to metal and ceramics.

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Chemical World | July 2012

M G Bryan pioneers first-of-its-kind cloud computing asset performance management system The heavy equipment OEM, M G Bryan, in collaboration with Rockwell Automation and Microsoft, is piloting a system that uses Windows Azuree for remote management of high-tech oil & gas equipment. Designed and integrated with Rockwell Automation, M G Bryan’s new equipment’s control and information system leverages Microsoft Corp’s Windows Azuree cloud-computing platform to help provide secure remote access to real-time information, automated maintenance alerts, and service & parts delivery requests. With Rockwell Automation, M G Bryan designed a simple, user-friendly system using the cloud to improve productivity and business intelligence. “In the oil & gas industry, production has to follow the resources and never takes a break. Fracturing vehicles operate in extreme, isolated environments. They typically require new oil filters every 200 hours and complete engine rebuilds after 4,000 to 5,000 hours of service. Leveraging the cloud, we can cost-effectively keep tabs on our equipment and help customers maximise asset uptime, dramatically improving their return on investment,” said Matt Bryan, President, M G Bryan.

Rockwell Automation upgraded M G Bryan’s fracturing equipment with a tightly integrated control and information system that brings together disparate information sources, including historical, relational and transactional data. To fully leverage this rich data without requiring M G Bryan or its customers to build and manage their own datacentres, Rockwell Automation turned to cloud computing. “Our alliance with Microsoft explores industrial uses for the cloud to open the door for innovations. For M G Bryan, the cloud offers a highly scalable, cost-efficient method for storing and remotely accessing real-time information that will help extend equipment lifecycles and optimise productivity” said Sujeet Chand, CTO, Rockwell Automation.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Hach’s LDO probe increases reliability and accuracy Hach has come out with the new model of its Luminescent Dissolved Oxygen (LDO) probe, designed to measure dissolved oxygen (DO) in wastewater applications without the need to replace membranes or replenish electrolyte solution. Hach’s next generation LDO probe requires no calibration for the entire two-year life of the sensor cap, which means it is ready to start measuring DO right out of the box. LDO technology eliminates the reliability and maintenance concerns inherent in older DO membrane instruments, making it ideal for both daily operations at water and wastewater facilities as well as long-

term deployment in environmental water monitoring applications.

Compared to electrochemical sensors, the total cost of ownership is reduced due to lower maintenance costs and the long-lasting sensor design.

By utilising Hach’s luminescent technology for measuring DO, the probe has no membranes, which need to be replaced or electrolyte solution to replenish, making it virtually maintenance-free. To ensure that routine cleaning cycles are never missed, the probe offers operators customisable diagnostic alert indicators, thereby making sure that the probe can operate at its maximum performance level. An improved body design optimises the probe’s temperature sensor to provide an even faster response time to process variability as well. The LDO probe comes with a three-year warranty, and the sensor cap has two-year warranty.

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Chemical World | July 2012

Malvern’s Viscotek makes HT-GPC safer The online filtration capability offered by Viscotek high temperature gel permeation chromatography (HT-GPC) systems from Malvern Instruments has eliminated the need for dangerous and difficult manual filtration during high temperature polymer analysis. “GPC is an integral part of Jordi Labs analytical capabilities.

The Viscotek systems provide a richness of information not obtained with other instruments. The online filter for the high temperature GPC instruments works well. We previously performed this manually and it was both dangerous and difficult. Online high temperature filtration is a big improvement,” claimed Dr Mark Jordi, President, Jordi Labs LLC. He further added, “As experts in polymer characterisation, offering over 30 years of experience in the field, Jordi Labs use Viscotekk GPC systems for routine quality control, failure analysis and product deformulation. The ability to compare polymer molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity and molecular size in a single measurement is powerful for identifying subtle differences in a polymer system.”

Flowserve’s new pump offers increased reliability due to its heavy-duty casing Flowserve Corporation, a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, launched its expanded range of Durco Mark 3 ISO O chemical process pumps, which is fully compliant with ISO 2858 (dimensional) and ISO 5199 (design) criteria. The new pump offers increased reliability through its heavy-duty casing, large radial and thrust bearings and SealSentryy seal chamber.

A range of impeller options is available. The Durco signature reverse vane impeller can offer significant benefits, including ease of maintenance and repeatable pump performance throughout the life of the pump. Cost-effective maintenance can be achieved via its back pullout design. The product has state-of-the-art hydraulic and modelling software with knowledge gained from more than 30 years of experience with its ANSI/ASME B73.1 stablemate, the Durco Mark 3 ANSI pump. The Durco Mark 3 ISO pump is available in 45 sizes, plus many designs, configurations and material combinations.

TankLink introduces intrinsically safe wireless telemetry solutions for hazardous locations TankLink, a division of Telular, has launched the Intrinsically Safe (I-Safe) Prophet 70000 series wireless tank level gauges. The series includes the I-Safe 7420 0 for chemicals and the 7450 0 delta pressure system for gasoline. Both are approved for use in Class 1, Division 2, Group D hazardous locations. The company has developed the UL certified I-Safee series to meet the National Electrical Code (NEC) for Class I Hazardous Locations where flammable gases or vapours may be present in sufficient quantities to be explosive or ignitable, thereby allowing operators of such tanks to benefit from wireless telemetry. “We listened to the needs of the I-Safe marketplace and leveraged our years of experience in wireless tank monitoring to develop a series of products to meet their specific requirements,” said Pat Barron, General Manager, TankLink. He added, “Now with our Intrinsically Safe Prophet 7000 0 series, all tank data is accessible whenever and wherever our customers need it, regardless of the tank’s location, safely and cost-effectively.”

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

TECHNOLOGY OFFERED As part of our endeavour to spread the technology culture, this section provides a means to promote and facilitate exchange of select technologies.

We strive to bring together suppliers of such technologies with suitable users for negotiations and industrial collaboration.

Activated carbon

Phosphate esters

An Iranian firm is willing to offer activated carbon from coconut shells.

Areas of application Food processing, pharmaceuticals, etc Forms of transfer Technology licensing

An Indian firm is offering technology for manufacturing phosphate esters like tributyl phosphate.

Areas of application Specialty chemicals Forms of transfer Joint venture

Ethanol An Iranian company is offering ethanol from molasses using the fermentation of sacharomyces cerevisiae. Ethyl alcohol is widely used for making many organic chemicals.

Areas of application Chemical and energy industries Forms of transfer Technology licensing

Furfuryl alcohol technology

Sodium hydrosulfite An Iranian company is willing to manufacture sodium hydrosulfite using chemical compounds. It is widely used as a stripping agent in dyes and chemical industries.

Areas of application Chemical industry Forms of transfer Technology licensing

Sodium silicate recovery from rice husk ash

An Indian firm offers technology for producing furfuryl alcohol from furfural by liquid hydrogenation as well as vapour hydrogenation, with a capacity of 6,000 tpa to 24,000 tpa.

Areas of application Furan polymers, sealants & cements, urea-formaldehyde, and phenolic resins & foundry cores Forms of transfer Consultancy, technical services, technology licensing

An Indian firm is offering technology to recover sodium silicate from rice husk ash. The technology claims to offer better ROI than other processing methods.

Areas of application Chemical industry Forms of transfer Consultancy, technical services, turnkey, etc

Precipitated calcium carbonate

Sodium sulfide

An Indian consulting company for the chemicals, minerals & food processing industries is offering precipitated calcium carbonate and turnkey projects for the same.

Areas of application Plastics, paper, paints, rubber, inks Forms of transfer Consultancy, technical services

An Iranian firm is willing to offer sodium sulfide, which is used mainly in textile industry, paper mill, artificial silk and curriery.

Areas of application Leather industry, textiles, curriery industries, paper mills, etc Forms of transfer Turnkey

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Chemical World | July 2012

Synthesis routes for organic chemicals An Indian firm is offering consultancy in design of synthesis routes for organic chemicals.

Areas of application Pharma industry, specialty chemicals, plant protection chemicals, etc Forms of transfer Consultancy

Transformer oil unit An Indian company is willing to offer consultancy for making a transformer oil unit with domestic coal from its wastes.

Areas of application Transformers Forms of transfer Consultancy, technical services

Zinc phosphatiser/rust converter (Ferphos) An Indian firm offers technology to produce Ferphos – an unique chemical formulation that acts as a zinc phosphatiser cum rust converter.

Ferphos is an innovation and improvement over existing phosphating products/technologies practised around the world. Ferphos solution does not die, ie even after prolonged use, and does not require daily addition of chemicals and hence it results in zero effluence. Ferphos solution also acts as a rust converter when brushed on rusted iron products. It is an ideal substitute for sane/shot blasting.

Areas of application All iron and steel products including aluminium, SS, GI products Forms of transfer Technology licensing

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

TECHNOLOGY REQUESTED Activated carbon and sodium silicate A company from Thailand requires technology for manufacturing activated carbon and sodium silicate from rice husk & rice husk ash.

Areas of application Manufacturing and construction industry Forms of transfer Others

Glyoxal An Indian company is looking to switch the production technique for manufacturing 40 per cent glyoxal from its existing acetaldehyde-based method to the MEG-based glyoxal production.

Areas of application Pharma & textile Forms of transfer Others

Inorganic chemicals An Indian company is interested in seeking the technology and process know-how for production of potassium nitrate, chromium acetate, and magnesium hydroxide suspension. The company already produces inorganic chemicals and wants to add several other items.

Areas of application Chemical industry Forms of transfer Others

Lime An Indian company seeks to adopt new cost-effective technologies, which can reduce carbon emissions and earn carbon credits, for manufacturing lime.

Areas of application Quick lime and hydrated lime Forms of transfer Others

Quaternary ammonium chloride An Indonesia-based company is planning to diversify into manufacturing of quaternary ammonium chloride. It is seeking technology along with the supply of critical plant and machinery for the manufacture of the chemical 3-chloro-2hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride that is produced from epichhlorohydrin.

Areas of application Chemical industry Forms of transfer Technical know-how, consultancy

Silica gel An Indian firm is looking for new technology for manufacturing silica gel in which the wastewater discharge is minimum.

Areas of application For various industries and most importantly breweries Forms of transfer Others

Small-scale environment-friendly chemical technology An Indian company is looking out for an economically viable smallscale environment-friendly chemical technology useful in the textile sector as well as in pharmaceutical sector.

Area of application Textile and pharmaceutical industry Forms of transfer Others

Solvent dyes An Indian company has recently installed a manufacturing capacity of 2,400 mtpa and is looking to diversify its product range by including various solvent dyes in its product portfolio. The company is seeking process consultancy for this project.

Areas of application Plastics, petroleum, solvents, etc Forms of transfer Others

Treatment of pollutants discharged during PTA production A Chinese organisation is looking for a recycling and pollution-free treatment technology to tackle the wastewater, exhaust gas, waste slag and noises generated in PTA production, thereby shifting from reduction of pollutant discharge to zero-discharge.

Areas of application Chemical industry Forms of transfer Consultancy, technical services, etc

Information courtesy: Dr Krishnan S Raghavan, In-Charge, Technology Transfer Services Group, Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), APCTT Building, C-2, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110 016, Tel: 011-3097 3758 (Direct), 3097 3710 (Board), Fax: 011-2685 6274, E-mail: srinivasaraghavan@un.org, Web: www.apctt.org, For more information on technology offers and requests, please log on to www.technology4sme.net and register with your contact details. This is a free of cost platform provided by APCTT for facilitating interaction between buyers and seekers of technologies across the globe. After submitting technology offer or request to this website, you are requested to wait for at least two weeks for receiving a response from a prospective buyer / seeker through this website, before contacting APCTT for further assistance.

Share and Solicit Technology The mission of Chemical Worldd is to spread the technology culture. Here is an opportunity to be a part of this endeavour by sending your technology on offer or technology requirements. If you belong to any of these two categories, you are invited to furnish the techno-commercial details for publication. The write-up needs to be as per the format of this section with information about the particular technology offered or requested, its areas of application and forms of transfer. Contact us: Chemical Worldd, Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai 400 028 Tel: 022-3024 5000, 3003 4672, Fax: 022-3003 4499, Email: chemedit@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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IN C CONVERSATION ON O ONVE NV RS RSATION WITH Asit A itt Gangopadhyay As G Gan an ngo gopadhyay

We see a revolution in the hydrogen market in India …says Asit Gangopadhyay, Managing Director, Praxair India Pvt Ltd. In an interaction with Prasenjit Chakraborty, he highlights how government regulations are tightening fuel specifications and standards. Besides crude sources and compositions are also changing. All these have necessitated various industries to look for more efficient ways to use and manage hydrogen supplies.

T e in Th indu dust du stri rial al g gas as seg egme g me ment nt iiss slow sllowly lyy comi co ming mi ng go out ut o off ca capt ptiv ive ve co conc n ep nc ept. pt. W ha h t does do es iitt me mean an ffor or the iind ndus u trial gas manufacturers in India?

Courtesy: Praxair India

Our customers are focussingg mo more re on their core streeng ngth thss an and d th they ey see see val alue ue in outsourcing their gas requirements (their non-core activity) from an expert re industrial gas manufacturer. Praxair has responded to this opportunity by focussing on maximising the value we bring to our customers in a wide variety of industries such as steel, glass and petrochemicals, water treatment, healthcare, food, electronics, etc. Praxair has demonstrated that it can bring technology solutions to customers and reliably supply them with their products.

We have invested to optimise gas production and also have gained a wellearned reputation for running our plants safely, reliably and efficiently.

Our focus on providing technology solutions has coincided with an interesting trend in the Indian manufacturing industry. We see our customers more focussed on the technologies Praxair can offer to help them enhance productivity and

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Ju Jul ully 2012 u 2012 12 2 Chemic Che Chemical em mic ical al Wor Wo W World o orld rlld d | July

Asit Gangopadhyay

quality, reduce environmental impact and manufacturing costs. Application technology-based solutions provided

by Praxair address these challenges in a smarter way and help customers in sectors such as pharmaceutical, automotive, infrastructure, metals/ non-metals, chemicals, aeronautics, textile, food and beverage, healthcare & many more.

Praxair has signed g the first over-the-fence hydrogen y g supply pp y contract with a refinery (Indian Oil). What does it augur for the company?

In the US and other mature markets, the over-the-fence supply of hydrogen has been popular since the 80s owing to the benefits it offers to the refiners. It is nice to see market leaders like IOCL setting this trend in India. Leading companies like Praxair not only ensure a reliable and hassle-free hydrogen supply but also help refineries increase productivity and reduce their environmental impact. We see a revolution in the hydrogen market in India and are geared up to meet its demands in the hydrogen and carbon monoxide space.

What are the unique q features of the p plants at Paradip p refinery, y currentlyy under construction by Praxair?

We understand that dependable hydrogen supplies are critical to IOCL’s operations.

Hence, we are focussing on constructing the most reliable and efficient industrial gas plants on time using stringent industry safety standards. Through years of experience, our plants have been carefully designed, upgraded and de-bottlenecked to meet our customers’ needs. Further, our refinery applications development team is working on technologies that can help IOCL optimise hydrogen and energy requirements. This team of specialists applies its significant refining and energy industry experience to the integration of industrial gas supply systems into customer operations. The result is a highly robust system that puts supply where it is needed, more efficiently and costeffectively. At Praxair, safety comes first,

we are glad to have completed 3.5 million construction hours safely at Paradip. The nitrogen plant construction for IOCL is completed while the hydrogen plant is still under construction and we expect to commission them in near future.

What role industrial gas sector can play g p y to infuse ggrowth in the petroleum refinery sector?

Refineries face a number of challenges today. Government regulations are tightening fuel specifications and standards. Crude sources and compositions are changing. There is a strong demand for mid-distillate diesel products; environmental norms are more stringent than before. Clearly, there is a growing need for additional process flexibility. These demands have intensified the search for more efficient ways to use and manage hydrogen supplies.

With more than fifty years of experience in operating hydrogen supply systems around the world, Praxair delivers the expertise and innovation required to increase efficiency and reduce costs associated with refinery hydrogen use. Our dedicated refinery team has the technologies and the practical experience to help refiners optimise productivity and energy efficiency, increase Fluidised Catalytic Cracking (FCC) throughput and reduce their environmental footprint.

What are Praxair India’s growth plans?

Praxair India is now seeking to widen its geographic presence and increase customer density in key geographies. We have a strong presence in Southern and Eastern India, and we plan to enhance our abilities to serve our customers in these regions. To widen our pan-India footprint, we are exploring business opportunities in other regions as well.

At the moment, to serve the highly industrialised and fastest growing areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra, we are constructing a production facility close to Mumbai.

What motivates you y the most in your life?

My family and the smiling faces in the Praxair fraternity. I am always encouraged to attain more for them.

Which is your y most favourite book?

There are quite a few books, several classics included. A more recent book that I read and was fascinated with the determination and energy of the author was The courage to succeedd by Ruben Gonzalez. Ruben made me think and believe that ‘Most people could achieve much more if they would only learn and use some simple principles of success’.

What is the business etiquette q that you value the most?

Integrity and ethics. Vision and intelligence are complementary to the basic requirements of integrity – that of character, of actions and of beliefs.

What is your y message g to aspiring professionals?

Do not try to accomplish too many things at a time. Set your smart goal and remain focussed. With this, more often you could succeed in reaching seemingly unattainable target.

To grow our packaged gases and bulk liquid gases business, we are investing in larger tankers, opening up new filling stations in growing areas across the country. We are also focussing on strategic acquisitions to reach out to customers who need value-added products of Praxair. Having set the trend for overthe-fence hydrogen supplies with IOCL, we see more opportunities unfolding in the Indian hydrogen space.

Email: prasenjit.chakraborty@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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An invite that rewards as well...

Dear Reader, ‘Chemical World ’ solicits original, well-written, application-oriented, unpublished articles that reflect your valuable experience and expertise in the chemical process industry.

You can send us Technical Articles, Case Studies and Product Write-ups. The length of the article should not exceed 1500 words, while that of a product write-up should not exceed 100 words.

The articles should preferably reach us in soft copy (either E-mail or a CD). The text should be in MS Word format and images in 300 DPI resolution & JPG format.

The final decision regarding the selection and publication of the articles shall rest solely with ‘Chemical World ’.

Authors whose articles are published will be sent a complimentary copy of that particular edition.

Published by Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, ‘Chemical World ’ is one of the leading monthly magazines exclusively meant for producers and user fraternities of the chemical process industry (CPI). W Well supported by a national readership of over 80,000 and our strong network of 26 branch offices across India, this magazine reaches out to key decision makers among the Indian CPI. Moreover, it offers a broader platform facilitating effective interaction among several fraternities of these industries by enabling them in reaching out to their prospective buyers & sellers through better trade contacts and more business opportunities.

So get going and rush your articles, write-ups, etc…

Thanking you, Yours sincerely,

Manas R Bastia Senior Editor Network18 Media & Investments Ltd ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W) Mumbai 400 028 India

D +91 22 3003 4669 T +91 22 3024 5000 F +91 22 3003 4499 E manas@infomedia18.in W www.infomedia18.in

SPECIAL FOCUS

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT FOR CHEMICALS IT IN CHEMICAL LOGISTICS Managing supply chain maze for operational excellence..........................................................................28 STRINGENT TRANSPORTATION REGULATIONS Green route to safe transitt ........................................................................................................................ 30 INTERFACE - Amol Mirajgaonkar, Head - Chemical Vertical, Damco India Pvt Ltd “With GST coming in, warehousing will get the necessary impetus and result in quality improvement”...........................................................................................................34 INTERFACE - Marcus Smith, Vice President - International Sales, ShockWatch Inc “Logistics organisations use indicators as a benchmark for quality” ........................................................36

July 2012 | Chemical World

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SPECIAL FOCUS IT in chemical logistics

Managing supply chain maze for operational excellence The chemical logistics sector in India is still a slowcoach as far as implementation of Information Technology (IT) is concerned. Cost aspects seem to be the prime reason behind it. However, the perception is changing and the industry is realising the importance of overall benefits of IT in chemical logistics. Innovative solutions by various IT companies are facilitating its faster adoption.

at reduced costs is on the rise. “In this backdrop, IT is emerging as a key enabler of innovation, strategic transformation and operational excellence. Network expansion, process integration and risk reduction are three areas where IT can play the role of an enabler and an accelerator,” says S Sridharan, Managing Director, TAKE Solutions.

IT can significantly hasten the process of scaling the intermodal networks – for eg efficiency and riskbased network design. It also helps in accelerating the operationalisation of warehouses, integrating processes for execution and co-ordination, enabling higher productivity and throughput, lowering unit cost by optimising asset utilisation and cargo planning, enhancing operational control by generating continual visibility to consignments and their status.

Technology enabler

Prasenjit Chakraborty

T

he chemical industry worldwide is characterised by clustered production capacity and distributed consumption points.

Efficient, competitive, agile, and sustainable logistics is, therefore, important for success in this industry. Supply chains are getting longer and logistics complexity

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Chemical World | July 2012

is increasing. Greater emphasis on safety and regulatory compliance is also resulting in the industry seeking innovation in materials handling and logistics.

The focus is shifting from commodity services for transportation execution and freight management to performancebased contract logistics and integrated services. Consequentially, dependence on specialised service providers who can customise and deliver improved service

According to Amar More, Vice PresidentLogistics Practice, Kale Logistics Solutions, technology adoption can help supply chain entities differentiate in the competitive market. With globalisation, there is a need for smoother interactions with global trade partners. “Following the footsteps of large MNCs, even domestic companies worldwide are gearing up to deal with the challenges. Technology has been recognised as a key tool to help companies improve their processes and functions. Better co-ordination within the companies will help them improve operating margins and also ensure better utilisation of assets and personnel,” he points out.

The use of new generation technology will give Logistics Service Providers (LSP) a lead over their competitors.

This will also be essential in attracting higher outsourcing from overseas players.

Usage of technology tools like Global Positioning System (GPS), Radiofrequency identification (RFID) will definitely help the company and market grow, but the stakeholders need to be made aware of the value-addition done by technology adoption.

IT in chemical logistics

Adoption of IT in India According to More, unlike the international logistics industry, the Indian industry is confounded by proliferation of non-standard practices and processes.

In this direction, Kale Logistics took up the survey titled TAILTM – Technology Adoption Index in 2009, which sought to determine perceptions of IT criticality and unearth data on IT spends as these are closely related to technology adoption per se. The survey revealed that in the Indian logistics industry, only less than 10 per cent of work is outsourced by the shippers, hence there lies a huge potential for improving productivity and growth.

The survey also found that less than 1 per cent of the industry is organised and there is lack of industry-wide standards, processes and established technology solutions. “This is why we have high logistics cost in India (4 to 5 per cent of GDP) compared to the developed economies,” observes More.

Although the scenario is fast changing due to globalisation, there has not been a drastic change in the chemical logistics sector with regard to adoption of IT. The only perceptible change is people are showing interest towards implementing IT or at least recognising its benefits. This is certainly a good development. Then what restricts them to adopt such technology? It is because, the Indian market, in any respect is pricesensitive; logistics is also no exception.

To be more precise, people do not even see adoption of technology as important.

“Technology adoption is not perceived to be an important factor, which can

IT is emerging as a key enabler of innovation, strategic transformation and oper ational excellence in the area of chemical logistics. Network expansion, process integration and risk reduction are three areas where IT can play the role of an enabler.

S Sridharan Managing Director, TAKE Solutions

help the business grow. Most companies try to focus on their business-centric processes and leverage on the benefits of technology wherever necessary. Most large and medium companies are willing to utilise technology for scalability and improving operational efficiencies but are holding back because of costs involved,” points out More.

Changing IT landscape According to Sridharan, successful companies in the Indian chemical industry have realised that freight is not a fixed cost, and there is more to logistics than haulage. He says, “There are two clear trends – one is towards greater integration of logistics into higher levels of corporate planning by leveraging information technology to enable greater collaboration with service providers, carriers and customers.

The other is towards leveraging information technology and computeraided operations, automation for increasing the supply chain velocity and improving safety.”

Greater adoption of information technology has allowed the third party logistics (3PL) service providers to move up the value chain and own more and more of operations – like inventory management, packaging, labelling, drop-shipping, returns processing, cargo planning, customs, safety and regulatory compliance, sustainability and green initiatives, and even contract manufacturing services, in addition to multi-modal transport. It is true that the large and reputed companies have had greater success at providing IT-enabled services to the chemical industry. Largely, this was a result of the size of investments associated with owning and operating such IT systems.

“However, the advent of Software as a Service (SaaS), a modern cost-effective method for obtaining and running business software, is already changing the competitive landscape. Small and medium service providers can now afford to access the same software that these large service providers do, through their

There are two clear trends – one is towards greater integration of logistics into higher levels of corporate planning. The other is towards leveraging information technology and computer-aided operations, automation for increasing the supply chain velocity and improving safety.

Amar More Vice President-Logistics Practice, Kale Logistics Solutions

Internet browsers – thereby paving way for a level-playing field, and bringing the focus back on the service providers’ domain expertise and ability to innovate,” points out Sridharan.

Leveraging IT prowess Indian chemical logistics sector may not be at par with the developed world as far as adoption of IT solutions is concerned.

But it is gradually catching up. And the IT players are coming out with innovative solutions to provide impetus to the sector.

For instance, TAKE Solutions specialises in providing solutions for supply chain.

Its OneSCM M – a multi-tenant SaaS platform – provides companies affordable solutions for orchestrating collaborative business processes in real-time.

Similarly, Universal Platform for Logistics & Integrated Freight Transport (UPLIFT ) is a solution from Kale Logistics. It is a multi-modal cargo community platform that connects all service providers critical to the cargo supply chain such as importer, exporter, carrier, forwarder, custom house agent, transporter, banks and custodians.

UPLIFT helps carriers in planning storage, handling & movement of hazardous goods.

Clearly, chemical logistics segment in India has also started adopting IT solutions and also getting the benefits of using it. Now, it is the time for those still sitting on the fence to go for such technology.

Email: prasenjit.chakraborty@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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SPECIAL FOCUS Stringent transportation regulations

Green route to safe transit Strict St triict ssafety affet ety ty regulations regu re gula gu latti la tioonns in the tio the he chemical chemical logistics ha hhave ve usher ushered e ed er e in ch changes han ange g s wh ge when hen en iitt cco comes ome mess to to cchemical hemi he mica c l trransp transportation spor or ta tatit on o by road. Today, T day, logistics To loggistics providers have in initiated nititia iateed in iinnovative nnoova vatittiive v pprogrammes rogr ro gram amme mess to ttrain rainn tthe ra hee ddrivers river ririv vers ve rs ttoo aver av avert e t accidents er accci cide dent dent nts and and other an o her eventualities like spill, fire etc. ot etcc. Route Rout utee survey s rvvey is su is another anot an othe her initiative iinnititia tia i titive v undertaken ve und n er er ta take keen wh w while hili e trannsp tran tr transporting spor orr titing ngg chemical cchhe hemi mica mica call containers cont co n ai a ners by road. r ad. The concept of green logistics ro logisstitics cs iiss al also lso tthe he rresult esuul es ult of of stringent str trin inge g ntt regulations. reg egul egul ulat attioons ns..

Photo: Joshua Navalkar

Prasenjit Chakraborty

T

he chemical industry in India is growing as the application of chemicals is widening day by day. Today, chemicals are used in segments like construction, automotive, consumer durables etc. With rapid industrialisation, use of chemicals is proliferating. This has led to the increase in the proportion of hazardous chemicals in total freight traffic.

Naturally, there is a growing demand to store and distribute temperaturesensitive products in potent conditions, which has led to a higher monitoring of entire supply chain in the country.

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Since chemicals come under hazardous category, there are safety regulations in place. However, rapid increase in the transportation of hazardous chemicals that has led to rise in accident potential during transit, growing environmental and related issues have made safety regulations more stringent.

In transit, the goods could be subjected to impact, vibration, compression and other adverse effects and exposure to harmful environment.

The other factors such as improper packing of the contents, poor storage may also lead to release of chemicals to the environment resulting in emergencies like fire, explosion, toxic release, etc.

Gauging the impact What is the impact of implementation of such stringent regulations? Does it mean chemical logistics business has come down drastically or cost of chemical transportation has gone up significantly?

The answer is emphatically ‘no’. The benefits of such regulations are myriad, not just for the companies that adhere to it but for the entire industry. Today, chemical logistics industry has adopted many steps like providing proper training to drivers and workforce, monitoring vehicles’ movement, etc. A closer look says that ‘road segment’, ie chemicals being transported by road, benefit the most. Or there is ample scope to give a facelift to this mode of transportation. P A Murali,

Stringent transportation regulations

BRIGHTER SIDE OF REGULATION o Reducing accidents o Conserving environment o Aiding companies to save money o Facilitating healthy ways of chemical transportation

Head-Environment Safety Health Affairs (ESHA), Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd, observes, “While marine transportation and air transportation are highly regulated and followed universally by all the countries, road transportation is governed by regional and national regulations, and there are several gaps observed in its implementation in the Indian scenario.”

Clearly, the scope is more for road transportation. In this context, providing training to drivers is essential and it is a kind of investment. This is because chances of mishap under a trained driver are less and the effort ultimately saves cost of a transporter, which they are likely to pay in terms of damage of goods, accident fatalities, etc. In this regard, the logistics industry in India has to traverse a long distance. “There is a need for indepth and large-scale training of vehicle drivers to reduce the gap in the availability of qualified drivers for transporting hazardous chemicals,” points out Murali.

Against the backdrop of stringent regulations, the dynamics of road transportation is changing. Today, the

While marine transportation and air transportation are highly regulated and followed universally by all the countries, road transportation is governed by regional and national regulations, and there are several gaps observed in its implementation in the Indian scenario.

P A Murali Head – ESHA, Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd

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logistics industry is taking steps to ensure that all aspects of distribution management are well-planned to make sure that the entire operation is carried out in a safe and reliable manner. Route survey is one of the initiatives in this direction. The purpose of route survey is to assess risks associated with the routing of vehicles and the consequences of potential spills or releases that can occur during the transport.

Now the question is, do all these steps ultimately increase the cost? In the Indian context, cost is an important factor. Says Pradyumn Sharma, General Manager, Operation, DBC Port Logistics Ltd, “As far as regulations are concerned, it is for the betterment of the chemical logistics. Most of the reputed chemical manufacturers have realised that the measures on safety regulations are good.

There is marginal cost difference while implementing the regulation. In the long run, cost is recovered as such steps are minimising accidents or mishaps. Today, due to such regulations, accidents have come down to a large extent. This means logistics companies are paying lesser amount towards the reimbursement costs or medical costs or expenses in case of accidents. So, the accidental loss has come down.”

Promoting green logistics Another impact of the regulation is the promotion of green logistics in India.

Because of these regulations, logistics service providers have taken initiatives in this regard, though currently it is at an embryonic stage. What is important here is that logistics companies are offering propositions aimed at reducing carbon footprints. The concept is slowly catching up. To effectively promote green logistics in India, the service providers must be able to communicate the value proposition that the client will derive from implementing green logistics.

A detailed cost-benefit analysis can prove to be an effective tool for promoting green logistics. Today, the Indian chemical industry is focussing more on increasing innovations to produce environmentfriendly technologies and products. The

As far as regulations are concerned, it is for the betterment of the chemical logistics. Most of the reputed chemical manufacturers have realised that the measures on safety regulations are good.

There is marginal cost difference while implementing the regulation. In the long run, cost is recovered as such steps are minimising accidents or mishaps.

Pradyumn Sharma General Manager, Operation, DBC Port Logistics Ltd

logistics services in India, thus, can play a significant role to address the specific needs of the chemical industry and help in promoting exports. Today, the chemical exporters and importers are increasingly demanding that their logistics partner not only be able to provide specialised as well as customised services but also adhere to better health, safety and environment standards. All these developments are the results of stringent regulations.

Besides regulations, there is a need to educate people associated with the chemical and logistics industries. “Only regulation will not help, there is an urgent need to educate people in this regard.

People associated with the industries have to understand the dynamics of supply chain, only then the objectives of such regulations will be materialised. Majority of chemical manufacturers in India fall under SME category, so we do not expect them to change their attitude towards transportation over night. They need to understand the benefits of stringent regulations, both in terms of money and environment. There has to be an effort from the logistics industry to educate them,” explains Sharma.

It is clear that the impact of stringent regulations is slowly being felt in the chemical supply chain. But it has to be more from what it is now. Looking at the growth of the chemical industry, the implementation process of such regulations has to be expedited.

Email: prasenjit.chakraborty@infomedia18.in

SPECIAL FOCUS Interface - Amol Mirajgaonkar

How is the chemical logistics sector in India shaping up?

The chemical logistics sector in India is witnessing a remarkable focus from all major manufacturers and sellers of chemicals, both multinationals & Indian companies, on effective domestic distribution in India. Given the continued slowdown in the

focus on outsourcing the local chemical logistics services to professional logistics service providers with adequate expertise.

What types of services you offer to the chemical companies as far as transportation of chemicals is concerned?

Damco India provides complete logistical solutions right from ocean and air freight forwarding, trucking, end-to-end supply chain management and consulting through our ‘Supply Chain Development’ service portfolio. Chemicals being a focussed industry vertical globally, to cater to its needs, we offer complete range of services for transportation of chemical commodities.

For solids, we offer complete containerised end-to-end logistics management for EXIM and trucking in domestic sectors. For liquid chemicals, we offer solutions ranging from handling of drums, Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), ISO tanks and liquid tanker movements by road and rail, and for gases we provide handling of small cylinders to special gas carrying ISO tanks. The vital aspect of consistent & dependable visibility on the physical status of goods during the entire transportation is critically focussed on by us through various IT systems and enabling tools.

How is the progress in adoption of new technologies in the chemical logistics sector in India?

The infrastructure for handling chemicals is one of the most important aspects of the entire chemical logistics management, along with use of dependable IT solutions for cargo tracking.

Given the nature of commodities, utmost precautions have to

With GST coming in, warehousing will get the necessary impetus and result in quality improvement …says Amol Mirajgaonkar, Head - Chemical Vertical, Damco India Pvt Ltd. In conversation with Prasenjit Chakraborty, he emphasises on adoption of technology in the area of chemical logistics and also discusses how the sector is changing with time.

Western markets, the sustained demand from consumers within India is turning it into a competitive turf. To manage this demand, there is a need to provide logistics services to producers/manufacturers to deliver their products to their end-customers. This has resulted into an increased focus on inland transportation – both road and rail, cabotage activities, ie using sea for domestic shipments and also potentially using inland waterways for domestic transportation. Moreover, the warehousing scenario is also expected to transform significantly once GST comes into effect. To summarise, there is an increased

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be taken to ensure that no danger to environment is posed during transportation. To that effect, the usage of correct type of infrastructure is still to reach an acceptable level, especially the movement of liquid chemicals in ISO tanks is limited domestically given the higher costs. The expertise in domestic transportation is also limited in the use of safety and protective equipment. The limits on functionability of Global Positioning System (GPS) throughout the country due to lack of network in hinterlands also pose challenges, which we try to resolve and work our way around.

Amol Mirajgaonkar

According to you which are the two areas that need immediate attention in India?

Is availability of trained manpower an issue in the chemical logistics sector?

management, documentation, material handling, equipment handling etc.

There should be a thorough focus on safety right from the packaging stage. When it comes to shipping smaller quantities or larger quantities of chemicals, priority should be given to the appropriate transportation infrastructure. With the increasing scale of movement of chemical goods, it is imperative to ensure appropriate safety mechanisms. Also in line comes the important aspect of need for visibility for better monitoring and control.

As far as Damco’s approach is concerned we have a Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Management model in place, which acts as a guiding tool for us to ensure that each and every shipment that we handle for our customers is not only delivered on time but also that all the necessary safety precautions are strictly adhered to.

Managing logistics in chemical industry requires special skills due to the very nature of the operations involved. It is critical that the personnel in chemical logistics are adequately trained to take care of every aspect of the entire operation. It is also important that they are aware of all the guidelines mandated by government agencies thereby ensuring a smooth and a safe delivery of chemical cargo.

Having said this, currently there is a need for developing necessary skills in professionals by providing the right training.

At Damco, we ensure that our colleagues managing chemical logistics undergo the required training and receive certifications. Additionally, we conduct educative sessions/workshops to impart training on best practices, operational methodologies, disaster

How do you visualise the chemical logistics sector in India three years down the line?

The advent of GST and continued focus on safety & quality within the domestic area will ensure a significant change on this horizon in short term.

We will potentially see much improved safety in terms of the infrastructure being used for domestic transportation.

With GST coming in, warehousing will get the necessary impetus and result in quality improvement due to potential for shared facilities with economies of scale. This will also have a cascading effect on further improving the EXIM movements and improving competitiveness of the Indian chemical industry on a global level.

Email: prasenjit.chakraborty@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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SPECIAL FOCUS Interface - Marcus Smith

What types of products do you offer to chemical industry?

ShockWatch manufactures a line of products specifically designed for monitoring temperature fluctuations and thresholds. Many of our customers manufacture paints, coatings & polymers, oil & gas, or pharmaceuticals and are engaged in the storage & transportation of those chemicals. In addition, we offer equipment that includes impact, tilt, pressure and other environmental monitoring devices, which are used worldwide in the logistics and storage segments.

that the product is being monitored. Health standards also require that employee exposure to hazardous chemicals for laboratories is limited. Indicators give an immediate yes or no indication that either an incident has occurred that requires quarantine or removal of the product from use.

How important is monitoring and recording of temperature in chemical logistics?

It completely depends on the product itself, but often can be extremely important. Some chemicals will break down if temperature gets too high or low. Emulsions, for example, should not get heated up or they will separate and their efficacy will be compromised. Paints, adhesives and other water-based products are irreversibly damaged when exposed to sub-zero temperatures. Exposure to adverse temperatures is not always easy to find out, particularly when chemicals and liquids are in opaque sealed containers and the exposure is temporary. Liquids that have thawed out from a frozen state do not always change in appearance; so visual assessment and prevailing temperature checks are flawed.

Is the demand for environmental indicators increasing?

Yes, we are now getting enquiries that need both indicators and recorders, and with additional temperature sensitivities. For example, pharmaceutical and biologics need a different level of monitoring than adhesives. In addition, as regulations around safety and compliance become standard, solutions are needed that are low cost and easy to implement, but have a reliable record of dependability in that market space.

Logistics organisations use indicators as a benchmark for quality ‌says Marcus Smith, Vice President - International Sales, ShockWatch Inc, the US-based company that specialises in preventing damage, reducing costs, and monitoring the logistics supply chain. In conversation with Rakesh Rao, he elaborates on the importance of environmental monitoring devices for chemical logistics.

How can environmental indicators help in ensuring safe transit of chemicals?

What are your plans to tap opportunities in the Indian chemical industry?

Often, regardless of labelling or markings, handlers are not aware of how much impact, tilt or temperature variation a container or product can withstand. And since most of these containers are handled multiple times and with multiple modes of transport, it is likely that at least one mishandling incident will occur during a product’s lifecycle. This may include exposure to impacts, tilting containers or extreme temperatures.

An environmental indicator not only monitors as to whether a product has been exposed, but also deters the exposure incident from happening at all due to the psychological factor of knowing

We are planning to expand our presence in India through a new portfolio of low-cost indicators and recorders that will enable profit margins of manufacturers to be optimised while getting more information out of the indicators and recorders themselves. We have also found it to be beneficial to utilise key partnerships in the region, through our close arrangement with SRV Controls, so that we can provide the best possible solutions to customers. Through this tie-up, we have the ability to react quickly to changing regulations, quality issues, and local support for Indian chemical companies.

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Email: rakesh.rao@infomedia18.in

FACILITY VISIT Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd

Chemical reactions carried out in stainless steel and glass-lined reactors

The products manufactured at the Chiplun plant of Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd (OSCL) are making new inroads into the pharmaceutical industry. One of the products metachloro aniline is earmarked only for export to Europe and China.

When companies worldwide find it difficult to compete with China, OSCL’s decision to export to this country is an achievement in itself.

This has become possible due to novel process technology developed by in-house R&D team.

Gaining competitive edge through technology acumen Prasenjit Chakraborty

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he Mumbai-based OSCL is making rapid strides.

This is quite perceptible as it is adding capacities in different locations to produce new and existing products. One such plant, which is on pilot run, is spread over an area admeasuring 4,000 sq m and located at C-4, Lote Parshuram Industrial Area, Chiplun, Ratnagiri District (350 km South of Mumbai). The plant will be predominantly manufacturing 3-chloro propiophenone (15-MT per month), methyl isobutyl acetate (MIBA – 15-20 MT per month) and meta-chloro aniline (20 MT per month) that find applications as pharma intermediates.

The location is important because it falls in the special chemical zone of the MIDC, where chemical manufacturing activities can be carried out, which involves issues pertaining to storage of chemicals, solid, liquid or gaseous emissions, air pollution, emitting odour, dust, smoke, etc.

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Batch processing of specialty chemicals being carried out in stainless steel reactors

Technology upgradation Machinery with advanced technologies has been installed in the plant to facilitate various types of reactions. To support the increased quantity of production, large solvent storage capacities have been created in the same premises. Adequate safety measures like fire hydrant

system, sprinkler system, fire-fighting extinguishers, etc, have been installed.

Large dedicated water storage capacities have also been created for the purpose of fire-fighting.

“In-house developed technology by our R&D team will be translated to commercial scale. Certain specific

Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd

distillations and processes will be carried out with modern techniques in this plant,” says Omkar P Herlekar, Whole Time Director, OSCL. The plant is multipurpose in nature where batch type processing will be carried out. The facility is also equipped with various services, such as steam, cooling, chilling, air, vacuum, effluent treatment plant (ETP) and scrubbers.

The plant has organic synthesis facility and higher capacity reactors ranging from 5 KL to 15 KL. Currently, the plant comprises 17 reactors. Besides, provisions for additional six reactors have been made to facilitate its future expansion. The overall manufacturing area is flameproof in nature, which is also paramount as OSCL is handling a lot of solvents and chemicals, which are flammable. The reactors and balancing equipment are laid down in such a way that cross-contamination is avoided; material flow is maintained and operation becomes easy.

The entire flooring in the manufacturing area is fitted with acidproof tile lining. “In the first phase, we have invested around ` 30 crore towards plant and machinery,” reveals Herlekar.

raw materials, development of new test methods, instrumental upgradation, undertaking of stability studies, preservation of control samples, release of products in line with the established test procedure and in-house specifications.

Appropriate controls are exercised to ensure that the final product complies with the prescribed specifications and yield the desired quality. The adherence to the required quality standards is achieved with the support of instruments like atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Highperformance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography (GC), automated melting point apparatus, Karl Fischer moisture balance and other instruments. Moreover, the adherence to QC systems is achieved through quality audits, process validation, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), along with the support of highly qualified and experienced technical staff.

In its endeavour to address environmental issues, OSCL is in the process of installing a full-fledged ETP having primary, secondary and tertiary system of working, which will take care of the unit. The capacity of the plant will be 150 m3/day.

Raising the quality bar

Export avenues

“Maintaining the quality of our products is the basic essence of our company,” says Herlekar. To manage this, it has a wellequipped quality control (QC) laboratory with a dedicated team engaged in monitoring the overall QC activities, such as analysis of the finished products,

OSCL is all set to establish a firm toehold in the export market. Interestingly, the entire quantity of meta-chloro aniline will be exported to countries in Europe, and China. On the other hand, almost 30 per cent of 3-chloro propiophenone produced at the site and around 10-20 per cent of MIBA will also be exported.

While China is so aggressive on the export front, what makes OSCL venture into it? Reveals Herlekar, “Our R&D team has developed unique process that ensures competitive pricing of products.

Moreover, in most cases, Batch processing being carried out at the Chiplun plant in we virtually have no clean, efficient and environmentally sound facility competition in India.”

Our constant endeavour is to create total satisfaction among our valuable customers by way of providing quality and quantity products at most competitive prices and that too in time.

We aim to become a dominant player in innovative chemistry and produce a wide range of products.

Omkar P Herlekar Whole Time Director

He further adds, “We are not afraid of the Chinese competition. We export API intermediaries to China. It is also a fact that China exports to India twice as much as India does to China, stirring concerns in India that local industries are unable to stand the test of market competition. In my view, the industry needs to significantly strengthen its technical capabilities and marketing acumen to be globally competitive and not be alarmed about China. I feel that the Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant need to work together.”

Innovation-led growth Safety is an important issue for OSCL. Whenever it comes out with new products, the production department makes sure that Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is prepared. Workers involved in the production of new products are apprised about all safety aspects, such as handling, transportation, storage etc. This is because the property of chemicals differs and based on that, handling, storage etc, also differs.

It regularly conducts mock drills on firefighting and evacuation. All its workers are required to go for mandatory health checkups every year. “Our constant endeavour is to create total satisfaction among our valuable customers by way of providing quality and quantity products at most competitive prices and that too in time.

We aim to become a dominant player in innovative chemistry and produce a wide range of products,” concludes Herlekar.

Photo courtesy: Omkar Speciality Chemicals Ltd Email: prasenjit.chakraborty@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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INSIGHT & OUTLOOK

PETROCHEMICALS INDIAN PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY Cracking the success code through better product mix ..........................................................................42 EMERGING PETROCHEMICALS MARKET South India prospects in perspective ........................................................................................................44 ACRYLONITRILE MARKET Feedstock shortage playing spoilsport....................................................................................................... t 48 FOOD PACKAGING INDUSTRY Fuelling petrochemical demand ................................................................................................................50 POLYSTYRENE Wonder polymer delivering diverse functionalities ...................................................................................52 ROUNDTABLE Can industry compete globally by adopting effective feedstock strategy?................................................53 SINGAPORE’S CHEMICAL HUB A bridge to tap the Southeast Asian market............................................................................................ t 54 HUMAN ELEMENT IN ACCIDENTS Factoring in the bigger picture .................................................................................................................56 MIST COOLING SYSTEM Going beyond conventional cooling towers ..............................................................................................58

July 2012 | Chemical World

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INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Indian petrochemical industry

attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $ 3,332.78 million during April 2000-December 2011. Also, India’s oil refining capacity is likely to rise by 15 per cent to 214 million tonne a year by the end of current fiscal. Enduser applications from food & beverage, packaging, paints & coatings, automobiles etc are fuelling the demand. As of today, the Indian petrochemical industry is dominated by players such as Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), and Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL).

Current capacity for petrochemicals

Cracking the success code through better product mix A staggering 12-15 per cent growth rate of the $ 40-billion Indian petrochemical industry is expected in the next 5-7 years as per estimates by leading trade body ASSOCHAM. This robust growth will be backed by increasing demands from end-user industries. Polymers are expected to form a major chunk of this growth trend.

Mahua Roy

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ith the global chemical and petrochemical having companies m o ve d t o w a rd s Asia and the Middle East, the Indian chemical and petrochemical industries are seeing a rise in opportunities. By 2018, 60 per cent of the petrochemical growth is likely to take place in Asia. However, the Indian industry faces huge competition from hubs in China, Singapore and the Middle East. By maintaining a certain level of competitiveness and cost-effectiveness, India can tackle this challenge. The domestic industry is seeing huge

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investments in terms of capacity-building and expansions. “Trends such as greener methods of production, sophisticated effluent treatment technologies, and other such radical mindset changes are being seen in the domestic petrochemical industry. Not just for new projects, but even in the revamping of old projects or capacity expansions, these green factors are taken into account,” elaborates Siddharth Wazir, Director, Libra Techcon.

Upstream processing is complementing the growth of the domestic petrochemical industry. According to figures provided by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the petroleum and natural gas industry in India has

Ethylene and xylene capacities are the main indicators of the petrochemicals market in a country. According to figures provided

by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), as of 2011, India has three naphtha-based and three gas-based cracker complexes with a combined ethylene capacity of 2.9 million metric tonne per annum (MMTA). In addition to these, there are four aromatic complexes with xylene capacity of 2.9 MTPA. “The overall growth in capacity has been relatively flat over the past couple of years, but is expected to increase significantly over the next 3-4 years, with many planned capacity additions coming online. To put the size of the Indian industry in perspective, the world ethylene capacity in 2010 was approximately 140 MTPA. However, India is one of the largest demand centres for petrochemicals in the world,” says Deepak Mahurkar, Associate Director – Oil & Gas Practice, PwC India.

Recently, India’s largest naphtha cracker plant at Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Panipat complex was inaugurated.

The ` 14,439-crore naphtha cracker complex will produce eight lakh tonne annually of ethylene and six lakh tonne of propylene. Traditionally, India used to be a net importer of polyolefins. But with the commissioning of new projects like those of IOC, HPL, RIL Jamnagar PP complex in the last decade, India has become a net exporter in Highdensity Polyethylene (HDPE)/Linear

Indian petrochemical industry

Low-density Polyethylene (LLDPE)/ Polypropylene (PP).

Demand trends of major polymers According to PwC, polymers account for over 60 per cent of the total production of major petrochemicals in India.

“Although the per capita consumption of petrochemical products in India has increased in the last decade, it somehow still remains significantly lower than the world average,” adds Mahurkar. Apart from regularly increasing demands of polymers like Polyethylene (PE), PP, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), aromatic polymers like polyurethanes, polystyrene etc are also seeing new applications by replacing traditional materials being used currently.

Polyolefins, which include PE, PP and PVC mainly, account for around 5 kg of India’s per capita polymers consumption as of today. To categorise further, it includes 2.8 kg PP, 2.1 kg PE and about 1.7 kg per capita of PVC. The domestic polymer industry is dominated by polyolefin demand. PE and PP constitute around 71 per cent of the commodity resins consumed in India. PVC, on the other hand, will see decent growth rate due to demands from industries including agriculture, healthcare, housing and water management. The pipes segment remains the largest sector, with government investments likely to spur demand.

According to ICIS, the Indian pipe market is projected at 4.7 MT/year, with plastics accounting for 1.7 MT/year. The rest are accounted for by steel, cement, iron, etc. Among the different plastic

pipes, PVC has the dominant share, at 86 per cent, followed by PE at 12 per cent.

Trends such as longer life and chemical resistance are the attributes being sought from pipes. PET polymer is rapidly replacing glass in packaging applications due to its sustainability features.

Polyurethane (PU) is another polymer that is seeing growth opportunity in India.

According to estimates by the Indian Polyurethane Association (IPUA), India will consume about 1 kg of PU per capita by 2020 at 12,00,000 TPA. The current per capita PU consumption in India stands at 200 gm. It finds applications in insulation and foam largely. PU insulation is rising backed by boom in cold chain logistics and retail. Automotive sector and home appliances too will drive demand for PU insulation foams for cooling applications.

PU foam is also finding applications in mattresses and allied bedding market, which has been dominated by coir, latex and cotton. But high quality demands are making consumers shift to PU-based products. Car seats, furniture, all are making the transition towards using PU. In the footwear segment, especially leather, PU soles are being used, which are rapidly replacing PVC.

Combatting the inherent challenges The biggest challenge that the Indian petrochemical industry faces is competitive disadvantage with China.

“India’s ethylene capacity is much smaller than China’s. Also it is unlikely to rise above China’s levels in the next 5-7 years. This will make it difficult for India to develop applications further downstream,” quips Mahurkar.

Table 1: Investment scenario for petrochemical industry in India (polyolefin projects) Producer Location Capacity p (in ‘000 MT/year) On stream by PE PP HMEL Bathinda 450 2012 OPal Dahej 1100 350 2014 MRPL Mangalore 450 2013 BPCL Lepetkata p 220 60 2014 GAIL Pata 450 2014 Reliance Jamnagar 1000 200 2015 Courtesy: Indian Oil Research

Table 2: Major polymers: Indian outlook Product 2010 2016 HDPE Short Short LLDPE Short Short LDPE Short Surplus p PP Surplus p Short EVA Short Short PVC Short Short Considering all the announced capacities (under construction and commissioned); India will still import over 3 MMT of polymers in 2016 Courtesy: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, R&D Division

The upstream petrochemicals and the entire downstream plastics processing industry needs major technological upgradation in areas such as scale of operations, core processing machineries, finishing equipment etc to meet the demands of the competitive and emerging global and domestic demand.

The EPC industry has a role to play here, as private companies as well as PSUs are turning to EPC contractors. “The EPC industry has helped corporates to plan their expansion in a phased and organised manner. An extremely important factor when planning projects in India is to avoid cost and time overruns in execution. A strong EPC player will help in delivering the project in time and within the budgeted cost, which affects the financial viability of the project. Along with quality control, it is this professional approach towards project execution, which has helped in development of the petrochemical industry in India,” adds Wazir.

Also, the R&D expenditure in the petrochemical sector is less. Efforts need to be undertaken to increase this gradually. “The future R&D vision of the Indian petrochemical industry needs to provide a long-term commitment for investments and efforts for innovation in areas such as: raw material usage, energy efficiency, process/operations improvements, technology forecasting and adoption of emerging technologies and new processing technologies for high performance polymers (green processes etc),” says Mahurkar.

Email: mahua.roy@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Emerging petrochemicals market

The petrochemical demand-supply scenario in India varies significantly across regions. Southern India, an attractive market with annual deficit of about 2 million tonne of polymers, provides an opportunity to invest in a cracker. This paves the path for international and domestic players to enter into partnership for addressing this opportunity. Moreover, investments in a cracker could spur development of downstream units.

Siddharth Paradkar, Binay Agrawal and Avinash Singh

I

ndia is a major importer of petrochemicals. Most of these imports serve the deficit market in South India. Although being a relatively economically developed region, South India lacks a petrochemical complex.

Reliance Industries, one of the leading petrochemical players, has all its facilities in the Western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Other major petrochemical complexes by IndianOil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) are in North India, while Haldia

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Petrochemicals has its cracker in East India. Reliance has built its petrochemical facilities in and around its refinery complex at Jamnagar for easy access to feedstock.

IOCL has its cracker and aromatics complex close to its Panipat refinery.

Lack of investment in South is attributed to unavailability of technology and capital with local companies.

Competitive imports from Southeast Asia have also created impediments for investment in South India.

South India: Demand drivers Economic development and presence of end-user industries are major drivers for

petrochemicals demand in the region.

The southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala account for about 24 per cent of national GDP and are ranked among the top 10 states by GDP in the country. These states also account for major share in key enduser industries for petrochemicals such as packaging, textiles and automotive.

While automotive/auto components and textiles are key clusters in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, packaging is spread across the four states. The region has also witnessed impressive real GDP growth of 8.6 per cent pa in the past decade. With the GDP growth likely to continue at a similar rate and high growth in end-user industries, petrochemicals demand in the region is expected to grow at 10-12 per cent pa in the near future.

Attractive opportunities South India is likely to have a deficit of about 2 million tonne in polymers – Polyethylene (PE)/Polypropylene (PP) and about 1.6 million tonne in polyesters – Monoethylene glycol (MEG)/Purified Terepthalic Acid (PTA), the two large volume petrochemicals, by FY16. The upcoming Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) at Mangalore would produce PP in the region.

The large deficit offers an attractive opportunity to companies with interest in petrochemicals. The government is also keen to serve the domestic market through local manufacturing. The question is how soon can we address the underlying issues to support a large-scale investment in petrochemicals in the region?

Success factors The critical factors for a successful investment include market size, availability of feedstock, necessary facilities and more importantly technology and capital.

Market size: Though Western India is the largest market, Southern India too is a significant market with a combined annual demand expected to reach over 4 million tonne of polymer and polyester by FY16. This region has huge potential for

Emerging petrochemicals market

Figure g 1: Elements of entryy strategy gy based on critical success factors and Southern India’s position Critical success factors

Southern India’s position

Market size

Southern India is a large petrochemical market Window of opportunity to take advantage of minimal domestic capacity

Feedstock

Surplus naphtha of about 3 millionTPA is available Need to aggregate naphtha at one location Paradip also emerges as an attractive location

Facilities

Technology & capital

Facilities like power, water, effluent treatment yet to be developed Development of PCPIRs to be monitored Port connectivity should be leveraged Unavailability of technology and capital for setting up a comp petrochemical unit Partnership could be a way to avail of technology and capital

Setting up a world class cracker to serve South India

attract investments for making the region self-sufficient in petrochemicals.

Southern India has a coastal belt of about 2,900 km and it has 6 out of 11 major ports – Chennai, Vizag, Tuticorin, Kochi, Mangalore and Mormugao. The presence of these ports provides strong connectivity within the region as well as with other countries.

Technology and capital: Technology and capital are the most critical parameters that Indian companies need to address.

Indian PSU refineries have plans and intent for addressing the petrochemical opportunity in South (IOCL at Paradip, BPCL at Kochi, HPCL at Vizag).

However, they are constrained due to lack of technology and capital.

Partnership with foreign petrochemical majors could provide access to both.

Cracking the challenges import substitution. Hence, a competitive petrochemical unit in the region is expected to have readily available customers for its products.

Feedstock: Naphtha and natural gas are two feedstock of choice for a cracker.

While India is short in gas, it has surplus naphtha due to large refinery capacities in the country. India, as of date, has exportable surplus of over 8 million TPA of naphtha, more than sufficient to meet the about 3 million TPA requirements of a world-scale naphtha-based cracker (1.1 million TPA ethylene).

South India currently produces almost about 3 million TPA surplus naphtha. While naphtha supply at a single standalone location is not sufficient for setting up a cracker, there is a case for aggregation of naphtha produced to meet the requirement. Commissioning of IOCL’s refinery at Paradip (expected

by 2013) is likely to further enhance the naphtha availability. With the commissioning of IOCL refinery in 2013, Paradip could also become an attractive location to set up a petrochemical complex to serve the Southern market.

Facilities: Government of India is developing Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs) to provide requisite internal infrastructural facilities like water, power, waste treatment etc, and external infrastructure through rail, road, port, airports and telecommunications investments. Three PCPIRs have already been notified: Vizag, Paradip and Dahej, of which Paradip and Vizag PCPIRs are best located to serve the Southern market.

The development in the PCPIRs, however, has been slow. The infrastructure development needs to be expedited to

Table 1: Demand-supply scenario for major petrochemicals, FY16 (in ‘000 tonne)

North India West India East India South India

PE & PP Demand Capacity p 1,800 2,220 3,800 4,800 1,400 1,260 2,500 440

PTA & MEG Demand Capacity p 1,700 920 4,500 6,300 1,200 1,270 1,600 Source: Analysis by Tata Strategic Management Group

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South India offers attractive opportunity in petrochemicals. As with each opportunity, there also exist several challenges.

Expediting the development of PCPIRs in the region could attract investment in the region. Certain global petrochemical majors have publicly announced their intention for setting up a cracker in India.

Partnership with these companies could provide access to technology and capital, critical factors that Indian PSU refineries lack. A world-class cracker would provide raw material for expansion of downstream units in the region.

Siddharth Paradkar is Principal of the Chemical & Logistics Practice at Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG). He has over 10 years of experience in chemicals, logistics and related industries. Email: siddharth.paradkar@tsmg.com Binay Agrawal is a Consultant at TSMG. He has worked on several engagements across segments in petrochemicals, oil & gas, power and retail at TSMG. Avinash Singh is an Associate Consultant at TSMG. He has worked with Reliance Exploration & Production division for two years and has completed several assignments in petrochemicals, power and logistics at TSMG.

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Acrylonitrile market

Asia is driving the global demand for acrylonitrile (a large-volume petrochemical) with China leading the consumption race. In India, there has been a steady rise in growth of acrylonitrile, supply of which is still dependent on imports.

Rakesh Rao

A

cr ylonitrile, produced by the ammoxidation (a process that uses ammonia and oxygen) of propylene, saw a dip in demand during 2008-09 amid global economic slowdown. Post-slowdown, the market for acrylonitrile has been witnessing steady rise globally. While developed regions (the US and Europe) have been leading producers of acrylonitrile, Asia is the largest consuming region. In India, demand for acrylonitrile is still met through imports due to lack of availability of main raw material (propylene) and low-cost imports of acrylonitrile-based end-user products.

Table 1: Import and export of propylene from India (in tonne), 2003-2010

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Import p

Export p

53 81 25,198 64 24 133 71 42

4 3 2 39 4,506 2,503 23,560 28,117

Source: GBI Research Chemicals Market Database, APIC, UN Comtrade

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“The demand for acrylonitrile has increased at a CAGR of 5 per cent from 2000 to 2011. The demand saw a reduction in 2008 and 2009, but started to show some recovery from 2010 onwards.

In 2011, of the total acrylonitrile demand of 1,10,200 tonne in India, around 70,800 tonne of demand was met through imports, ie imports constituted around 64 per cent of India’s total acrylonitrile demand in 2011,” observes Brijesh Ramani, Analyst, GBI Research – one of the leading global market research companies.

ABS on driver’s seat Acrylonitrile is mainly used to manufacture acrylic fibres, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). It is also used as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of adiponitrile, acrylamide and a variety of other chemicals. The main growth drivers for acrylonitrile have been the textiles and automotive industries. Ramani says, “The end-user segments that are driving the demand for acrylonitrile from India are polyacrylonitrile (acrylic fibres) and ABS. Together, they constitute almost 90 per cent of acrylonitrile demand from India.

Among the two, polyacrylonitrile is the predominant segment with demand almost thrice that of ABS.” This is contrary to the trend witnessed in other leading Asian

countries where ABS accounts for major consumption, mainly driven by the constant development of the electrical appliance and automotive industries.

He elaborates, “Across the Asia-Pacific region (in all the major countries), polyacrylonitrile and ABS were the main demand drivers for acrylonitrile. But overall, ABS was the leading end-user segment for acrylonitrile in Asia-Pacific followed by polyacrylonitrile in 2011.

During this year, most of countries in Asia-Pacific used acrylonitrile only for polyacrylonitrile and ABS. However, countries like China, Malaysia and Japan used it in some other end-user segments such as nitrile elastomer and adiponitrile.”

Asia emerging In its latest report, ‘Acrylonitrile global market to 2020’, GBI Research states that the Asia-Pacific region accounted for a 73 per cent share of the global acrylonitrile demand in 2011. While China is maintaining its status as Asia’s leading market for acrylonitrile, consumption in India is still low compared to even other Asian economies such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.

“China was the leading acrylonitrile consumer in Asia-Pacific and accounted for a share of around 49.3 per cent in 2011. It was followed by South Korea, which held a 13.8 per cent of total

Acrylonitrile market

acrylonitrile consumption in Asia-Pacific.

In 2011, India accounted for around 3.2 per cent share of the total consumption in Asia-Pacific,” says Ramani.

According to GBI, global demand for acrylonitrile is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1 per cent between 2011 and 2020, to reach 6,757,081 tonne in 2020 from 4,696,141 tonne in 2011. In anticipation of growth, a number of new capacity additions are planned in China, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

o Better margins or profits being offered or achieved from the manufacturing of other propylene derivatives such as polypropylene, propylene oxide etc o The costs of acrylonitrile imports not being too high as compared to locally manufactured one In addition, he feels that import of the main end-use products such as ABS and acrylic fibre at competitive prices further acts as restraint for acrylonitrile capacity additions in India.

Domestic capacity addition

Insufficient feedstock

In spite of high local demand, capacity of acrylonitrile has not been augmented in India to that extent. Ramani says, “Currently in India, there is a sole acrylonitrile plant operating in Vadodara, Gujarat. Earlier, this plant was operated

by IPCL, but since 2004, it is under the management of Reliance Industries Ltd.” Prior to 2000, Government of India had issued two letters of intent for acrylonitrile manufacture in India to Reliance Industries Ltd for 70,000 tonne per annum (TPA) and Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd for 50,000 TPA. But there was no progress on implementation by these two companies.

According to Ramani, some of the reasons for no further capacity additions are as follows: o Insufficient availability of the raw material to manufacture acrylonitrile

India’s ethylene capacity increased by 8 per cent to 4.03 million tonne in 2011, while its propylene capacity grew 3.4 per cent to 3.96 million tonne, with some 8,07,000 tonne per year of capacity expected to be added by 2013. One of the main raw materials for acrylonitrile is propylene.

The most important buyers of propylene include manufacturers of polypropylene (PP), while the second-largest propylene market consists of acrylonitrile producers, followed by propylene oxide. In India, one of the reasons for no addition in acrylonitrile has been inadequate supply of raw material, as propylene is mostly used for making PP. Ramani says, “The availability of propylene as a feedstock for acrylonitrile has been a cause of concern for acrylonitrile manufacturers in India, but currently the condition seems to be better.”

If one considers the period of last 5-6 years (2005-2010), India has neither been a major importer nor a major exporter of propylene. It is only in 2009 that one has witnessed a significant increase of propylene exports to around 23,000 tonne and 28,000 tonne in 2010. “So, most of the propylene is being consumed locally.

But again, if we see the acrylonitrile ‘demand and supply gap’ of around 70,000 tonne, this additional propylene, which is being exported, would still be insufficient to fulfill the local acrylonitrile demand,” points out Ramani.

Figure 1: Acrylonitrile consumption in Asia-Pacific countries (%), 2011 2.9% 3.2% %

4.3

13.2% 49.3% 13.3% 13.8%

China South Korea Japan Thailand India Malaysia

Taiwan

Source: GBI Research Chemicals Market Database, CPCIA, APIC, JPCA, KPIA

Slow and steady growth Experts believe that India will witness steady growth in the acrylonitrile

The Indian acrylonitrile market is expected to grow at CAGR of about 4-5 per cent in the coming few years. But the overall demand volume for acrylonitrile would still be lesser than some of the other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Brijesh Ramani Analyst, GBI Research

market due to rise in demand from the growing automotive and other industries. In spite of this, India’s share in the Asian acrylonitrile market will be still low. “The Indian acrylonitrile market is expected to grow at CAGR of about 4-5 per cent in the coming few years. But the overall demand volume for acrylonitrile would still be lesser than some of the other countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand etc in the Asia-Pacific region. So, even with this healthy growth rate, India’s share of Asian acrylonitrile market is not expected to increase much,” points out Ramani.

Further, India is not likely to see significant capacity addition in acrylonitrile in near future due to factors such as long-gestation period to set up new plant, competition from the imports, focus on other petrochemical products by domestic manufacturers, etc. He opines, “At present, there have not been any announcements regarding any new acrylonitrile plant being set up in India. Also, setting up of a petrochemical complex takes a significant period of time. So, we do not see any new acrylonitrile capacity coming up in India in near future. In addition, the demand for acrylonitrile is not huge in comparison to some other basic petrochemical commodities.

So, it would be difficult to generate an interest from a petrochemical producer, especially when the imports from other Asian countries are being offered at competitive prices.”

Email: rakesh.rao@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Food packaging industry

Fuelling petrochemical demand Sustainability and convenience are the buzzwords in the packaging industry today. R&D in packaging is reaching new heights, so much so, that marketing communication of most companies relies on their innovations in packaging. The trick, however, lies in optimising cost and design without passing on the additional cost to consumers.

Mahua Roy

T

he petrochemical industry has greatly contributed to the growth in packaging.

The Indian polyolefin market saw tremendous growth of 12 per cent in 2011, reaching 7.5 million metric tonne, according to an estimate by Reliance Industries Ltd, the country’s largest resin producer. Polypropylene saw the fastest growth rate among polyolefins, standing at 18 per cent rise. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is growing at 7 per cent. These two polymers

New packaging technologies are a challenge; however, a good packaging professional could use a combination of both cost and creativity to introduce a package design that works well for the consumer and the brand.

Vimal Kedia Managing Director, Manjushree Technopack Ltd

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constitute a big chunk of the polyolefin industry.

The packaging industry constitutes 35 per cent of polyolefin use. Rajiv Vastupal, Chairman and Managing Director, Rajiv Group, states, “The Indian packaging industry is estimated to be worth ` 63,000 crore. It is growing at 11 per cent annually and is expected to cross ` 95,000 crore by 2015.”

According to him, the principal growth drivers for the domestic packaging industry are the food & beverage and pharmaceutical packaging sectors.

Studying of consumer trends highlights four unambiguous factors, which are fuelling the demand for polyolefins in packaging industry. It also reveals how polyolefins, especially PET, are replacing glass as traditional packaging choice. Experts say that this is only the beginning of a revolution in smart packaging.

Top 4 consumer trends Polyolefins are used as flexible packaging options usually. At present, flexible food packaging materials account for around 24 per cent of the total food

packaging material market. Flexible packaging finds varied uses because of its ability to provide strength, moisture resistance, aroma retention, gloss, grease resistance, heat retention, salability, printability and low odour. It has gained vast acceptability because of the protection offered to the product against environmental threats like moisture, heat and chemical reaction.

More so, convenience in handling the product and the cost benefits it provides are added advantages.

As the consumer becomes smarter and being spoilt for choice by the FMCG industry, the packaging industry needs to follow suit and offer smarter technologies resonating with the dynamic consumers. Let’s take a look at the top four trends that dictate the upward trend of the polyolefin industry towards packaging options.

1. Convenience: Undoubtedly, convenience is the key deliverable of the packaging material. Flexible packaging has demonstrated in innumerable ways how convenience can be made as simple as possible. Be it an easily squeezable bottle of ketchup, or an easy-to-grip

Food packaging industry

bottle of soft drink, it is interesting to note that polyolefins have allowed this innovation in an area dominated by glass.

2. Safety: Food & beverages are innately susceptible to microbial contamination. Apart from product development, the sector of ready-toeat and ready-to-cook foods needs to remain indebted to the packaging options and technologies made available. Polystyrene (PS) is seeing a lot of activity under the sustainability charm. Cut vegetables, eggs and other such perishable items are increasingly being sold using polystyrene packaging.

PS has an inherent functionality of

DECODING THE SUSTAINABILITY MYTHS Vimal Kedia, Managing Director, Manjushree Technopack Ltd explains lucidly how PET contributes to sustainability spelling profits to the brand and savings to the consumers.

Each gram saved on a preform used for a market of 100 million bottles, saves about: o 100 tonne of PET o ` 10 million in costs for PET resin at ` 1 lakh per tonne o About 80,000 kWh of energy o 2670 kWh of energy for preform heating for blow-moulding This in turn saves 36 tonne of carbon dioxide from being generated and 27.2 tonne of carbon from being used. It thus makes a lot of sense to switch to a design that not only mitigates the pain of high input costs but also helps in making the planet greener. Another example can be that of PET bottles manufactured for carbonated soft drinks. A 500 ml pack, which would be packed in a 32 gm bottle was optimised to 30 gm, subsequently to 28 gm and now stands at 27 gm for a 600 ml pack size.

A 5 gm saving converts into crores of Rupees saved on raw material, processing costs and of course lesser plastic and lesser energy consumed on account of lower weight.

retarding microbial growth due to its high oxygen barrier properties. Safety is guaranteed to the consumer for a longer period of time, and so is freshness.

3. Sustainability: Using polyolefins as a packaging option directly as well as indirectly helps contribute positively to the environment. The consumer becomes aware of the responsible nature of the food processing company, which adds to the brand value and loyalty. “Indian foods such as palak paneer, biryani, upma, etc are retort processed. Therefore, their packaging requirements are different.

Ready-to-use retort pouches are flexible packages that are made of multilayer plastic films, which may or may not contain aluminium (Al) foils as one of the layers. The most commonly used packaging materials for such products include 3-ply laminates that are made up of PET/Al foil/PP. Some of the other materials that are used to make such packaging include nylon, silica-coated nylon, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and polyvinyledene chloride (PVDC),” adds Vastupal. These materials commit to safety as well as sustainable solutions.

“We have worked with various beverage companies to come up with a lightweight PET bottle for their carbonated soft drinks segment.

Lightweighting involves reducing the weight of the bottle and bottle caps, which allows huge savings in PET resin and costs associated with it. This subsequently helps in the long-term benefit of keeping carbon emissions in check,” adds Vimal Kedia, Managing Director, Manjushree Technopack Ltd. Polystyrene too is being promoted by producers as a sustainable option to food packaging.

4.

Price sensitivity: It is a challenge to offer the above deliverables optimally to the consumer who is price sensitive too. Says a spokesperson of a company manufacturing PET and PP preforms, “We were given the contract to innovate and manufacture a packaging solution for an easily-usable packaging for a ketchup. However, the company was not ready to increase the

Figure 1: Flexible packaging demand substrate consumption, India (by volume)

7% 14% 34% 16% 29%

PE

PP

Paper and foils

PET Others

Source: Indian Flexible Packaging & Folding Carton Manufacturers Association

price of the product, which was also sold in glass packaging.” It was then later decided to sell the flexible packaged ketchup at a price point different from the glass packaged one. A price hike is looked at negatively and usually frowned upon. It becomes tough to convince the consumer to shell out an extra amount for the packaging innovation.

“New packaging technologies are a challenge; however, a good packaging professional could use a combination of both cost and creativity to introduce a package design that works well for the consumer and the brand,” says Kedia.

He adds how milk and edible oil segments could do with a complete overhaul of packaging. “Regular milk is currently available only in Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) pouches, which need to be cut, emptied into another reclosable container or vessel. Similarly, oil also needs to be transferred into another container before being used.

Both these products could be available in PET for edible oil or blow-moulded PP/ HDPE container, with designs enabling easy pouring and reclosability. If these two basic features are added, consumers will slowly accept the new package design and chances are that they may even be willing to pay a slightly higher price for a more convenient pack,” adds Kedia.

Email: mahua.roy@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

51

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Polystyrene

Mahua Roy

putting the overall demand for PS and EPS at 23.5 million tonne by 2020.

“After years of subpar performance, in the way of eroding margins compressed by rising crude prices and tightening global feedstock supplies, PS business instituted

convenience, material substitution along with delivering sustainability,” points out ioneering technologies by Murat Orhon, Director - Sales & Marketing (Plastics), Stryon, which was part of Dow Dow and BASF led to the development of this wonder Chemical until 2010, and is now owned by polymer way back in the 1930s.

Bain Capital.

The past few decades have PS can actually resist bacterial growth, making seen its stupendous rise and subsequent drop in demand. it an advanced option And now, polystyrene is back for packaging. It is also in the race with improved a lightweight packaging material science. Packaging, material that is easily construction and consumer automatable. And because electronics industries are it is easily disposable, the major consumers. The it is used regularly as The last decade spelt disturbing news for the polystyrene global demand for PS and a takeaway container.

(PS) industry with sharp declines in demands and asset expandable polystyrene “New customer trends shutdowns across the world. But technology innovations (EPS) is rising within of today are highlighting in this field are customising polystyrene to deliver diverse developing countries such technologies like oxygen functionalities with reduced cost. as China, India, Iran, Saudi permeability and form Arabia and Brazil. fill sealing, etc. These are creating exciting PS in the past decade opportunities for PS in As per a report by Research both existing and new and Markets, the worldwide applications,” says Orhon. demand for PS and EPS Besides, it provides increased from 13 million toughness required by tonne in 2000 to only large applications such around 14.9 million tonne as television housings in over the decade. The and display units, along demand grew at a CAGR with the high flow of 1.4 per cent during characteristics needed for 2000-2010. However, in intricate parts used in the coming years, the global electronic devices. “This demand is expected to combination of toughness grow at a CAGR of 4.7 per cent, thereby significant price increases for resins prior and flow also allows original equipment manufacturers to design complex, to the recession, which compounded results by severely reducing sales volumes. thin-walled parts, while maintaining Figure 1: Global polystyrene demand Thus, many converters switched their strength required for electronics the by application, 2011: 10,589 KT PS fabrications to lower-cost and lowerapplications,” says a spokesperson from density resins, such as polypropylene.

IHS. Industry has already seen how This has led to erosion in some of the printers, fax machines and keyboards, for instance, have switched to flametraditional large-volume applications, particularly in general-purpose and highretardant High Impact Polystyrene 3270 3995 impact resins,” explains a spokesperson Sheets (HIPS), from acrylonitrile from IHS Chemicals. butadiene styrene (ABS).

“There lies a huge opportunity to PS consistent with market change the perception of PS by sharing 3324 facts like highlighting its calorific value trends Be it packaging or electronics, all are as a resource for energy production, and promising sustainability. “PS has the ability also highlighting the recyclability of PS,” Packaging Electronics/appliances Others to deliver a four-dimensional functionality, adds Orhon.

Courtesy: CMAI: Client Services 2012 fulfilling the attributes of energy-efficiency, Email: mahua.roy@infomedia18.in

P

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Wonder polymer delivering diverse functionalities

Chemical World | July 2012

Roundtable INSIGHT & OUTLOOK

Can industry compete globally by adopting effective feedstock strategy?

India is dependent on imports to meet its feedstock requirements, and hence, it is imperative for the petrochemical industry to hedge against the fluctuating crude oil prices. In conversation with Rakesh Rao, experts deliberate upon various strategies to make industry competitive globally.

Aashish Kasad Partner & Tax Leader – Chemicals Practice, Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd

Shushmul Maheshwari CEO, RNCOS E-Services Ltd

Pratik Kadakia Principal, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Pvt Ltd

Non-availability and higher costs of raw material are often a discouraging factor for chemical manufacturers to scale-up manufacturing operations.

There is an imperative need for feedstock and fuels to be available at international prices for the Indian chemical industry to be more competitive. Therefore, there is a need for zero import duty on naphtha and hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane, which are the raw materials for manufacture of a wide range of organic chemicals.

India should have a plan to secure its feedstock from feedstock-rich countries with competitive supplies.

Apart from this, the Government of India should also disincentivise export of surplus naphtha from the country and encourage the consortium cracker project, wherein every Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals P h i l Investment I Region R i must have a cracker that produces all the building block chemicals.

As India is majorly dependent on imports for the chemical industry’s feedstock requirements, the government should reduce or eliminate the import duties. Currently, the customs duty on alcohol is 6 per cent, for LNG and naphtha each, it is 5 per cent. In fact, the Indian Chemical Council has already proposed the elimination of customs duty. The chemical manufacturers can opt for feedstock, which has less dependency on imports. The government can provide incentives for bio-based raw materials to reduce dependence on crude oil.

Conventionally, naphthabased crackers provide feedstock to the industry, but nowadays, due to high naphtha prices, they are being substituted by new gas-based crackers. Coal can also serve as an alternative to naphtha/crude oil. By adopting d i suitable i bl coall conversion i technology, coal can provide chemical feedstock.

There is huge potential for setting up crackers in India as there is likelihood of shortage of petrochemicals in near future.

India is a peculiar example. India does not have enough production of oil and gas. While India continues to be one of the leading importers of crude oil, the refining capacities that are coming up are based on the competitiveness of Indian refiners vis-à-vis global counterparts making us competitive in the export of petroleum products.

So, the learning from this is if we continue to invest in the latest technologies and world-scale infrastructure and operations, the chemicals industry will flourish in India as the market is definitely here. With the refining capacity that will get commissioned, it will continue i to meet the h domestic d i requirements of naphtha for now and the future.

EDITORIAL TAKE Though India is dependent on imported crude oil and gas, by adopting state-of-the-art technologies, petrochemical manufacturers can operate their refinery optimally to become globally competitive. In addition, the government needs to take several steps related to importexport policies to offer added advantages to the industry.

July 2012 | Chemical World

53

INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Singapore’s chemical hub

A bridge to tap the Southeast Asian market

Singapore can be an ideal location for Indian petrochemical companies to serve the growing Southeast Asian market.

As the centrepiece of energy and chemical industries, Singapore can also open new avenues to meet the feedstock requirements of India.

Rakesh Rao

I

ndia represent ntss the th he se seco cond co nd-llar arge gest ge st foreign business community in Singapore, with 3,800 Indian companies in Singapore. With Asia becoming an increasingly important consumer of energy and chemical products, Singapore is positioning itself as a strategic base for Indian energy and chemical companies seeking to internationalise and access new regional & global markets. “The increasing affluence of Asian consumers offers opportunities for specialty chemical companies to pursue R&D for new materials to seed

Companies that are keen on accessing Asia and global markets beyond India can leverage the close proximity to their customers and the end-consumers to monitor and respond with agility to emerging needs in the growing Asian markets by innovating new applications and processes in Singapore.

Lee Eng Keat International Director, Asia-Pacific, Singapore EDB

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Chemical World | July 2012

new gr ne grow owth ow th sectors,” says Lee Eng Keat, In nte terrn r nat atio ional Director, Asia-Pacific, Singapore Economic Development Board Si (EDB) ) – the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies towards shaping the future of Singapore’s economy.

He adds, “Companies that are keen on accessing Asia and global markets beyond India can leverage the close proximity to their customers and the end-consumers to monitor and respond with agility to emerging needs in the growing Asian markets by innovating new applications and processes in Singapore.”

Singapore’s proximity to multinational clients (such as P&G and Unilever), good legal & physical infrastructure and strong IP protection make it a natural location for specialty chemicals companies to locate their R&D activities there.

Going strong Some reports say that growth rates have slowed down in most of the Asian countries (compared to 2011) and are expected to remain so for at least another 1-2 quarters of 2012. However, Keat feels that demand is still strong. “Asia’s petrochemical demand is growing so strongly that there have been many new projects announced, not just in Singapore

but globally. This indicates the markett potential that Asia holds,” he elaborates.

The key for Singapore is to continuee to be globally competitive, not just competitive in one area or region. Keat opines, “We believe that we can continue to sustain that advantage, with the current base of refineries and crackers & concentrate on the higher value products like higher olefins and specialty chemicals.”

Mission 2.0 for sustainability The Government of Singapore aims at increasing competitiveness of the country’s manufacturing base. To achieve this, Singapore is developing Jurong Island Version 2.0, which is a strategy blueprint focussed on new infrastructure developments and systemlevel optimisation of valuable resources such as energy, carbon, water and land. “In consultation with industry, the government is in the process of implementing projects to make Singapore the model of sustainable development. A number of high impact projects that would reinforce Jurong Island’s competitiveness and sustainability will be implemented over the next few years. Examples of projects include a gasification plant, a LPG terminal and a multi-user product grid,” discloses Keat.

Singapore’s chemical hub

To set some context, he adds, Singapore’s vision is for Jurong Island to be a reference model of a global chemical industry that is best-in-class in sustainability, while maintaining world-class competitiveness. In consultation with industry, the government has initiated consultancy studies to identify solutions to make Singapore the model of sustainable development in the chemical industry. Jurong Island Version 2.0 includes five work groups, which cover energy-efficiency; environment; water selfsustainability; feedstock options; and logistics & transport.

Growing trade prospects Emerging markets in Asia (particularly China and India) are expected to drive global demand for oil due to their strong economic growth, urbanisation and industrialisation. In addition, the level of exploration and production activity in the region is expected to continue to increase due to the abundance of untapped reserves. “Asia’s mean undiscovered oil resources have been estimated to be in the order of about 50 billion barrels, which is equal to 1.5 times the combined proved reserves in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia,” says Keat.

Oil and gas traders can use Singapore to undertake strategic headquarter functions and trading activities. According to Keat, Singapore’s location in Asia enables oil & gas traders to react quickly to market changes and access an installed base of traders: Asia’s oil trading hub: Today, Singapore is the price discovery centre for oil products in Asia, given that it is the third-largest trading hub in the world after London and New York. Companies like Petrochina, ChinaOil, Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil have already established trading offices in Singapore. The critical mass of traders also facilitates deal-making and information exchange.

In addition, Singapore presents traders with valuable opportunities to trade, given that it is one of world’s top 10 export refining centres, with a total refining capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day.

Asia’s gas trading hub: In addition, Singapore has gained prominence as a trading hub for LNG with at least 12 global players establishing LNG trading teams over the past three years.

Entrants include oil majors such as Shell, BP and Gazprom as well as major lenders such as Citibank.

Leveraging business tie-up The business connections between India and Singapore took on a new dimension of growth after the signing of India’s first ever Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with Singapore. Indian companies can look at Singapore to develop competitive feedstock for petrochemicals, advanced materials as well as specialty chemicals. For example, Aditya Birla Group (through its entity Swiss Singapore Overseas Enterprises that trades petroleum products in Singapore) is already leveraging Singapore’s status as an international trading hub.

As Indian companies plan to tap the growing opportunities in Southeast Asia region, many of them can use Singapore as an ideal launch pad to penetrate these markets.

Email: rakesh.rao@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Human element in accidents

K N K Murthy

M

ost of the accidents in a manufacturing facility are caused by multiple failures in the safety chain link rather than a single one. One link is dependent on the other for its own reliability and integrity, though individually each of them could be strong. The accident investigation must concentrate on all types

that the above generic philosophy is fully addressed (layer-wise as above) while arriving at the human element of the causation factor. The investigation report should reflect clearly the chain link theory commencing with the bottom of the pyramid (shop-level personnel – mostly the victims, their peers or supervisors) through line/middle/high/topmost level management personnel with respect to the same incident. Here is a small case

as electrical spark from a damaged live power cable of a temporarily laid portable lighting fixture (which was used to help the welder during night).

Liquid methanol soaked in and damaged the cable causing the spark.

Fortunately, there was only a minor burn injury to a field operator, though it took about half an hour to douse the fire and the unit had to be again shut down for a week to rectify the damages.

Factor ng in the

bigger picture bi i

Human factor is being attributed as the key for success in any endeavour. The same is true for failure as well.

An accident could be just one among the manifestations of a failure. Therefore, human element is the basic thing highlighted in any accident scenario. This article is a ‘humane attempt’ to look beyond the conventional wisdom of an accident investigation exercise by establishing the involvement of larger cross-section of individuals/groups at various levels in addition to the victims themselves, thereby paving the way for a viable prevention strategy against similar incidents. of causation factors rather than to zeroin on the immediate symptoms available at the incident site. It is important to consider all probable routes, which led to the incident. The different routes such as management policy, commitment, culture, behaviour, systems, procedures and practices must be travelled along with the ‘action-oriented failure(s) at the shop level’. Individuals holding positions at various levels must play pivotal roles through their own contribution as per the assigned responsibility for the activity under reference where a similar or more serious incident can reoccur. This can obviously be called the multi-layer model in accident causation.

Every accident irrespective of being trivial, minor, major or serious must be probed on merit, considering its hazard vulnerability and risk rating to ensure

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study being offered as worked example, wherein every other incident indicates the direct or indirect intervention of a larger cross-section of hierarchy in preventing such incidents.

Case-in-point: Fire incident in a chemical unit A serious fire occurred in a chemical unit involving methanol spill out. The incident took place two days after the execution of a hot work (welding) in the piping system of a methanol pump and subsequent plant restart. Incidentally, the organisation had a structured safety system on ‘permit-towork’ and this could have been an isolated case according to the management. The source of fuel was continuously trickling methanol from a sample collection point, which got accumulated around the work area and source of ignition was identified

Lessons to be learnt The layer-wise causation factor analysis revealed few safety lapses in a highly vulnerable unit like this. It must be noted that neither an employee is ‘so called accident prone’ nor the supervisors/ managers/top executives are ‘too callous’ about safety. They definitely practise certain HSE guidelines while performing/ executing/overseeing/governing the assigned responsibilities. However, since an accident had taken place, the investigator tried to analyse and find out how a better job would have been done by all concerned under the given situation. Those aspects are highlighted below against the accident under reference. The recommendations based on the ‘human-driven’ causation factors are highlighted here (layer-wise).

E - Bottom most layer (Shop-level working personnel including the victim,

Human element in accidents

peers and witnesses): It is important to recognise, observe, report and correct the potential fire risks as part of regular work schedules (with respect to leakages, presence of ignition sources such as electricity) in hazardous process areas.

(The characteristic odour of methanol should have sensitised the persons about an impending risk). Adherence to better housekeeping habits – removing/returning materials, tools and tackles brought in for maintenance activities along with the disposal of wastes generated during the job – is a vital aspect; in this case, the presence of a temporary electrical appliance – portable lamp – in a hazardous location was overlooked (to the extent that it was not even switched off ). and DLine super visors departmental executives: It is essential to prevent leakages/spillages/accumulation of hazardous materials at process areas while sustaining plant operations. They should have better appreciation of the significance of safety with reference to the use of standard electrical appliances in zones such as methanol handling areas falling under electrical area classification.

It is important to adhere to stricter compliance of the closure/handover procedure of the well-formulated permitto-work system in vogue (ie, return of the portable lamp to electrical department before restarting the unit along with the welding set). Sample collection valves and such other utility devices must be subjected to appropriate maintenance/ upkeep priorities like other process control equipment/machinery.

C - Line management: It is vital to consider the scope for installing flammable vapour detectors in such critical areas to warn against impending hazards. Better standard/design of fittings/fixtures/valves, etc, should be used in vulnerable areas (for instance, installation of positive isolation/ quick shut off valves etc). Safety Tour & Observation Programmes (STOP) including the review of temporary safeguards as applicable to sustain operations till major shut downs should be undertaken to avoid/correct unsafe conditions. Accumulation of leakages

Figure 1: Layers and players in incident prevention (in top down order) A: Topmost management (CEO, Directors, etc) B: Higher g management g (unit or installation-wise) C: Line management D: Supervisors/department executives E: Shop-level working personnel

should be prevented in process area by way of floor slopping, dilution, collection and safe disposal. It is necessary to enhance safety awareness among working personnel through tool room talks, joint inspection rounds etc, especially after maintenance/shut down.

B - Higher management: They should ensure that information is being shared among different units with reference to permit-to-work related incidents. Execution of internal safety audit rounds along with field executives and supervisors must be a part of regular work schedule. It is necessary to ensure compliance of surveys pertaining to specifically hazardous locations such as methanol storage/handling/processing areas with reference to operation. Steps must be taken to upgrade systems/ procedures/practices etc; conduct themebased surveys, monitoring, etc (eg, permit-to-work system). Performance appraisal system needs to be strengthened by incorporating safety as a significant element in all the key tasks assigned to line managers/officers/supervisors.

A - Topmost management: They should undertake unit or corporate level review of the existing systems, practices and procedures and take stock of the status of effective compliance. Execution of trend review, external audits and issue of specific instructions to carry out regular safety inspections at ground zero are essential.They should conduct walkthrough audits by senior-most executives (both scheduled and surprise

rounds). Besides, as part of ‘continual improvement’ strategy, they must also adopt review, revision and amendment of system based on experience.

Always on guard It is important to accept people as they are keeping in mind the chances of few aberrations, occasional insensitiveness to mistakes besides some error factor attributable to education, knowledge, skill, competency etc, all of which are humanrelated factors. They must be addressed through better training, feedback, supervision, control of operations, enforcement system etc, in a proactive rather than reactive manner. Besides to the extent possible, human intervention must be reduced through inherently safe equipment, work methods and user-friendly procedures and practices making use of the expertise/technological innovation, which are already available.

K N K Murthy has been in the fertilisers and petrochemicals industry for 38 years and retired as Senior Manager (Safety) from Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd, Vadodara. Currently, he works as a Safety Consultant and is associated with Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute, Ahmedabad. He has done pioneering works in various aspects like hazard identification, safety audits/inspections/surveys, training, emergency preparedness planning, quality/environment standards (ISO), etc. He can be contacted on email: mohanaknk@yahoo.co.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Mist cooling system

Cou C Co ou ourrt rte ttesy: y: Mi y: M st s R Res essson nanc a e Enginee an E neeerin in ng Pv vtt Ltd L Lt

Going beyond conventional cooling towers Efficiency of a proc occeesssss inndu dustry ssttry ry largely depends on availillaabbililitity of d si de sire red cold water tem mpe perraature thro th roug ugho hout ut the year, but utt mainly in ssum umme merr annd mo mons nsooon, n, whe hen humi hu midi mi dity di tyy is high hiighh. Mi Misstt cre reat eaattion ion io technoo loo gy g c an p roo vi v i ddee a n a te al t rnnat atiiv ive to to connve vent ntio nt ioonnaal al cool cool co oliinng olin towe to weerss, whic whhichh too a laarrggee extteennt, t o feers bet of ette et tteer en ener ergy er ergy gy-eeff f fiicciieenc ncy. y.

Makarand Chitale

W

ater cooling plays an important role in all types of process industries. Appropriate cold water temperature is crucial in ensuring the efficiency of a process.

During the months, when humidity is high, cooling tower (CT) fails to achieve desired cold water temperature, resulting in lower efficiency of power plant, in turn leading to loss of product vapour.

An advanced mist creation system can achieve an approach of 1-2˚C to Wet Bulb Temperature (WBT) as against 5-6˚C approach for conventional cooling tower.

Hence, guaranteed cold water temperature of around 30˚C could be obtained throughout the year in India’s tropical climate. The spraying head is equivalent to the height of CT, thus requiring same pumping power. As mist creation system does not require fans for cooling, it saves huge amount of power. Also, as there are no moving parts involved in mist creation system the maintenance cost is negligible and system runs trouble-free.

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Some of the basic types of cooling systems utilised in process industries are described here alongwith the advantage of mist creation system over the conventional CT.

Wet cooling tower system In process/chemical plants, product vapour generated during a process is condensed in a heat exchanger and is recovered back. The condensation of steam/vapour requires a cooling medium.

In early days, this was achieved by using water from a river, a pond or seawater.

The cold water is pumped through a heat exchanger and the warm water is discharged back to the water source. This is called once through cooling system.

A once through system is an open loop system. The necessity to reduce the huge amount of water gave birth to the idea of closed loop system. Thus, the wet cooling system came into effect.

In a wet cooling system, water is circulated to condense the steam in the same type of heat exchanger that is used in the once through cooling. The warm water, instead of being returned to the

water source, is cooled in a cooling tower using air as the cooling medium. Only the water carried away due to evaporation, drift and blow-down needs to be replenished by make-up water. Thus requirement of water quantity is vastly reduced.

The wet cooling tower system is based on the principle of evaporation.

The heated water coming out of the surface condenser is cooled as it flows through a CT, where air is forced through the tower by either mechanical or natural draft. Nowadays, mostly, all wet cooling towers are mechanical draft cooling towers, where the air flow is accomplished by fans.

The principal cooling device used in an induced/forced draft cooling tower is fan, which runs at the top of CT. Air enters through side louvres and escapes from the top. Water enters at the top and trickles down while getting cooled by air draft.

A correctly designed induced draft CT can give an approach of 4-6°C to WBT with a temperature drop of 10°C. Even a highly efficient CT cannot give an approach less than 4°C to WBT. Moreover,

Mist cooling system

if ambient temperature or humidity levels rise, efficiency of CT reduces.

Mist cooling system CT consumes a lot of power due to use of fans. It is observed that the efficiency of CT reduces over a period of time due to wear and tear of moving parts, fills, fins, etc, which invites heavy maintenance.

Hence, there is an urgent demand from the industry for a water cooling system, which will operate with high efficiency even in adverse climatic conditions and maintain cold water temperature in closed vicinity to WBT. One of the probable solutions to this problem is Mist Cooling System (MCS), which is a high efficiency system that ensures an approach of 1°C to prevailing WBT with a temperature drop of 12-15°C even in adverse climatic conditions. In tropical conditions, in countries such as India, worst WBT even in coastal areas is maximum 30.5°C. Hence, MCS will always maintain cold water of around 31°C+1°C throughout the year, thus, making it highly efficient compared to other cooling systems. Some of the advantages of MCS are as follows: Cold water temperature: Mist cooling system can ensure an approach of 0-1°C to WBT with a temperature drop of 12-15°C. Energy savings: Due to such high temperature drop obtained, water quantity required at the process side is much less. MCS requires water pressure equivalent to the height of cooling tower.

Hence, considerable amount of energy is saved on circulation water pumping.

Also, MCS does not require any fans for cooling. Thus, a huge amount of energy is saved on circulation and cooling.

Process benefits: MCS can supply cold water at a temperature very close to WBT (approach of 0-2°C) as against an approach of 6-7°C in cooling tower.

This will reduce the product vapour losses in shell and tube heat exchangers and ensure that the plant operates at an enhanced yield in summer and monsoon also. This means that the plant can operate at its full load throughout

Table 1: Comparison of MCS and CT systems Description p CT MCS Approach pp to WBT 4 to 6°C 1 to 2°C Temperature p drop p 8 to 10°C 12 to 15°C Circulation water quantity q 1.5 times MCS 65% of CT Power consumption Requires fans that Nil (no fans required) consume power p Equipment q p + civil cost 125% of MCS 75% of CT Maintenance cost High Very low (practically p nil) Drift and evaporation p losses Same Same Area Less More* (2-5 times CT area depending p on capacity) p 3 *As capacity (flow, M /Hr) through MCS increases, ratio of area required between MCS and CT reduces the year. Hence, installation of MCS will ensure large commercial benefits to chemical manufacturers in the form of additional product obtained at an enhanced yield.

Maintenance: MCS has no moving parts. Also, the material used in the mist cooling system is special grade saran polymer, a highly non-corrosive material having a life of more than 10-15 years.

Hence, this lowers the maintenance cost. As against this, cooling towers require heavy maintenance in the form of replacement of louvres, fan blades, clamps, etc every year. MCS operates with a choke-less design. Size of smallest opening in MCS is more than one inch (25 mm). Hence, chances of particles choking the system are minimum.

MCS matches the design as per need: Depending upon the requirements, various designs of MCS are available to suit site conditions. Some of the designs are open and closed pond MCS, tabletop design to prevent algae formation, MCS for dusty environment, etc.

MCS ensures Water quality: efficient atomisation and the consequent absorption & retention of air by water particles, thus causing aeration of water, showing better Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) & Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values.

System flexibility (capacity turndown ratio): MCS offers individual line isolation valve, thus making it the only system, which gives the user such a high flexibility in operation.

Hydro-balance valve: MCS is provided with an inbuilt hydro-balance valve (HBV) for temperature control. HBV can be set at a specific pressure. To avoid sub-cooling in winter, HBV can be set at a lower pressure than the system operating pressure. The hydro-balance system also helps to release the excess pressure.

Chemical treatment: Chemical dosing requirements are similar to that of cooling tower as same hold up of water is maintained in suction pit.

Make-up water requirement: Due to latest closed pond design, drift loss through MCS is reduced to less than 0.02 per cent while maintaining an approach of around 2°C to WBT. Hence, overall make-up water quantity required is approximately same as compared to cooling towers.

Energising thought The chemical industry is an energyintensive sector, hence any equipment/ technology that reduces power consumption can not only lower energy cost but also help the company to increase its bottom line. Considering this, MCS can surely meet the demand of chemical manufacturers to implement energyefficient system at their facilities.

Makarand Chitale is the Director (Technical) at Mist Ressonance Engineering Pvt Ltd – one of the pioneers in the field of vacuum generation and mist cooling system in India. For details, contact on email: mistcreation@gmail.com

July 2012 | Chemical World

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AUTOMATION TRENDS Case study - Heubach Colour

to reduce

Heubach Colour Pvt Ltd is no stranger to innovation. When it wanted to integrate facilities to improve visibility, speed up decisionmaking and minimise downtime, it implemented SAP Business All-in-One solution from ZenSar Technologies Ltd. Now the company enjoys an integrated software environment that dramatically improves business performance.

customer response time customer enquiries. The software was also inflexible, which made it difficult to execute common transactions and export data for analysis. To address these concerns, the company sought more robust ERP software that would help it exert more control over business areas such as accounts receivable.

Painting a brighter future

H

eubach India is part of a family-owned group of companies with a long history of imagination and innovation that dates back to 600 years.

The Heubach family started with the art of glass-making in the 14th century Europe. Ever since, its companies have remained on the cutting edge – from early discoveries in porcelain making to advances in the industrial production of pigments that serve as the foundation for the group’s modern day activities.

In 1995, the group established Heubach India in Ankleshwar, Gujarat.

Today, it boasts of three independent manufacturing facilities. These facilities turn out organic pigments and preparations for basic paints, inks and plastics, as well as for other sophisticated uses such as automotive coatings and ink-jet and colour-filter applications. To run these facilities, Heubach India used legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that was outdated, highly customised and non-integrated.

Connectivity problems and downtime hurt manufacturing performance. A lack of integration made for tedious reporting, poor business visibility, delayed decisionmaking and slow response times for

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After evaluating the offerings in the market, Heubach India decided

to implement SAP Business All-inOne solution offered by ZenSar Technologies. This solution met the objectives of the company for enhanced d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g, consolidated operations and real-time business visibility.

The software was also endowed with extensive reporting functionality and flexibility for meeting local and international compliance standards.

In addition, it saw substantial value

INTEGRATED APPROACH D K Rana, General Manager, Heubach Colour Pvt Ltd, in conversation with Rakesh Rao highlights the company’s automation plans…

How has implementation of SAP solution benefitted Heubach?

Implementation of SAP Business All-in-Onee has helped us consolidate different manufacturing units under one company code. It has facilitated real-time information and provided solutions to complex business requirements. It has assisted the company in meeting local and international compliance standards by leveraging on the business data for real-time reporting and resources planning to support decision-making. It has helped us increase monitoring, improve business controls and standardise business processes for operations and logistics.

What were the challenges faced by you during implementation?

How did you manage to overcome them?

We had to meet the timelines of four-and-half months to implement seven modules.

We achieved it by: o Having dedicated team of core team members and business process owners to guide them o Defining exhaustive business process requirements along with a versatile organisation structure o Following ZenSar’s template-driven approach o Consolidating units under a single ERP solution and enabling collaboration among units o Adopting industry best practices and redefining our legacy process wherever required

Case study - Heubach Colour

in how the software helped in integrating facilities across geographies while enabling rapid scalability. For the implementation, Heubach India followed ZenSar’s template-driven approach to minimise customisations and lower the total cost of ownership.

Easy maintenance of databases and multilayered server applications offered a robust solution without loss of functionality and flexibility.

Working with ZenSar, Heubach India completed the implementation in a short timeframe using dedicated core team members and business process owners across five locations. ZenSar’s detailed understanding of industry best practices, along with the development of business process re-engineering templates, helped speed things even more. The company also worked with ZenSar to employ a train-the-trainer approach for business-user instruction.

This has helped ensure a high user adoption rate.

The colour of success By consolidating units under a single ERP solution and enabling collaboration across units, the implementation of SAP Business All-in-One solution has helped increase productivity at Heubach India.

Employees have the information they need at their fingertips, thus reducing manual intervention. The solution has also improved monitoring and control over key processes such as purchasing, sales, production, inventory control, supply chain management and financials. This has led to a 15 per cent reduction in inventory, which has cut costs substantially. It has also improved control over accounts receivable, contributing to an 85 per cent reduction in month-end closing times.

In addition, the company has improved response times to customers on product availability and increased the efficiency of its material requirements planning process with suppliers. This

helps maintain positive relationships for ongoing growth.

As the ink dries Heubach India is enjoying the current success of its SAP Business All-inOne solution and looking forward to expanding the implementation in the future. Particularly happy with how the software supports the collaboration required for global business, the company plans to extend the Indian implementation to facilities in the US and Germany. It is also exploring the possibility of deploying additional SAP software to support compliance with the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use known as Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

Courtesy: SAP AG For details, contact Ranjana Mukherjee on email: ranjana.mukherjee@sap.com

July 2012 | Chemical World

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT Renewable resources

The eco-friendly alternative to energy security

The Indian chemical industry is now witnessing a difficult energy scenario. Economic, environmental and energy security concerns resulting from excessive reliance on coal and crude oil are forcing companies to shift to alternatives such as biofuels, solar, wind power etc for meeting energy requirements in their plants.

Avani Jain

I

n the present scenario, energy prices are steadily going up, thereby upsetting the economies of operations in several industries including chemicals. In addition, there are problems in procuring energy sources such as coal, crude oil etc due to their shortage. Further, these conventional or fossil fuel resources are limited, non-renewable and polluting, and therefore need to be used prudently. This calls for adoption of alternative sources of energy, ie renewable resources that are indigenous, non-polluting and inexhaustible, by the chemical companies. Though natural gas is the most viable substitute for coal, natural gas price trends are unlikely to make this an attractive opportunity for the industry. A substantial amount of energy requirements are currently met by waste and byproduct fuels, and there is a possibility of increase in the use of alternative and biofuels without compromising environmental quality.

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Advantages of using biofuels Most of the energy requirements in the chemical plants are currently satisfied using fossil fuels such as coal and petroleumbased products. However, domestic production of crude oil can only fulfill 25-30 per cent of the national consumption. This has inherently given boost to biofuel production. Biofuels are liquid or gaseous fuels produced from biomass resources and used in place of the traditional sources of energy. These biomass resources are the biodegradable fraction of products, wastes and residues from agriculture, forestry and related industries as well as industrial & municipal wastes. It is estimated that the existing biomass in the shape of agro waste/dairy waste/horticulture waste/municipal solid waste can meet our 40 per cent energy demand through biogas.

Kirit Mehta, Former President, Chemical and Alkali Merchants’ Association, says, “Today, chemical companies are increasingly focussing on using bio-based feedstock that are renewable, have lesser impact on the environment and can save energy as well. One of the major advantages of using bio-based feedstock is less pollution. Moreover, they provide for energy-efficiency as they can generate more calorific value at lesser cost.”

Biofuels are eco-friendly in nature and less polluting.

These have the ability to help chemical companies to meet their growing energy needs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The net carbon dioxide emission from burning a biofuel like ethanol is zero since the carbon dioxide emitted on combustion is equal to that absorbed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis during the growth of the plant (sugarcane) used to manufacture ethanol. Lifecycle analysis shows that ethanol has the lowest carbon dioxide emission. Thus, usage of biofuels in chemical plants can prove advantageous.

On the green path to progress Other solutions such as wind power, solar panels, etc can also be employed by the industry for generating power and reducing energy consumption to a large extent. A few chemical companies in India have been trying to set up facilities for captive wind and solar power projects. However, the capacity utilisation of wind power project and its lack of reliability due to change in wind strength from time to time is a big limitation. Further, in case of solar power, the cost of production is an impending factor. However, despite these limitations, they can serve as an excellent alternative source of energy for the chemical plants.

India’s crude oil and petroleum product supplies are largely import-dependent. With increase in oil import expenditure by more than six times in the last 25 years due to escalation in global demand and prices, alternative sources of energy are likely to be pressed into services. The alternative energy sources will be critical in reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, achieving greater energy security, and reducing noxious emissions.

Email: avani.jain@infomedia18.in

Free trade agreement POLICIES & REGULATIONS

Mahua Roy

C

iting unfair competitive advantage to the GCC, leading industry bodies have asked the government to reconsider the clauses of the Indo-GCC FTA. Economically, the deal makes a lot of sense since as a bloc, GCC is India’s third-largest trading partner after the European Union and the US, according to the latest import statistics available with the Commerce Ministry. An FTA with this region will benefit India highly as the six member countries viz Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have control over 45 per cent of the world’s recoverable oil wealth and 20 per cent of gas resources. Besides, about one-fifth of the global crude output is supplied by these countries.

higher,” explains Biswajit Nag, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi. This in turn leads to a considerable disparity in the average production cost of these petrochemicals in India and the GCC countries. “As

Foreseeable negatives of FTAs The main aim of FTAs is to secure trade liberalisation. However, FTAs can present economic advantages equitably to both parties only when they are negotiated with countries, which are significant trading partners. “FTAs also increase the complexity of the international trading system and can end up raising the transaction costs for businesses. With different rules negotiated under different agreements, enforcement of these rules and their compliance can be a hugely complex affair,” says Nag. The elimination of international trade barriers can bring in indefensible competition to domestic industrial environment. Some international markets may be at a higher level of sophistication than the domestic industry and can, therefore, be able to produce a certain commodity way below cost. As such, this surplus commodity gets flooded into the local market at much cheaper prices and essentially takes over that industry. As a result, local industries, even efficient ones, may be unable to compete under these conditions. Also, new and upcoming sectors in the domestic market may not be able to see much growth due to the flourishing imports from the developed nations. Most domestic polymer sectors will thus be affected, if proper formulation of policies is not met.

A boon or bane for domestic petrochemical industry

While bilateral/plurilateral trade agreements between countries facilitate business transactions easily and promote economic growth, one of the major drawbacks is its effect on domestic trade. This is one of the major reasons why the recent Indo-Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is being re-examined to study its implications on the domestic petrochemical sector.

However, ASSOCHAM points out the unfair advantage on feedstock cost, coupled with other cost handicaps faced by Indian industry, there is significant disadvantage vis-à-vis manufacturers in GCC member countries. “These governments provide natural gas to their petrochemical industry for feedstock purposes at a much lower subsidised rate; while existing prices in the international market are 10-15 times

requested the policy makers to exclude products like ethylene and linear lowdensity polyethylene (LLDPE) from the scope of the proposed FTA.

a result, the Indian manufacturers of low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene and polypropylene face cost disadvantages compared to their counterparts in GCC countries,” he adds. Thus, the industry associations had

FTA ACTIVITY IN ASIA (AS OF 2010) At present, there are a total of 506 FTAs in various stages of negotiation in the region of Asia, of which: o 119 are ones that have been proposed o 110 are under negotiation o 277 that have been already concluded. Out of the 277 concluded FTAs, 231 are already under effect Courtesy: India ASEAN Free Trade Agreement Implications for India’s Economy, by Deloitte-FICCI

A necessary evil: FTA “The principal objectives of an FTA include stimulating domestic economic growth through the enhancement of a nation’s exports to other countries; attracting FDIs; boosting productivity and competitiveness in domestic as well as global market scenarios; and deepening

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Free trade agreement

BENEFITS OF FTA o Increase in growth: The elimination of tariffs allows each member to specialise in the production of goods, in which it has a comparative advantage and trade those goods in exchange for imports of other goods from fellow members. o Achievement of economies of scale: It expands a member country’s export market, thereby allowing it to expand its scale of operations and lower its average cost of production. o Reduction of monopoly inefficiencies: If inefficient monopolies exist in the domestic market, then increased competition from foreign products dampen domestic monopoly inefficiencies, if not eliminate them altogether. o Availability of greater product variety: The opening up of free trade increases trade flows and expands the variety of products available to consumers in the home country.

Courtesy: India ASEAN Free Trade Agreement Implications for India’s Economy, by Deloitte-FICCI

economic integration with preferred trading partners,” elaborates Dr Sharad Sarin, Professor – Strategic Management, XLRI Jamshedpur. He further said that the eventual impact of an FTA on the Indian petrochemical industry will be influenced by a wide array of factors.

“Each FTA is unique and hence its implication on the domestic industry will

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vary from one agreement to the other.

However, irrespective of all factors, two broad issues need to be assessed deeply.

One, boosting access to the domestic market of the partner country, which can boost India’s exports, and, second, the likelihood of imports coming from the partner country through preferential route to India’s domestic market,” adds Dr Sarin.

Safeguarding domestic industry The petrochemical industry in several of India’s FTA partner countries like ASEAN and GCC has developed considerably due to enormous incentives, trade benefits and concessions provided by their respective governments.

This gives those countries asymmetric cost advantages vis-à-vis Indian manufacturers.

“India needs to take a vigilant approach to trade agreements keeping in view the higher transaction costs in the country.

It also needs to evaluate each FTA policy on a case-by-case basis to safeguard the domestic industry’s interest, especially for sectors like petrochemicals, which are extremely capital-intensive,” says Nag. To ensure that the primary objective of FTAs, ie increasing trade, is met, it becomes imperative that India enters into negotiations only with those countries and groups where there is complementarity between the participating sides.

Email: mahua.roy@infomedia18.in

Case Study - Jotun India STRATEGY

Mahua Roy

W

aste is not generated only as effluent or other discharge. To get a better and deeper look at how much waste one’s manufacturing unit produces, try answering these questions: does the commencement of a task depend upon the completion of another task totally? Is there a ‘waiting’ period involved? Does your stocking area include large inventory of unused material? How about flexibility? If your customer wants a certain modification in your product, how quickly can you change your processes to meet their needs? A single mishap or mismanagement in these queries can lead to waste of some kind or the other, and it includes time!

In these days of rising competitiveness in the market, any kind of wastage, especially of time, is intolerable. Jotun India has seamlessly interwoven highest standards of lean principles and safety to ensure productivity at its 61,536 sq m facility located at Ranjangaon, near Pune. Besides, the engineering design of the plant has been so well-planned that it has even taken into account future capacity expansions!

Towering the lean principles Conceptually, lean manufacturing is based on finding roadblocks and removing wasteful steps that fail to add value to the end-

Photo: Joshua Navalkar; Location courtesy: Jotun India, Ranjangaon, Pune

DESIGNING A LEAN APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING At what stage can lean manufacturing strategies be applied? The answer is, any stage, of course. But, if we rephrase the question as: At what stage can lean manufacturing strategies be applied optimally? The answer will change to: design stage. This is exactly what Jotun India has accomplished at its Ranjangaon outlet. Not only is its design outlay lean in every aspect, but it has also taken into account future capacity expansions! product. It should be understood that customers demand value, and they will be ready to pay even higher amount, sometimes, only if you assure meeting their needs. Why should they pay for defects, or for the extra cost of stocking large inventories. In other words, they should not be paying for your waste.

Jotun India facility incorporates most aspects towards promotion of leanness, such that maximum process efficiency is attained. One notices that the beams and columns are all located on the exterior; this way the effective area of the manufacturing unit is dramatically increased. Right from raw material inventory area to processing, packaging and dispatch, there is no step for which one would have to go backwards.

The raw material and finished goods are colour-coded, besides bearing detailed information. “Colour coding enables easy identification of inventory, which eases the workflow of forklift operators. The entire operations are based on first-in-firstout principles,” says Sairam Iyer, Manager – Operations, Jotun India. There is also incorporation of RFID tags, which makes the workflow even simpler. The company does not mind in investing towards technologies of tomorrow.

With a lean philosophy, the company enjoys the perks of continuous improvement. So, rather than making rapid, irregular and impulsive changes that may turn out to be disruptive to the workplace; small and sustainable changes with the processes, equipment, and materials will make all the desired difference. This systematic but simplistic approach proved effective for Jotun India.

The last word Lean manufacturing factors in supply chain management hurdles too. To successfully implement lean manufacturing principles, a tight partnership with suppliers is necessary; this facilitates the rapid flow of product and parts to the shop floor. Besides, this also helps is propagating the good practices in the industry for maximum penetration and adoption. Lean manufacturing strategies can save millions of rupees and produce noteworthy results.

Advantages include lower lead-times, reduced set-up times, and of course, increased profits. It gives the manufacturer a competitive edge by reducing costs and increasing quality, and by allowing the manufacturer to be more responsive to customer demands.

Email: mahua.roy@infomedia18.in

July 2012 | Chemical World

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TIPS & TRICKS Wellhead maintenance

actical tips to ensure optimised production Technological and procedural advances in flow assurance and reservoir management have resulted in an increase in the estimated field lifetime and subsequently field hardware utilisation. In order to safeguard asset structural integrity, it is becoming increasingly important to maintain wellhead assemblies. Here are some tips for wellhead maintenance to optimise production. and recording the number of turns to open and close the valve, looking for signs of damage to the valve body and leakage through the seals and also reacting to early indications of seizure ensure that they can be relied upon in the event of an emergency.

L

ack of critical component maintenance can take its toll on mechanical assemblies, increasing the likelihood of production downtime caused by equipment failure.

These risks can be greatly reduced through a programme of planned and efficiently managed wellhead maintenance including valve servicing, pressure testing, function testing and monitoring of general wellhead condition and operational trends. Appropriate and timely wellhead maintenance can lead to more efficient production and will increase the asset life while reducing the costs associated with work-over programmes.

1

Mechanical assemblies: Valves are typically the main point of flow control on the wellhead assembly. Valves and actuators are common components affected by seizure & breakage caused by lack of suitable lubrication and long periods of non-operation. Preventative maintenance is key to ensuring that the valves remain in an operable condition – monitoring

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2

Corrosion & erosion: Wellhead are components continually subjected to corrosion and erosion. Corrosion from the environment and weather can be dealt with cheaply and effectively by stripping and re-applying coatings & paints to protect the bare metal. This is a basic requirement for wellhead maintenance.

3

Seals & gaskets: Pressure monitoring and regular visual inspections hold the key to ensure that the integrity of the wellhead seals is maintained. Regular thermal cycling of the wellhead materials also leads to deformation of metal-to-metal seals and the subsequent opening of leak paths. This can be remedied through the injection of sealants. In more severe circumstances, where sealants are ineffective, deconstruction of the wellhead assembly and replacement of the necessary seals becomes necessary.

4

Missing components: Through regular asset inspections and preventative

maintenance mechanisms, the likelihood of such situations can be reduced.

Regular maintenance: Coupled with general wear and tear of mechanical assemblies and additional unforeseen damage, it is critical that field operators have suitable plans in place for routine wellhead maintenance operations so that problem areas can be identified and remedied quickly and effectively.

This greatly reduces the risk of catastrophic failure events. Regular maintenance is a more cost-effective approach than waiting for problems to occur and reacting to them.

5

6

Changes to company policies/ technology: Wellhead integrity management is an area where new practices or procedures are constantly being introduced – whether it is through developments in technology by wellhead manufacturers or drilling contractors or improvements in safety management that result in changes in company’s operating policy.

Thus, adequate changes should be made in the policies of a company to adopt these new technologies.

Reference: o Claxton Engineering Services Ltd Email: avani.jain@infomedia18.in

PROJECTS

New projects and expansion activities are the barometers of industrial growth. These also present business opportunities to service providers like consultants, contractors, plant & equipment suppliers and others down the value chain. This feature will keep you updated with vital information regarding new projects and capacity expansions being planned by companies in the chemical and allied industries.

Fertiliser

National Fertilisers Ltd Project type New facility Project news National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), the second-largest producer of nitrogenous fertilisers in the country, will be investing around $ 945 million (` 37.6 billion) each on the revival of the closed units of Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Ltd’s (HFCL) Brauni plant and Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd’s Ramagundam plant. Going by the government policy on the revival of sick fertiliser units, they have been given the task of reviving two closed urea units, at Brauni in Bihar and Ramagundam in Andhra Pradesh.

Project location Brauni, Bihar and Ramagundam, Andhra Pradesh Project cost ` 37.6 billion Implementation stage Planning Contact details: National Fertilisers Ltd A-11, Sector-24 Dist Gautam Budh Nagar Noida 201301 Tel: 0180-2652676 ---------------------------------------Fertiliser

Paradeep Phosphates Ltd Project type Capacity expansion Project news Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL) has been operating at over 100 per cent capacity since 2003, and has now undertaken a three-year expansion plan requiring a capital expenditure of approximately $ 120 million to increase its current production capacity of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and nitrogen, phosphorus and potash NPK fertilisers by 25 per cent

to 1.5 million MTPA to meet India’s growing demand for fertilisers.

Project location Odisha Project cost $ 120 million Implementation stage Planning Contact details: Paradeep Phosphates Ltd Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Marg Bhubaneshwar 751001 Odisha Tel: 0674-2393931 Fax: 0674-2392631/2391669 Email: connect@paraphos.com ---------------------------------------Petrochemical complex

Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd Project type New facility Project news Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO) is planning to develop the Cuddalore-Nagapattinam belt as a petroleum, chemical and petrochemical project investment region at an investment of ` 60 billion.

Project location Tamil Nadu Project cost ` 60 billion ($ 1.4 billion) Implementation stage Planning Contact details: TIDCO 19-A, Rukmini Lakshmipathy Road Egmore, Chennai 600008 Tel: 044-2855 4421/3710 Fax: 0 44-28553729 ---------------------------------------R&D centre

Dow Chemical International Pvt Ltd Project type New facility

Project news Dow Chemical International is planning to set up a global R&D centre in Maharashtra. The facility will come up at Chakan near Pune for which an MoU was signed recently. The centre will house around 500 researchers and will have capabilities to conduct research in the areas of identifying new molecules and developing novel applications for existing ones.

Project location Pune, Maharashtra Project cost ` 4,000 million Implementation stage Planning Contact details: Dow Chemical International Pvt Ltd Corporate Park, Unit No 1 V N Purav Marg, Chembur Mumbai 400071 Tel: 022-25245830, Fax: 022-25246390 ---------------------------------------Specialty chemicals

Vivimed Labs Ltd Project type New facility Project news Vivimed Labs Ltd, one of India’s leading manufacturers and exporters of specialty chemicals for personal care and pharmaceutical products, plans to expand its capacity for existing products and create capacity for new products.

Project location Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Project cost $ 42 million Implementation stage Planning Contact details Vivimed Labs Ltd Veernag Towers, Habsiguda, Hyderabad 500 006, Andhra Pradesh Tel: 040-2717 6005/6, Fax: 040-2715 0599 Email: info@vivimedlabs.com

Information courtesy: Tendersinfo.com 1, Arch Gold, Next to MTNL Exchange, Poisar, S V Road, Kandivali (W), Mumbai - 400 067, Maharashtra, India Tel: 022 28666134 • Fax: 022 28013817 • Email: parmeet.d@tendersinfo.com July 2012 | Chemical World

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TENDERS

Latest Popular Tenders brought to you by www.tendersinfo.com Acid production tank

Nitrogen gas blower system

Org : Hindustan Copper Ltd TRN : 11509955 Desc : Supply & erection of V-15A acid production tank for SAP BOD : July 20, 2012 Loc : Singhbhum, Jharkhand BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Org : Institute for Plasma Research TRN : 11366094 Desc : Supply, installation and commissioning of twostage nitrogen gas blower system BOD : July 26, 2012 Loc : Gandhinagar, Gujarat BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Heat exchanger

Organic carbon analyser and biological oxygen demand analyser

Org : Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd TRN : 11250789 Desc : Re-tubing of spare E-504 exchanger of ammonia plant BOD : July 21, 2012 Loc : Raigad, Maharashtra BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Repairing chloronome plant Org : Military Engineer Services TRN : 11584125 Desc : Special repair/replacement of chloronome plant BOD : July 22, 2012 Loc : Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Chlorination plant

Org : Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd TRN : 11609470 Desc : Provision of total organic carbon analyser and biological oxygen demand analyser BOD : July 26, 2012 Loc : Patiala, Punjab BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

FRP mixer settlers Org : Indian Rare Earths Ltd TRN : 11609551 Desc : Supply and erection of FRP mixer settlers BOD : July 26, 2012 Loc : Kochi, Kerala BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

: Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) TRN : 11619679 Desc : Operation and routine maintenance of CW chlorination plant 2x250 MW BOD : July 23, 2012 Loc : Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Evaporator

HC detectors

Org : University of Delhi TRN : 11694709 Desc : Supply of flash evaporator BOD : July 29, 2012 Loc : Delhi, India BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Org

Org : Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd TRN : 11619449 Desc : Supply of HC detectors for tank farms BOD : July 23, 2012 Loc : Mumbai, Maharashtra BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Hydro cracker pilot plant (micro-reactor) Org TRN Desc BOD Loc BT

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: : : : : :

Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd 11598509 Supply of hydro cracker pilot plant (micro-reactor) July 25, 2012 Chennai, Tamil Nadu Domestic

Chemical World | July 2012

Org : University of Delhi TRN : 11693189 Desc : Supply of hush evaporator BOD : July 29, 2012 Loc : Delhi, India BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Evaporator

Alum injection pump Org : Urea Fertiliser Factory Ltd TRN : 11548516 Desc : Supply of AT gauge machine, F director machine, alloy sheet, alum injection & polisher feed pump BOD : July 30, 2012 Loc : Ghorasal, Narsingdi, Bangladesh BT : ICB

TENDERS

Latest Popular Tenders brought to you by www.tendersinfo.com SF6 gas analyser

Plasma nitrocarburising

Org : Damodar Valley Corporation TRN : 11630754 Desc : Procurement of SF6 gas detector, gas analyser and gas storage, evacuation, purification and re-filling units BOD : July 30, 2012 Loc : Bokaro, Jharkhand BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Org : Defence Research and Development Laboratory TRN : 11385893 Desc : Supply of plasma nitrocarburising equipment BOD : August 09, 2012 Loc : Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh BT : ICB _______________________________________________

Acid storage tank Org : Hindustan Copper Ltd TRN : 11585913 Desc : Repair of roof for V-16A acid storage tank BOD : July 31, 2012 Loc : Singhbhum, Jharkhand BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Booster compressors Org : Oil India Ltd TRN : 11549036 Desc : Supply of spares for gas compressors, booster compressors, gas lift compressors, gas storage compressors BOD : August 01, 2012 Loc : Duliajan, Assam BT : ICB _______________________________________________

Absorbent filter Org : Ordnance Factory Board TRN : 11267722 Desc : Supply of absorbent filter BOD : August 03, 2012 Loc : Chennai, Tamil Nadu BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Air compressors Org TRN Desc BOD Loc BT

: : : : : :

Oil India Ltd 11508828 Procurement of air compressors August 03, 2012 Kolkata, West Bengal Domestic

Demulsifier Org : Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd TRN : 11630669 Desc : Procurement of demulsifier BOD : August 13, 2012 Loc : Ahmedabad, Gujarat BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Helium liquefier/refrigerator Org : Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre TRN : 11597791 Desc : Supply of helium liquefier/refrigerator BOD : August 13, 2012 Loc : Kolkata, West Bengal BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

High pressure mobile air compressor units Org : Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) TRN : 11518913 Desc : Operation & maintenance services for ONGCowned mobile stimulation units and high pressure mobile air compressor units BOD : August 13, 2012 Loc : Jorhat, Assam BT : Domestic _______________________________________________

Vacuum vessel Org : Institute for Plasma Research TRN : 11528280 Desc : Design, fabrication, testing, erection, installation and commissioning of IN TF vacuum vessels at IPR site BOD : August 16, 2012 Loc : Gandhinagar, Gujarat BT : Domestic

Org: Organisation’s name, TRN: Tendersinfo Ref No, Desc: Description, BOD: Bid Opening Date, Loc: Location, BT: Bidding Type

Information courtesy: Tendersinfo.com 1, Arch Gold, Next to MTNL Exchange, Poisar, S V Road, Kandivali (W), Mumbai - 400 067, Maharashtra, India Tel: 022 28666134 • Fax: 022 28013817 • Email: parmeet.d@tendersinfo.com

July 2012 | Chemical World

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EVENT LIST

NATIONAL AHMEDABAD

PUNE

CHENNAI

LUDHIANA

Gujarat, Oct 5-8, 2012

Maharashtra, Nov 2-5, 2012

Tamil Nadu, Nov 22-25, 2012

Punjab, Dec 21-24, 2012

INDORE

AURANGABAD

RUDRAPUR

HYDERABAD

Madhya Pradesh, Jan 11-14, 2013

Maharashtra, Feb 1-4, 2013

Uttarakhand, Feb 23-26, 2013

Andhra Pradesh, June 7-10, 2013

India’s premier industrial trade fair on products and technologies related to Machine Tools, Hydraulics & Pneumatics, Process Machinery & Equipment, Automation Instrumentation, Packaging & Auxiliaries, IT Products, Electrical & Electronics, Material Handling and Safety Equipment.

For details Network18 Media & Investments Ltd

Ruby House, 1stt Floor, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai 400 028.

• Tel: 022 3003 4651 • Fax: 022 3003 4499 • Email: engexpo@infomedia18.in

India Oil & Gas Review Summit 2012 International conference and exhibition showcasing latest trends in oil & gas industry; September 06-07, 2012; at Hotel Taj Lands, Mumbai For details contact: Oil Asia Publications Pvt Ltd 530, Laxmi Plaza, Laxmi Industrial Estate New Link Road Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 053 Tel: 022-6681 4900, Fax: 022-2636 7676 Email: oilasia@vsnl.com

Automation 2012 Conference and exhibition showcasing latest technologies in the fields of factory automation, process automation and control systems, robotics & drives, field instrumentation & smart sensors bus technologies, software solutions, wireless technologies, etc; September 07-10, 2012; at NSE Complex, Mumbai For details contact: IED Communications Ltd 64, Empire Building D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001 Tel: 022-2207 9567, Fax: 022-2207 4516 Email:arokiaswamy@iedcommunications.com

Informex India 2012 A tradeshow for bringing together buyers and sellers of chemicals, chemical technologies and related services; September 12-14, 2012; at Nehru Centre, Mumbai For details contact: UBM India Pvt Ltd

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Chemical World | July 2012

Sagar Tech Plaza A 615-617, 6th Floor Andheri-Kurla Road Saki Naka Junction, Andheri (E) Mumbai 400 072 Tel: 022-6612 2600, Fax: 022-6612 2626/27 Email: info.india@ubm.com

India Chem 2012 Premier tradeshow for the chemical industry in India; October 04-06, 2012; at NSE Exhibition Complex, Mumbai For details contact: Mehul Tyagi, FICCI Federation House, 1 Tansen Marg New Delhi 110 001 Tel: 011-2376 5081/2373 8760 Fax: 011-2335 9734 Email: mehul@ficci.com

Watertech Expo & Conference An event to be held concurrently with Wastetech, Cleantech and Pollutech focussing on technologies for waste, wastewater and recycling; November 02-04; at Ahmedabad For details contact: Exhiference Media Pvt Ltd B-2 Basement, Kalyan Tower Near Vastrapur Lake, Ahmedabad 380 015 Tel: 079-4003 9444, Fax: 079-4003 9431 Email: marketing@exhiferencemedia.com

Indian Petrochem 2012 An interactive knowledge forum for manufacturers, traders, buyers, technology licensors, consultants, strategists, financial intermediaries and investors; November 08-09, 2012; in Mumbai

For details F d il contact: Sahil Shah Elite Conferences Pvt Ltd 606, Bhagyalaxmi, Kennedy Bridge, Mumbai 400 004 Tel: 022-2385 1430 Fax: 022-2385 1431 Email: sahil@eliteconferences.com

CPhI India 2012 International exhibition on pharmaceutical ingredients, machinery,, equipment, outsourcing and biosolutions; November 21-23, 2012; att Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai For details contact: UBM India Pvt Ltd Sagar Tech Plaza A 615-617, 6th Floor Andheri-Kurla Road Saki Naka Junction Andheri (E) Mumbai 400 072 Tel: 022-6612 2600 Fax: 022-6612 2626 Email: info.india@ubm.com

IPVS 2012 A trade show for industrial pumps, valves and systems; December 14-16, 2012; att Auto Cluster Exhibition Centre, Pune For details contact: Orbitz Exhibitions Pvt Ltd 202, Navyug Industrial Estate T J Road, Sewri (W), Mumbai 400 015 Tel: 022-2410 2801 Fax: 022-2410 2805 Email: shital@orbitz-world.com

EverythingAboutWater Expo 2013 An international exhibition and conference on water & wastewater management; February 28-March 2, 2013; at Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai For details contact: EA Water Pvt Ltd A1/152, Neb Sarai IGNOU Road, New Delhi 110 068 Tel: 011-4310 0568/0572 Fax: 011-4310 0599 Email: enquiry@eawater.com

EVENT LIST

INTERNATIONAL GasSuf 2012 An exhibition on latest technologies for distribution and effective use of gas; September 04-06, 2012; at EcoCentre Sokolniki, Moscow, Russia For details contact: Raisa Gazaryan, Exhibition Director MVK 15, Bldg 1, Zubarev Pereulok 129164 Moscow, Russia Tel: +7 (495) 935 8100 Fax: +7 (495) 935 8101 Email: gazaryan@mvk.ru

ICIF China 2012 An event to facilitate the growth of petroleum & chemical industry of China and also to encourage international exchange & co-operation; September 10-12, 2012; at Binhai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Tianjin For details contact: CCPIT Sub-Council of Chemical Industry Bldg 16, Block 7, Hepingli Beijing 100013, China Tel: + (86)-(10)-6422 2898 Fax: + (86)-(10)-8429 2180 Email: mokai@ccpitchem.org.cn

For details contact: WAHA WAHAexpo C Company Ben Ashour Road PO Box 83433, Tripoli, Libya Tel: (00) (218)-(21) 7269417 Fax: (00) (218)-(21) 3622360 Email: hanan@wahaexpo.com

Analytica China 2012 A trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis, biotechnology and diagnostics; October 16-18, 2012; at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai

For details contact: Paul Sinclair, Sales Director DMG Events, Northcliffe House 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT, The UK Tel: +44 203 180 6576 Fax: +44 203 180 6550 Email: paulsinclair@dmgevents.com

VIETWATER 2012 An event dedicated to water, wastewater and industrial wastewater treatment & purification; November 06-08, 2012; at Vietnam Exhibition & Fair Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam

For details contact: Susanne GrĂśdl, Exhibition Director Messe MĂźnchen GmbH, Munich, Germany Tel: (+49 89) 949 20 380 Fax: (+49 89) 949 20 389 Email: info@analyticachina.com

For details contact: United Business Media (M) SDN BHD Suite 1701 177th Floor Plaza Permata (IGB Plaza) 6, Jalan Kampar, Off Jalan Tun Razak 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (603) 4045 4993, Fax: (603) 4045 4989 Email: airin.rushdi@ubm.com

Environmental Management in Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries

OSEA 2012

Conference and exhibition focussing on the future of environmental engineering technologies, environmental management practices, instruments and solutions for challenges facing the petroleum industry; October 17-18, 2012; at Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait

Gastech 2012 Focussed event showcasing the latest innovations, technologies and developments across the gas value chain; October 8-11, 2012; in London, the UK

Fulham Green, Bedford House 69 79 Fulham 69-79 F lh Hi Highh S Street London, SW6 3JW, The UK Tel: +44 (0)207 384 8028 Email: e.huiban@theenergyexchange.co.uk

For details contact: ProMedia Post Box 1242 , Dasman 15463 , Kuwait Tel: (+965) 2531 7601 Fax: (+965) 2531 7604 Email: info@promediakw.com

Central and Eastern European Refining and Petrochemicals 2012

TOG Expo 2012

An event providing strategic insights and invaluable intelligence on the latest regional developments and tips to capitalise on opportunities; October 23-25, 2012; at Bucharest, Romania

Event focussing on latest technologies in the oil and gas industry; October 16-18, 2012; at Pavilion 58, Tripoli International Fair, Tripoli

For details contact: Elodie Huiban, Conference Director The World Refining Association

An event showcasing innovations in oil & gas exploration and production; November 27-30, 2012; at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore For details contact: Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd 1 Jalan Kilang Timor #09-02 Pacific Tech Centre Singapore 159303 Tel: +65 6233 6638 Fax: +65 6233 6633 Email: new@sesallworld.com

Dye+Chem Asia 2012 A trade fair for dyes and fine & specialty chemicals industry; December 08-10, 2012; at Sands Expo & Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore For details contact: CEMS-Global Asia Pacific Pte Ltd 8 Temasek Boulevard, # 42-00 Suntec Tower Three, Singapore 038988 Tel: + (65) - 6829 - 2144 Fax: + (65) - 6829 - 2145 Email: contact@cems-dyechem.com

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective organiser.

In any case, it does not represent the views of Chemical World

July 2012 | Chemical World

71

BOOK REVIEW

Handbook of detergents, Part C: Analysis Edited by: Heinrich Waldhoff, Rudiger Spilker Price: ` 6,000

Surfactant chemistry has advanced tremendously in the past few decades.

The scope and spectrum of methods and techniques applied in detergent analysis have changed significantly. This has given rise to new trends in product development and technologies across all allied verticals. This book aptly demonstrates novel strategies, methods and techniques for the analytical deformulation of modern detergents. It offers a comprehensive view of all aspects of detergents, including typical ingredients of modern products, testing of detergent formulations, determination of detergent ingredients in the environment and the application of modern instrumental techniques. The handbook outlines features and experimental parameters for many essential procedures allowing experienced analysts to use them for exploratory work.

The book contains special chapters on sequestrants and chelating agents and determination of optical brighteners in laundry detergents. It will be a brilliant resource for professionals and students in the chemical industry and research professionals in the detergent/surfactant verticals.

Handbook of detergents, Part D: Formulation Edited by: Michael Showell Price: ` 12,000 Detergents find place not only in the FMCG business, but also affect applications ranging from automotive lubricants to environmental solutions like remediation techniques for oil spills, paper & textile processing and the formulation of paints, inks & colourants. Formulators and research professionals are often faced with many challenges and choices while choosing the composition of detergents.

This book enables formulators to meet the demands of the increasing complexity of formulations, economic & sustainability constraints and reducing the impact of detergents on the environment. It also offers an overview of statistical mixture design in detergent formulation. This book will aid students and research professionals in the relevant industry verticals.

Reviewer: Tejas Padte, Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai

Available at: Wisdom Book Distributors, Hornby Building, 1st floor, 174, D N Road, Mumbai 400 001 Tel: 022-2207 4484/6631 8958, Telefax: 022-2203 4058, Email: thadam@vsnl.com

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Chemical World | July 2012

PRODUCTS

This section provides information about the national and international products available in the market

Analyser

Bulk bag filler

It is a portable device with computer and printer interface capable of storing up to 1,000 results. To meet this demand by chemical industry, UEPL has come out with a portable and microprocessor based instrument for the measurement of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in effluent water. The instrument cuts down the analysis time from the present four to five hours to less than two hours. It requires ten times less sample and correspondingly fewer amounts of chemical reagents cutting down the cost of analysis by ten times.

The bulk bag filler has cantilevered, heavy-gauge steel tubing frame that provides structural integrity and unrestricted bad access from three sides. Adjustable or fixed frame height allows users the flexibility to handle various bag sizes. The bulk bag filler is designed and engineered specifically for users’ system requirements. Processing enhancements, such as remote bag release, densification, deaeration, batch weighing and transport conveyors are available to insure stable, easy-to-handle FIBCs.

Uniphos Envirotronic Pvt Ltd Mumbai - Maharashtra Tel: 022-61233500, Mob: 9909994063 Email: gasdetection@uniphos.com Website: www.uniphos-she.com

Hapman Systems Pvt Ltd Vadodara - Gujarat Tel: 0265-2517505, Mob: 09825094662 Email: info@hapman.in Website: www.hapman.in

Advanced research microscope Liquid chromatography system

It has objectives 4x, 10x, 40x (spring loaded) and 100x (spring loaded), oil immersion. Mechanical stage is rectangular 185 x 142 mm double plate with mechanical stage cross travel 75 x 55 mm on ball bearing with co-axial control, spring clip double slide holder. It has swing out condenser with aspheric lens NA 0.9/1.25 & daylight blue filter.

Focussing system consists of ergonomic low position co-axial coarse and fine focussing system on ball bearing guide ways. Tension adjustment ring and unique focus lock are provided. Its illumination system consists of external Koehler illumination system 12V-50W halogen lamp with intensity control. Universal power supply 100V to 240V, AC 50-60 hertz. It has green electric pointer unit, and brightness is adjustable.

New 1290 Inf inity LC Injector HTC/HTSS is designed specifically to meet the throughput and reliability demands of critical LC/MS applications, offering lowest carryover with dynamic load and wash (DLW ) principle. New pull-out valve drive and user-exchangeable valve heads in the 1290 Infinity Thermostatted Column Compartment boosts usability and paves the way for ultra highthroughput, multi-method and automated method development solutions. New ZORBAX Rapid Resolution High Definition (1.8 μm) LC columns facilitate easy, fast and secure method transfer from HPLC to UHPLC through identical column chemistries. New Lab Advisor software – with intuitive diagnostic and monitor capabilities and alert functions to notify problems – helps manage the lab for best chromatographic quality.

Labex K K International Ambala Cantt - Haryana Tel: 171-2699468 Email: sales@labovision.com Website: www.labovision.com

Agilent Technologies India Pvt Ltd New Delhi Tel: 011-46237100, Mob: 09825688244 Email: agilent@agilent.com Website: www.agilent.co.in

Looking For A Specific Product?

Searching and sourcing products were never so easy.

Just type CW (space) Product Name and send it to 51818

eg. CW Pump and send it to 51818 74

Chemical c World | July 2012

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PRODUCTS

Metal analyser & detector

Oil-free air compressor

It offers effective interference removal; a third generation O c t o p o l e Reaction System (ORS3) cell removes spectral interferences more effectively than ever before using He mode. Known to provide reliable results, He modee is well-established as the most reliable cell method for complex and variable samples, filtering out all polyatomic interferences, even in unknown sample matrices. Metal analyser & detector offers excellent detection limits. An innovative new ion lens delivers higher sensitivity across the mass range and at the same time reduces random background. It is endowed with new user-friendly features that reduce training costs and improve productivity: simpler, more reproducible optimisation with One-click Plasma Setting and Expert Auto Tuning.

The oil-free air compressor is heavy duty cast iron compressor fitted with a high performance motor. It has starter kit: DOL or Star-Deltas and aerodynamically designed pulleys driven by a V belt. The power rating is 2.25 kW & 3 hp, maximum pressure is of 8.5 bar and air receiver capacity is 150.

Agilent Technologies India Pvt Ltd New Delhi Tel: 011-46237100 Mob: 09825688244 Email: agilent@agilent.com Website: www.agilent.co.in

It is a differential pressure transducer, which measures pressure differences between two points and give proportional analogue output. It has unsurpassed performance due to CMOS technology. The pressure transducer has LCD display with 1 line 8 character.

It is offset and hysteresis free and has good accuracy.

Din-Tech Control Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad - Gujarat Tel: 079-22820008/22821417 Email: info@dtcpl.in Website: www.dtcpl.in

Pressure transducer

Katlax Enterprises Pvt Ltd Gandhinagar - Gujarat Tel: 2764-286784, Mob: 09724506614 Email: info@katlax.com Website: www.katlax.com

Robotic machines The company offers robotic machines.

These ranges of robotic machines are accurate, minimise problems when parts are placed in machines incorrectly & decreases the labour cost to great extent.

These robotic machines are made using best available modern techniques by the skilled and expert professionals. Its application areas include industrial houses, chemical plants etc.

Welding Technologies India Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 020-65101340 Email: wti@weldingtechindia.com Website: www.weldingtechindia.com

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Chemical World | July 2012

PRODUCTS

Cable management system Aeron FRP corrosion-free cable tray management system is developed for long-lasting performance in challenging environments where corrosion and chemical resistance and lasting mechanical performance are key requirements. Ladder type as well as perforated cable trays with wide range of sizes to select from are also offered. Also available is 100 per cent replacement of hot dipped GI cable tray.

Aeron Composite Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad - Gujarat Tel: 079-26565731, Mob: 09909988266 Email: info@aeroncomposite.com Website: www.aeroncomposite.com

Pilot scale freeze dryer Pilot scale freeze dryer (LM-1.0) has ice capacity from 20 kg to 150 kg. Its control system automatically validates the machine performance before each production cycle, ensuring safety for each production cycle. Its shelf area is

1.08 m2; size (L*W*T) is 600x450x20 mm; weight is 2,000 kg; & power is 16.5 KW. Lyomac Technology Co Ltd Shanghai - China Tel: 21-37690927 Email: sales@lyomac.com, Website: www.lyomac.com

Hydrogen gas detection system The hydrogen gas detection system is used for detection of hydrogen gas. It uses a 3-status technology, which displays in terms of low/medium/high concentration.

It has selectable slide switch for audio & visual built-in solid state buzzer. The system has the facility to function five gas detectors with independent alarm latching facility, potential free N.O/N.C contact, and recorder output. The system is equipped with 4-wire technology and maturity timer.

Subtronics (India) Pvt Ltd Mumbai - Maharashtra Tel: 022-24224461 Email: service@subtronicsindia.com Website: www.subtronicsindia.com

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PRODUCTS

Formaldehyde analyser It provides absolute concentrations for formaldehyde (HCHO) in aqueous media. It has RS232 serial port for computer interface The measurement ranges from 0 to 5 μ g/ml.

The analyser finds numerous applications in various segments and hence has huge market demand. It can be available in varied specifications as per requirements and needs.The equipment is available at pocket friendly price. Formaldehyde analyser is suitable for the measurement of formaldehyde in aqueous solution.

measuring range from10 to 90 per cent RH; humidity accuracy is ± 8 per cent RH; and resolution is 0.1 C, 1 per cent RH. Sujay Inc Ahmedabad - Gujarat Mob: 09824098783 Email: info@sujaydehumidifier.com Website: www.sujaydehumidifier.com

Silicone grease

Thermohygrometer

Silicone grease is a single component modified silicone system. It does not harden, dry out or melt even after 1000 hours at 200°C, showing good di-electric and lubricating properties. It wets and adheres to dry surfaces of metals, ceramics, plastics etc, providing high surface resistivity under moisture condensing conditions.

Thermohygrometer displays time/temperature/ humidity. It has F & C temperature switch function, which shows maximum and minimum indication. The thermohygrometer has 12/24 hour display system which is selectable.

Temperature measuring range is from 0˚ C to + 50˚ C; humidity

Anabond Ltd Chennai - Tamil Nadu Tel: 044-24402311/13, Mob: 09825688244 Email: marketing@anabond.com Website: www.anabond.com

Uniphos Envirotronic Pvt Ltd Mumbai - Maharashtra Tel: 022-61233500, Mob: 9909994063 Email: gasdetection@uniphos.com Website: www.uniphos-she.com

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Chemical World | July 2012

PRODUCTS

PTFE-lined valves Fluoropolymer FEP, PFA, PTFE-lined SGI/ WCB/SS pipes, valves and fittings are offered using technical know-how and raw materials for appropriate application of the resin for successful results with international quality for the chemical industry. Features are low co-efficient of friction, chemical inertness, non-toxic approved by international food & drugs regulatory authorities, non-inflammable, self-sealant, excellent weathering resistant, zero water absorption, etc.

Supremo Line & Control Ahmedabad - Gujarat Tel: 079-22205282 Email: supremoproduct@gmail.com Website: www.supremoproduct.com

Pipe/tube and U-tubes The stainless steel seamless and welded pipe, tube & U-tubes and large diameter welded pipes are available in various sizes, grades and specifications as per customers’ requirements. MOC is all austenitic, ferritic, duplex & super duplex stainless steel. Specification is as per ASTM, ASME, DIN, NFA, JIS standards.

Size range is (welded) 6.0 mm OD to 1016 mm OD and (seamless) 6.0 mm OD to 323.9 mm OD. Thickness range is (welded) 0.6 mm to 25 mm and (seamless) 0.8 mm to 25 mm. Length is up to 30 m long. Applications are in refinery, petrochemical, food, pharmaceutical, fertiliser, oil & gas, breweries, sugar, ship building, etc.

Suraj Ltd Ahmedabad - Gujarat Tel: 079-27911050 Email: suraj@surajgroup.com Website: www.surajgroup.com

Submersible pump Submersible pump set is designed for highest efficiency related to their NPSH for handling water in agriculture, industry and household applications.

It is highly efficient with lower power consumption, practically no maintenance and easy installation. It is available at competitive prices. It is vibration free and enables noiseless operation. It is designed for large voltage and frequency fluctuation.

NBE Motors Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad - Gujarat Tel: 079-22740546 Email: info@newbharat.com, Website: www.newbharat.com

July 2012 | Chemical World

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PRODUCTS

Rotary dryers

Block and pipe covering

These are used for drying wet powders and cakes. These consists of a rotating drum with angle lifting blades, which lift the feed as the drum rotates and showers in the stream of hot air flowing through the drum. The capacity ranges include 100 kg/hr to 50,000 kg/hr and operating temperatures up to 600째C.

Block and pipe covering is made from hydrated calcium silicate reinforced with mineral fibres. The material has low thermal conductivity and is not affected by water-wettings. Standard size is 1000 x 500/900 x 600 and thickness is 25, 40, 50, 65, 75, 100 & 125 mm.

Raj Process Equipments And Systems Pvt Ltd Pune - Maharashtra Tel: 020-4071001, Mob: 09766441144 Email: sales@rajprocessequipment.com Website: www.rajprocessequipment.com

Hyderabad Industries Ltd Hyderabad - Andhra Pradesh Tel: 040-3099900 Email: ak@hil.in Website: www.hil.in

Suction blasting machines

PVDF pipes

The suction blasting machines is based on induction-suction principle. The suction blaster is recommended for cleaning and de-burring small and medium size objects.

These ensure uniform and continuous cleaning & finishing each time through the automatic abrasive reclaimer unit.

PVDF pipes have the characteristic stability of fluoro-polymers when exposed to harsh thermal, chemical and ultraviolet environments while retaining the properties of a conventional thermoplastic material. Its specifications are high chemical resistance, low temp resistance, mechanical strength and toughness, abrasion resistance, thermal stability, and low permeability to gases and liquids.

Synco Industries Ltd Jodhpur - Rajasthan Tel: 0291-2741571, Mob: 09829022258 Email: synco_2000@yahoo.com Website: www.synco.co.in

Portable dehumidifier Auto-humidity sensor activates or deactivates the dehumidifier accordingly when the humidity surpasses or drops below the desired humidity setting. This switches to standby mode when the relative humidity is ideal, saving electricity costs.

This also starts or stops time from 1-12 hours with a programmable timer according to requirement.

It provides 2 speed options for EDH-920; and EDH-635 allows for quiet operation, making it ideal for placement in the moisture sensitive room/area. It provides CFC-free refrigerant to prevent further depletion of fragile ozone layer. This gives compressor high efficiency and smooth operation. The easy roll castors enable easy manoeuvring of the dehumidifier for effective dehumidification.

Sujay Inc Ahmedabad - Gujarat Mob: 09824098783 Email: info@sujaydehumidifier.com Website: www.sujaydehumidifier.com

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Chemical World | July 2012

Sangir Plastics Pvt Ltd Mumbai - Maharashtra Tel: 022-28726120 Email: sangirnp@bom7.vsnl.net.in Website: www.sangirplastics.com

Air operated pump The air operated pump is used for handling viscous liquids (solvents, toxic fluids, oil, grease, etc). It provides hydro-static pressure testing with high pressure up to 500 bars. This is used for high pressure greasing. This does not need electricity as it runs on compressed air.

Din-Tech Control Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad - Gujarat Tel: 079-22820008, 22821417 Email: info@dtcpl.in Website: www.dtcpl.in Thee info foormaation n publlis ished in thiss secttion is as per thee dettails furniished d by the respectivee man nufacctureer/disstribu utor. In any casee, it does not re repressen ent th he view ws off Chemical World

LIST OF PRODUCTS

Sl. No.

Product

Pg. No.

Sl. No.

Product

Pg. No.

Sl. No.

Product

Pg. No.

Accelerated ageing test.......................................... t 31

FRP storage tanks, structural profiles ......................... 13

Pressure vessel ............................................................. 79

Acoustic enclosures .................................................. FIC

Fuels-diesel.................................................................. 31

Prius .......................................................................... 47

Advanced research microscope.................................... 74

Gases ................................................................... 31

Process gas blowers ..................................................... 33

Agitatorr ........................................................11, 79, BIC

Gear box ...................................................................... 73

PTFE lined valve & pipe fitting................................... g 4

Air-cooled heat exchangerr .......................................... 19

Gear motor.................................................................. r 73

PTFE lined valves ....................................................... 81

Air freightt ..................................................................... 8

Gear oil ....................................................................... 31

Pump ...........................................................77, 81, FIC

Air operated pump...................................................... 82

Gear pumps ................................................................. 77

PVDF pipes ................................................................ 82

Air/VOC stripper........................................................ 64

Ground water monitoring........................................... g 64

PVDF pumps .............................................................. 81

Air-cooled steam condensers ...................................... 19

Heat exchangerr ......................................... 6, 79, BIC

Reactorr ............................................................ 37, 79

Allied services ................................................................ 8

Heat transfer equipments ............................................ 33

Right angled helical bevel geared motor/reducerr ....... 73

Aluma coatt .................................................................... 3

Heating bath ............................................................... 11

Right angled helical worm geared motor/reducerr ...... 73

AMS .......................................................................... 47

Helical inline geared motor/reducerr ........................... 73

Robotic machines ........................................................ 78

Analyser....................................................................... r 74

High pressure blowers ................................................. 33

Roots blowerr ............................................................ FIC

Analytical instrumentation .........................................BC

High pressure homogeniserr ........................................ 11

Rotary dry vacuum pumps .......................................... 33

Atomiser...................................................................... r 80

Hot air generatorr ........................................................ 80

Rotary dryers ............................................................... 82

Automatic and contained discharge ............................ 55

Hot plate ..................................................................... 11

Rotary evaporatorr ........................................................ 11

Bag filterr .............................................................. 80

HPLC ........................................................................BC

Rotary gear pumps ................................................77, 81

Hydrogen gas detection system .................................. 79

Rotary valves ............................................................... 80

Ball valve-teflon lined ................................................... 4 Batch disperserr ............................................................ 11 Bellow & dip-pipe ........................................................ 4 Biodiesel ...................................................................... 31 Block and pipe covering.............................................. g 82 Blowers ........................................................................ 61 Bulk bag filler.............................................................. r 74 Butterfly valves-teflon lined .......................................... 4 Buying & selling used industrial machinery plants & equipment.................................................................... t 78 Cable management system .................................... 79 Cake pressingg .............................................................. 55

Informatics ..........................................................BC

Sampling valve-teflon lined ..................................... 4

Inline disperserr ............................................................ 11

Seamless pipe .............................................................. 81

Inline shaft mounted helical geared motor/reducer......... r 73

Self-priming mud pump, sewage pump...................... 81

Kneading machine ................................................ 11

Shaker.......................................................................... r 11

Laboratory reactorr ................................................ 11

Silence flow packages .................................................. 33

Laboratory software..................................................... 11

Silicone grease ............................................................. 80

Land fills & water managementt ................................. 64

Solid-liquid mixerr ....................................................... 11

Large diameter welded pipe ........................................ 81

Spin flash dryerr ........................................................... 80

Lined valve & pipe fittingg ............................................ 4

Spray cooling system ................................................... 80

Liquid chromatography system ................................... 74

Spray dryerr ......................................................... 80, BIC

Logistics ...................................................................... 15

Spray pyrolysis system ................................................. 80

Lubes-engine oil.......................................................... 31

Stainless steel pipe....................................................... 81

Magnetic stirrerr .................................................... 11

Strainer-teflon lined ...................................................... 4

Material identification................................................. 31

Submersible pump....................................................... 81

Mechanical vacuum boosters....................................... 61

Suction blasting machines........................................... 82

Membrane system ....................................................... 80

Teflon-lined valve & pipe fitting............................. g 4

Metal analyser & detector........................................... r 78

Tefzel HHS isotactic PP material .............................. 21

Mills .......................................................................... 11

Testingg ........................................................................ 31

Compositional & trace metal analysis ........................ 31

Mining & geo technical .............................................. 64

Testing & treatmentt ................................................... 64

Continuous or batch filtration .................................... 55

Modern Pharma magazine .......................................... 40

Thermohygrometerr ..................................................... 80

Cooling towers ............................................................ 19

Monoblock pumps ...................................................... 81

Thermoplastic valves ................................................... 21

Dangerous goods/HAZ cargo chemicals .................. 8

Multi-stage cake washingg ........................................... 55

Thermostat & vacuum dryer/mixerr ............................ 11

Disperserr ..................................................................... 11

Non-metallic pumps ............................................. 81

Transmission fluid....................................................... 31

Distillation plantt ......................................................... 79

Non-return valve ........................................................... 4

Tri-lobe roots blowers ................................................. 61

Dosing/metering pumps.............................................. 47

Oil-free air compressorr ......................................... 78

Truck blowers.............................................................. 33

Dry van pump .......................................................... FIC

Overhead stirrerr .......................................................... 11

Tube .......................................................................... 81

Empowerr .............................................................BC

Petrol & fuel oil.................................................... 31

Twin lobe roots blowers.............................................. 61

EPC partner................................................................ r 45

Pharma temperature control ......................................... 8

‘U’ tube ................................................................. 81

Etallographyy ................................................................ 31

Pilot plant.................................................................... t 11

Uncertified packagingg ................................................... 8

Evaporator.......................................................... r 80, BIC

Pilot scale freeze dryerr ................................................ 79

UPLC.........................................................................BC

Exhausters ................................................................... 61

Pipe .......................................................................... 35

Vacuum booster pump ....................................... FIC

Failure analysis ..................................................... 31

Pipe/tube and U-tubes ................................................ 81

Vacuum or hot gas drying........................................... 55

Filler compositional analysis ....................................... 31

Piping system from polypropylene .............................. 21

Vacuum system ........................................................ FIC

Flash dryer................................................................... r 80

Pollution control equipmentt .................................... BIC

Vapour treatmentt ........................................................ 64

Fluid bed dryer............................................................ r 80

Polymer characterisation ............................................. 31

Vertical glandless pumps ............................................. 81

Formaldehyde analyser................................................ r 80

Polypropylene process pumps ..................................... 81

Vessel and valve welding............................................. g 35

FRP battery stand, cable tray, canopyy ........................ 13

Portable dehumidifier.................................................. 82

Vibratory fluid bed dryer............................................. 80

FRP grating, handrails & fencingg .............................. 13

Pressure and vacuum filtration.................................... 55

Wall ................................................................... 35

FRP ladder, luminaries, aries, poles pol & mast........................ t 13

Pressure transducer...................................................... r 78

Welded pipe ................................................................ 81

Calorimeterr ................................................................. 11 Centrifugal fans........................................................... 33 Check valve-teflon lined ............................................... 4 Chemical & pharmaceuticals ...................................... 78 Chemical pumps ......................................................... 81 Column & chemistries ...............................................BC

BC - Back Cover, BIC - Back Inside Cover, FIC - Front Inside Cover

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83

LIST OF ADVERTISERS

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Acme Air Equipment Co Pvt Ltd

Pg No

61

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Pg No

Advertiser’s Name & Contact Details

Everest Blowers

FIC

Raj Process Eqpts & Systems(P) Ltd BIC

T: +91-79-25831985

T: +91-11-45457777

T: +91-20-40710010

E: info@airequipments.com

E: info@everestblowers.com

E: sales@rajprocessequipment.com

W: www.everestblowers.com

W: www.rajprocessequipment.com

W: www.airequipments.com Ador Welding Ltd

35

T: +91-20-40706000 E: himadripal@adorians.com W: www.arcmachines.com Aeron Composite Pvt Ltd

Hi-Tech Applicator

Ryal Logistics Pvt Ltd

T: +91-79-25833040

T: +91-22-61936969

E: hitech@ptfeindia.com

E: accounts@ryal.in

W: www.ptfeindia.com

W: www.ryal.in

HRS Process Systems Ltd 13

4

6

Satyam Industries T: +91-09881204322

T: +91-79-65258500

E: info@hrsasia.co.in

E: satyaminds@yahoo.co.in

E: info@aeroncomposite.com

W: www.hrsasia.co.in

W: www.satyamindustries.com

W: www.aeroncomposite.com

IKA India Private Limited

Ani Engineers

77

T: +91-2752-241479 E: anivarya@sancharnet.in

Shiva Analyticals (India) Limited

T: +91-80-26253900

T: +91-80-27971322

E: process@ika.in

E: gupta@shivatec-india.com

W: www.ika.in

W: www.shivatec-india.com

Network18 Media & Investments Ltd

W: www.anivaryapumps.com

40

Suraj Limited T: +91-79-27540720

E: b2b@infomedia18.in

E: suraj@surajgroup.com

T: +91-2646-250025

W: www.mphonline.in

W: www.surajgroup.com

E: sales@megamachineryindia.com

Jyoti Ceramic Industries Pvt Ltd

W: www.megamachineryindia.com

T: +91-253-2350120

T: +91-120-4696222

E: info@jyoticeramics.com

E: swamatic@airtelmail.com

W: www.jyoticeramics.com

W: www.swamatics.com

BHS-Sonthofen (India) Pvt. Ltd.

78

55

T: +91-40-23315341 / 45

Kwality Process Equipments Pvt Ltd

E: neelesh@bhs-sonthofen.in W: www.bhs-sonthofen.in Damco India Pvt Ltd

15

T: +91-33088249

3

37

Swam Pneumatics Pvt Ltd

Triveni Engineering T: +91-79-25830411

E: pdmakwana@vsnl.net

E: sales@trivenieng.com

W: www.chemicalequipments.com

W: www.trivenieng.com 19

UHDE India Pvt Ltd

45

E: vaibhav.jain@damco.com

T: +91-33-24792050

T: +91-22-40478000

W: www.damco.com

E: pctccu@paharpur.com

E: uhdein@thyssenkrupp.com

W: www.paharpur.com

W: www.uhdeindia.com

Dev Engineers

81

T: +91-79-26403839

Pentair Water India Pvt Ltd

E: info@devpumps.com

T: +91-120-4199444

T: +91-265-2649248

E: marketing.india@pentair.com

E: mktg@polyvalve.com

W: www.pentair.com

W: www.polyvalve.com

W: www.devpumps.com Envirologek India Pvt Ltd T: +91-20-25431008

64

Power Build Ltd

47

73

UNP Polyvalves India Pvt Ltd

Waters (India) Private Limited

T: +91-2692-231070

T: +91-80-28371900

E: gtendulkar@envirologek.com

E: infopbl@elecon.com

E: waters_india@waters.com

W: www.envirologek.com

W: www.pbl.co.in

W: www.waters.com

BC - Back Cover, BIC - Back Inside Cover, FIC - Front Inside Cover

84

Chemical World | July 2012

33

80

T: +91-250-2453438

Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd

31

81

T: +91-22-30034650

Anup Engineers

8

79

T: +91-20-66047894

11

Pg No

21

BC

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