PRA October 2020 issue

DIGITAL EDITION www.plasticsandrubberasia.com

A S l A ’ S L E A D l N G m aga z l ne f o r t h e p las t l c s and r u b b e r l nd u s t r y

业 界新闻 材 料新闻: 积极应对气候问题与可持续包装

In this issue

Volume 35, No 257

publlshed slnce 1985

A S l A’ S L E A D l N G m aga z l ne f o r the plastlcs and rubber lndustry

Features 焦 點 內 容 12 材料新聞: 積極應對氣候問題與可持續包裝 15 Country Focus – 2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years for global economies. With the easing of mobility restrictions, Thailand is expecting an early recovery, based on the growth of its medical and automotive industry sectors

18 Extrusion Technology – Round-up of technology from Nordson Corporation, Kuhne Anlagenbau, Colines and ExxonMobil/Reifenhäuser Reicofil 20 Renewable Energy – Indochina, comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, is powering up clean energy projects for sustainable development

23 Auxiliary Equipment – Movacolor offers an efficient way to process regrind

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Arthur Schavemaker Tel: +31 547 275005 Email: arthur@kenter.nl Associate Publisher/Executive Editor Tej Fernandez Tel: +60 3 4260 4575 Email: tej@plasticsandrubberasia.com Senior Editor Angelica Buan Email: gel@plasticsandrubberasia.com Chinese Editor Koh Bee Ling Circulation Stephanie Yuen Email: stephanie@taramedia.com.my

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2 Industry News

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5 Materials News 9 業界新聞

Supplements 副 刊 Machinery: Arburg focuses on digitalisation to increase production efficiency Can using green rubber and recycling of end-of-life (ELT) tyres mitigate the carbon impact of the tyre industry?

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct, the publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the nature or accuracy of such material to the extent permitted by applicable law. © 2019 Kenter & Co Publishers’ Representatives BV No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or used in any form, or by any means, without specific prior permission from the publisher.

On the Cover With the rise of economies in the Indochina region, energy demand is expected to triple by 2035, with the electricity and natural gas sectors to see significant capacity additions. At the back of this growth, governments are in a race to adopt sustainable energy infrastructures

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OCTOBER 2020

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Industry News

M&As/Investments/Tie-ups/Restructuring • Chemical company LyondellBasell Industries is to acquire a 50% stake in a US-based unit of South African petrochemicals firm Sasol for US$2 billion, which will allow Sasol to reduce its net debt. The acquisition will include Sasol's 1.5 million tonnesteam cracker, 0.9 million tonne-LDPE/ LLDPE and associated infrastructure. The two companies will form a 50/50 joint venture, which will operate under the name Louisiana Integrated PolyEthylene and take over the base chemicals business at Lake Charles.

• Dutch materials firm DSM is selling its Resins & Functional Materials and associated businesses, which includes its additive manufacturing unit, to Germanybased materials firm Covestro AG for EUR1.6 billion.

The transaction will include DSM Niaga, DSM Additive Manufacturing and the coatings activities of DSM Advanced Solar, accounting for EUR1 billion of DSM’s 2019 total annual net sales and EUR133 million of DSM’s 2019 total EBITDA. • Speciality chemical firm Celanese Corporation has completed the sale 2

OCTOBER 2020

of its 45% equity investment in the Polyplastics joint venture to partner Daicel Corporation for US$1.575 billion, as announced in July.

• Henkel Adhesive Technologies has invested in Actnano, Massachusetts, US. The advanced materials start-up provides a tailored conformal coatings technology for the protection of printed circuit boards in a variety of applications in growing electronics segments.

• Materials company Saint-Gobain Life Sciences has acquired MS Techniques and Transluminal in France. The 137-person company brings to Saint-Gobain years of experience in high-precision thermoplastic extrusion for minimally invasive catheter solutions with a strong focus on the cardiovascular market.

• Chemical firm Hexion Inc. is selling its Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses for US$425 million to Black Diamond and Investindustrial.

Together, these businesses posted sales of US$530 million for the last

12 months ended 30 June 2020.

reflecting its history in the specialty polymers and polyethylene wax markets.

• Schuhe24 Group has taken a majority stake in the Gindumac (Global Industrial Machinery Cluster) Group, which has locations in Germany, Spain and India and deals in used machinery. Terms were not disclosed.

Munich-based machine manufacturer KraussMaffei Technologies is also one of the shareholders having acquired a stake in Gindumac in 2018.

• German chemical firm Evonik Industries is considering carving out its superabsorbents business, which makes polymers for diapers and hygiene products, for a possible sale in nine months. After the carve-out, Evonik will put the business up for sale, seek a partner or restructure it further. Analysts at Bernstein Research estimate a sale could generate EUR400-450 million in proceeds.

• Mitsubishi Chemical America, the US subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, has closed the acquisition of Gelest Inc from New York-based private equity firm New Mountain Capital.

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, Gelest specialises in silicones, organosilanes, metalorganics, and specialty monomers for medical devices, life sciences, microelectronics and personal care.

• Borealis, Borouge and Itochu will jointly evaluate the uptake of renewable PP in the Japanese market, against the back of the country’s plan to introduce 2 million tonnes of renewable plastic products by 2030. Chemical firm Borealis has embarked on the commercial production of renewable PP and is now working to expand sales in Europe and around the world. Borealis has also received a EUR250 million loan from European Investment Bank (EIB) to enable it to intensify the development polyolefins-based circular solutions at its Innovation Centres in Austria, Sweden and Finland.

• An affiliate of SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, has completed its acquisition of the specialty polymers business of Baker Hughes. The business has been renamed NuCera Solutions,

INDUSTRY NEWS • Cargill has tied up with bioenergy firm Virent to evaluate the use of Cargill’s corn dextrose as a feedstock to Virent’s BioForming technology for the production of “drop-in” lowcarbon biofuels and biochemicals.

• Bioplastics firm Danimer Scientific, which manufactures PHA-based plastics, will through its merger agreement with Live Oak Acquisition Corp. result in it becoming a public company.

Institutional investors commit to invest US$210 million; including certain funds managed by

affiliates of Apollo, Federated Hermes Kaufmann Small Cap Fund, and over US$50 million from Live Oak affiliates.

• Process technology licensor firm Lummus Technology has formed a new business entity called Green Circle LLC, to concentrate and expand its capabilities and capture new opportunities in the energy transition and circular economy.

• Technology firm Continental is ending its 50/50 automotive lighting joint venture with Osram, which was founded in 2018 and specialises in

lighting systems for automobiles. The two companies are currently holding talks that should be concluded by the end of the year to dissolve the business.

• US chemical giant Dow will reduce its global workforce costs by 6% and rationalising certain manufacturing assets, resulting in savings of more than US$300 million by the end of 2021. The company will record a US$500 million-US$600 million charge in the third quarter of 2020, for severance and related benefit costs; costs associated with exit

Plant Openings/Plant Expansions • Machinery company Arburg recently opened the Arburg Technology Centre (ATC) in Pinghu, China. As well as providing a base for machine specification and automation, the ATC also offers facilities for customers to have their injection moulds tested and attend training courses. The training provision will deliver comprehensive process and application technology support and consulting services drawn from decades of know-how obtained in the fields of plastics processing,

automation and digitalisation.

• Austrian packaging firm Alpla Group is planning to build a EUR15 million plant in Mexico for recycling HDPE with a capacity of 15,000 tonnes/ year. Construction will commence in autumn 2020, with its launch planned for the second half of 2021. The target markets are primarily Mexico, neighbouring countries in Central America and the US. Alpla has also acquired a PET preform injection moulding plant in India from packaging firm Amcor. The plant in Alandi, West India, which employs 50

people, manufactures preforms for the production of PET bottles for the beverage industry.

• Ineos Styrolution and AmSty, two of the largest global producers of PS, plan to construct a joint 100-tonne/day facility in Illinois, US, that will utilise chemical recycler Agilyx’s recycling technology to recycle post-use PS products back into virgin-equivalent styrene monomer.

• Biomaterials maker NatureWorks, a private company jointly owned by Cargill and PTT Global Chemical, Thailand’s

and disposal activities; and asset write-downs and write-offs.

• Anglo Dutch oil giant Shell will cut up to 9,000 jobs worldwide, or 10% of its workforce, as part of a major restructuring to enable cost savings of up to $2.5 billion per year by 2022, while planning to grow its chemicals business in its transition from fossil fuels to a lowercarbon business.

The restructuring is part of Shell’s plan to be net zero by 2050, however this has been accelerated due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. largest chemical producer, has a slate of manufacturing technology projects, including lactide monomer purification efficiency that will increase the availability of the full Ingeo PLA biomaterials portfolio by 10%. Installation is currently underway at NatureWorks’ facility in Blair, Nebraska, the world’s first and largest commercial-scale PLA manufacturing plant with a capacity of 150,000 tonnes/year.

The projects will be completed by the end of 2021. The expanded availability will support growth in markets such as 3D printing and nonwoven hygiene masks as well OCTOBER 2020

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Industry News

as compostable coffee capsules, teabags, and coated-paper food serviceware.

• German plant engineering firm Thyssenkrupp is to build a bioplastics plant based on its patented PLAneo technology in South China with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes/ year and scheduled start up in 2021. The company built the first commercial plant based on PLAneo technology for China’s biggest food and beverage company COFCO in Changchun at the end of 2018.

• Netherlandsheadquartered Total Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture between French oil giant Total and Corbion, will build its second PLA plant with a capacity ramping up to 100,000 tonnes/year. The new plant is planned to be located on a Total site in Grandpuits, France, and to be operational in 2024, with an investment cost of EUR200 million.

Corbion will continue to be the supplier of lactic acid.

• Swedish polymer Trelleborg Group has expanded its facility in Minnesota, US, which includes the addition of a 6,000-sq-ft ISO Class 7 cleanroom and enhanced silicone moulding and contract manufacturing capabilities.

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• Japan’s Sekisui Chemical Group subsidiary, Sekisui Polymatech Europe, headquartered in the Netherlands, has commenced production of thermal interface materials for automakers, battery manufacturers and producers of powertrains and chassis components.

A total of EUR12.3 million has been invested in the plant to increase threefold the global production capacity. Furthermore, the company is striving to achieve revenue of EUR80 million in its thermal management business by 2022.

• Austrian waste processing and shredding technology equipment supplier Lindner Recyclingtech celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for its new 45,000 sq m factory premises recently.

• Ultrasonic welding equipment maker Rinco Ultrasonics has undertaken expansion of its tooling capabilities for ultrasonic welding at its US manufacturing headquarters in Connecticut, with the addition of 4,000 sq ft to its operations, hiring of new employees, and purchase of key machinery and equipment. Though based in Romanshorn, Switzerland, Rinco has been a member

of the Crest Group since 1997, making it American owned.

• More advanced powder coatings solutions will be available to customers in Taiwan now that a plant is being built by AkzoNobel in Chungli.

The EUR20 million fully automated planT will have the increased production capacity to fulfill growing demand in the architecture, auto accessories, telecommunications, electronic components, furniture, domestic appliances, sports equipment and machine tools markets.

It is expected to start operating in the third quarter of 2021.

• Covestro has launched a new production line for PC films in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Thailand. The films are mainly used in the automotive, telecommunications, medical technology and ID document sectors. The total investment of more than EUR100 million also includes an expansion of the associated infrastructure and logistics to shorten delivery times.

• Germany-based Wacker Chemie is expanding its Chinese polymer activities by investing US$100 million in building two new production plants at its Nanjing site. It is adding a reactor for

vinyl-acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions and a spray dryer for VAE dispersible polymer powders. The reactor and spray dryer are scheduled to come on stream in the second half of 2022.

• Headquartered in Luxembourg, the world’s largest producer of graphene nanotubes OCSiAl has opened its R&D and technical support centre in Luxembourg designed to develop next gen materials with graphene nanotubes.

• Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract by Lukoil Burgas for a petrochemical facility in Bulgaria. Lummus' scope includes the technology license for a 280 kilotonnes/ year PP unit, said to the first PP plant in Southeast Europe that will be part of Lukoil Neftohim Burgas AD, the largest oil refining enterprise in the area.

• Norwegian supplier of silicon-based advanced materials Elkem has received NOK10 million in financial support from government agency Enova to fund the initial planning of the potential large-scale battery materials plant in Norway, named Northern Recharge.

The packaging industry is on track to achieving carbon neutral footprint in packaging solutions by ensuring recyclability, degradability, safety and effectiveness of the packaging product, says Angelica Buan in this report.

T

he packaging industry generates a large portion of plastic waste, representing about US$80-$120 billion loss to the global economy every year, according to the World Economic Forum. Thus, the sector is transitioning to using environmentally-friendly sustainable packaging: responsibly sourced, recyclable, and designed to be safe and effective for use during its entire life cycle.

Although developing sustainable packaging involves the entire supply chain, sectors that are major users of plastic packaging such as food and beverage, cosmetics and hygiene, agriculture and others, are forging alliances with packaging manufacturers to come up with innovative and eco-friendly solutions.

Clearly, the “take-make-dispose” packaging model is passé, in lieu of the growing demand for sustainable packaging.

Alternative materials with no burden to environment Protecting the planet’s diversity and natural resources as well as reducing the environmental footprint are barometers for sustainable packaging.

REFUCOAT, an EU-funded three-year project, focuses on developing fully-recyclable food packaging with enhanced gas barrier properties and new functionalities using high performance coatings as an alternative to current metallised and modified atmospheric packaging (MAP).

REFUCOAT is developing various packaging structures: BIOPET/coating/BIOPE for crisps; PLA/PHA/coating/BOPLA for breadcrumbs; BOPLA film/coating for chicken meat and PLA/PHA tray with active coating containing bacteriophages

Materials News

Climate-positivity with sustainable packaging The consortium, composed of 12 partners including MIPLAST, IRIS, Grupo APEX, Manor Farm, Dacsa, Biopolis, Thunen, CIB, AIMPLAS, EUFIC, Fraunhofer and AINIA, will be utilising middle chain polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), biopolymers synthesised by microorganisms, such as flour. With low moisture permeability, PHA is a good alternative for fresh meat packaging and since it is biodegradable by composting, PHA can be converted into fertiliser, according to REFUCOAT. REFUCOAT adds that it also wants to explore the use of polyglycolic acid (PGA) as a high-barrier coating for biobased food packaging films, since it is fully biodegradable and has good compatibility with other biopolymers and polyolefins. It also has excellent water barrier properties, making it a promising material for use in food packaging, as an alternative to metallic coatings since these require a complex and expensive recycling process.

Relatively, REFUCOAT has developed for the first time an efficient process for producing high-yield glycolic acid (GA) – PGA’s precursor, and which is currently produced from fossil-based raw materials.

REFUCOAT is also exploring the use of natural antifungal, antibacterial and antioxidant substances for final packaging structures for fresh chicken meat (a breeding ground for salmonella and other bacteria), snacks and cereals. For this, REFUCOAT has developed an active coating that contains antimicrobial bacteriophages to attack unwanted bacterial growth.

For dry foods such as crisps and breadcrumbs, which need to stay crunchy for a long time, while not losing or taking up any flavours to/from the environment they are stored in, an antioxidant coating is being developed, based on bioactive herb essential oils. Specifically, the innovative barrier and active coatings developed during the project are combined with commercial bio-PE, bioPET and REFUCOAT PHA and polylactic acid (PLA) to produce packaging structures for chicken meat, breadcrumbs and crisps.

On a similar endeavour, a circular biaxiallyoriented polypropylene (BOPP) film called LOOPP and renewable NOPP (Natural BOPP) film for flexible packaging have been developed by Italian BOPP film producer Irplast utilising materials firm Sabic’s PP polymers from its Trucircle portfolio. The NOPP film is OCTOBER 2020

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Materials News Meanwhile, the thin gauge film offers a potential material reduction of 35-50% compared to blown LDPE films, and cost savings of up to 30%. The PHS 2.0 sealing system includes servodriven sealing jaws, an active knife and two-sided heated sealing strips that reduces the required clamped film surface by up to 6.8% and increases the packaging speed by as much as 25%, up to 130 bags/minute. The latter is achieved by reducing the sealing and cooling times by 50% and 30%, respectively. made from certified renewable Sabic PP material from biobased feedstock while LOOPP is made from material that uses feedstock made from chemical recycling of mixed post-consumer plastics. Both films are 100% recyclable in normal polyolefin waste separation streams.

Irplast, known for its BOPP LISIM stretching technology that is done in one step compared to the standard twostep process, says it has been focusing on reducing film thickness to save raw materials and energy. According to life-cycle assessment (LCA) data from Irplast, compared to an equivalent fossil fuel-BOPP film, every kg of NOPP takes 2 kg of CO2 emissions out of the environment.

In a related development for the food sector, Sabic and Netherlands-based Syntegon Technology have launched a frozen food packaging concept comprising the new PHS 2.0 sealing technology from Syntegon and 20-mcm thin BOPE film from Sabic. The partners say that brand owners can now reduce material consumption and increase output rates by replacing conventionally used LDPE films with BOPE sealed on PHS 2.0 equipment for vertical form, fill and seal (FFS) machines.

Syntegon says its new PHS 2.0 sealing technology, in combination with Sabic’s thin BOPE film, enables brand owners to reduce material consumption and increase output rates

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Walking the talk: advancing recyclability goals Among the key corporate goals to achieve sustainability is recyclability of the packaging product. Food company Nestlé has been vocal since 2018 about its goal to making its packaging 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025; and reducing use of virgin plastics by a third over this period.

In 2019, the company said that it has already advanced to making 87% of its packaging recyclable or reusable.

The Switzerlanddomiciled conglomerate recently partnered with packaging producer Amcor to launch the world’s first recyclable retort pouch for pet food, using Amcor’s AmLite HeatFlex Recyclable solution. It makes its appearance in stores in the Netherlands in October.

The two companies say they worked closely during the product Amcor and Nestlé have launched development process, a breakthrough in recyclable testing for heat resistance, packaging, to improve the machine performance, environmental footprint of shelf-life and recyclability consumer packaging up to 60%, starting with wet cat food in the real world.

Flexible retort packaging is a modern alternative to metal cans and it can improve the carbon footprint of hundreds of consumer products, owing to its light weight, resource efficiency, ease of transportation, and by minimising food waste. Adding recyclability to its list of properties will further improve the environmental profile of this packaging solution, which has a reduced carbon footprint of up to 60%, say the firms.

Materials News

Amcor’s AmPrima is a portfolio of more sustainable packaging solutions, designed to be recycled

Amcor also recently unveiled AmPrima PE Plus recycle-ready films, which are designed to be recycled, if clean and dry, through existing store drop-offs or curbside, where available. Currently available in a range of PE formats, AmPrima films show 60% reduction in non-renewable energy use; 46% reduction in carbon footprint; and 18% reduction in water consumption, based on an Amcor’s in-house LCA tool. Also, every million sq m of OPP displaced by AmPrima is equivalent to removing 45 cars from the road for a year.

Similarly, the partnership hatched between Chicagobased Conagra Brands and Indiana-headquartered packaging firm Berry Global has resulted in a sustainable packaging.

The new light blue easy-grip container in a recyclable cube design is for Conagra’s Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa line (originally packed in canisters). It features a wraparound IML

and a space-efficient tapered cube design that, based on an analysis conducted

by Berry Global, reduces the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and transporting the hot cocoa containers by 15%. It also reduces carbon footprint by 98 tonnes/year, equivalent to avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions of driving a passenger vehicle 243,176 miles as well A new container made as allows Conagra to better of recyclable plastic utilise space in transit, saving with a wraparound IML more than 1,000 gallons of diesel will initially be used for fuel/year from fewer truck loads Conagra Brands’ hot cocoa mix transporting plastic tubs.

Katya Hantel, Senior Director of sustainable development at Conagra said that the adoption of the new recyclable cube design will enable them to hit their target of making 100% of its plastic packaging renewable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

Brands increasing uptake of PCR-based closures Coca-Cola North America is bringing a new twist to sustainable packaging by using caps made from recycled HDPE plastic – a beverage industry first – on Dasani bottles.

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Materials News Coca-Cola North America is bringing a new twist to sustainable packaging by using caps made from recycled HDPE

It recently piloted and commercialised the resealable closures, which include 30% recycled content, on 20-oz., 500 ml and 1-l PET bottles of Dasani throughout California.

The process of producing plastic closures like twistoff caps is challenging from both a manufacturing and regulatory standpoint. Threading inside an FDA-approved cap must fit perfectly with threading on the neck of the bottle to ensure an air-tight seal. The firm says it worked closely with resin and closure suppliers to develop the cap while meeting all technical and food safety requirements.

The California pilot also included a monolayer label for Dasani bottles with 40% less plastic than existing labels.

Elsewhere, Berry Global has developed a new line of PCR closures, utilising curbside material. As a start to this process, it identified sizes/styles based on a variety of design attributes and qualities and plans to launch 30 different closures. The optimal percentage of PCR was chosen based on dimensional and physical performance.

Tests were conducted to review the effect of processing on the fit, form, and function of each item. While evaluating all of these characteristics, the firm also compared to the virgin resin, with 0% PCR (current), samples.

Meanwhile, Austrian chemical company Borealis and closure producer Menshen have collaborated on a series of ten packaging closures based on Borcycle, an evolving recycling technology which transforms polyolefin-based waste streams into versatile solutions. It unites Borealis’s

New closures made by Menshen are based on Borealis’s Borcycle compounds

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recycling and compounding expertise with its own Borstar multi-modal and nucleation technologies. These packaging solutions are predominantly made for use in laundry and homecare and include also 2K closures.

In the course of their collaboration, Borcycle UG522MO, a PP compound made of 50% PCR content, has been picked as the ideal choice for the new closures, as it offers potential reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 15% when compared to the use of virgin PP. Making rPS in food contact applications a reality Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS), the value chain initiative to increase the circularity of styrenic polymers, says it has successfully demonstrated that polystyrene (PS) is mechanically recyclable to food contact standards.

In cooperation with the German Fraunhofer-Institute, SCS performed so-called challenge tests, which confirmed the high cleaning efficiency of the mechanical recycling technology for PS to remove impurities originating from waste streams. These results enable the first application for an opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the use of recycled polystyrene (r-PS) as food contact material.

With the aim to consistently achieve the very high purity levels of the PS recyclate needed for food contact materials, the cleaning technology of machine manufacturer Gneuss was used during the mechanical recycling process. Its ability to handle post-consumer PS waste from food contact packaging was ‘stress tested’ and challenged by adding impurities under worst-case assumptions. The challenge test revealed the good cleaning efficiency of the technology used, leading to excellent purity levels of the r-PS. Styrenics Circular Solutions demonstrates suitability of mechanically recycled PS for food contact use

The resulting quality of the r-PS provides producers of packaging for the food industry with flexibility, as it can be used in their existing industrial production processes such as extrusion and thermoforming.

SCS, thus, adds that mechanically recycled PS can serve as a drop-in solution in FFS production lines.

Multiple variants for packaging are possible: single layer, co-extrusion of the r-PS with virgin PS or use of the recyclate as middle layer between virgin PS (A-B-A).

The above will surely be a milestone in styrenics' contribution to the circular economy, as this is where the industry is headed.

新聞 并购／投资／合作／重组 • 化工公司 LyondellBasell Industries 将斥资 20 亿美元收购南非石化公 司 Sasol 在美国之子公司的 50% 股份，这将减少 Sasol 的净债务。 此次收购将包括 Sasol 的 150 万吨 蒸汽裂解装置，90 万吨的 LDPE/ LLDPE 及其相关基础设施。两 家公司将成立一家 50/50 的合资 公 司 ， 以 L o u is ia na I nt egr a t ed PolyEthylene 的名称营运，并将接 管在查尔斯湖的基础化学品业务。 • 荷兰材料公司 DSM 将以 16 亿 欧元的价格，脱售其树脂和功 能材料及其相关业务，包括其 增材制造部门予德国材料公司 Covestro AG。该项交易将包 括 DSM Niaga、DSM Additive Manufacturing，以及 DSM Advanced Solar 的涂料业务， 分别占 DSM 的 2019 年全年净 销售额的 10 亿欧元，以及 DSM 的 2019 年 EBITDA 的 1.33 亿 欧元。 • 正如在7月份所宣布的，特殊化学 品公司 Celanese Corporation 已 经 完 成 将 它 在 P olyplast ics 合资 公司中的 45% 股权脱售给合作伙 伴 Daicel Corporation 的交易， 交易价格为 15.75 亿美元。 • Henkel Adhesive Technologies 已在美国马萨诸塞州的 Actnano 投资。该先进的材料初创公司提 供了量身定制的敷形涂层技术， 可在不断增长的电子领域的各种 应用中保护印刷电路板。 • 材料公司 Saint-Gobain Life Sciences 已经收购在法国的 MS Techniques and Transluminal。 这家拥有137名员工的公司为 Saint-Gobain 带来丰富的高精度 热塑性挤出技术经验，主要用于 微创导管解决方案，并且着重于 心血管市场。 • 化工公司 Hexion Inc. 以 4.25 亿 美元的价格将其酚醛特殊树脂、 六胺和在欧洲的林产品树脂业 务脱售予 Black Diamond and

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Investindustrial。在截至 2020 年 6 月 30 日的过去 12 个 月，这些业务的总销售额达 5.3 亿美元。 Schuhe24 Group 已经收购 Gindumac (Global Industrial Machinery Cluster) Group 的 多数股权，后者在德国、西班牙 和印度均设有办事处，并从事 二手机械交易。收购条款没有 透露。位于慕尼黑的机器制造商 KraussMaffei Technologies 也 是于 2018 年收购 Gindumac 股份 的股东之一。 Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation 在美国的子公司，Mitsubishi Chemical America 已经完成 从纽约的私人股本公司 New Mountain Capital 的手中收购 Gelest Inc. 的事项。总部位于宾 夕法尼亚州的 Gelest，专业于有 机矽、有机矽烷、金属有机物及 用于医疗设备、生命科学、微电 子和个人护理的特殊单体。 专注于特殊材料的私人投资 公司，SK Capital Partners 的关联公司已经完成了收购 Baker Hughes 的特殊聚合物 业务。该业务已易名为 NuCera Solutions，以反映其在特殊聚合 物和聚乙烯蜡市场的发展。 德国化工公司 Evonik Industries 正在考虑剥离其超吸收剂业务， 该业务生产尿布和卫生用品使用 的聚合物，并计划在 9 个月内将 之脱售。分拆后，Evonik 将脱售 该业务，寻找合作伙伴或进一步 重组。 Bernstein Research 的分 析师估计，此次脱售可带来 4 亿 至 4.5 亿欧元的收益。 Borealis、Borouge 和 Itochu 将 共同评估日本市场对可再生聚丙 烯的采用，该国有意在 2030 年 引进 200 万吨可再生塑料产品。 化工公司 Borealis 已经开始商业 化生产可再生聚丙烯，并且正在 努力扩大它在欧洲和世界各地的 销售。Borealis 也从欧洲投资银 行（EIB）获得了 2.5 亿欧元的

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贷款 ， 以 便 能 够 在 其 位 于 奥 地 利、瑞典和芬兰的创新中心加 强开发以聚烯烃为基础的循环 解决方案。 Cargill 已经与生物能源公司 Virent 合作，评估使用 Cargill 的玉米右 旋糖作为 Virent 的 BioForming 技 术的原料，以生产“嵌入式”低碳 生物燃料和生化产品。 生产 PHA 基塑料的生物塑料公 司 Danimer Scientific，将通过与 Live Oak Acquisition Corp. 的合 并协议而成为一家上市公司。机 构投资者承诺投资 2.1 亿美元； 包括 Apollo 的附属公司管理的 某些基金，Federated Hermes Kaufmann Small Cap Fund，以及 Live Oak 的附属公司的逾 5000 万 美元。 工艺技术许可公司Lummus Technology 已经成立了一个名为 Green Circle LLC 的新业务实体， 以集中和扩展其能力，并攫取能源 转型和循环经济中的新机遇。 科技公司 Continental 将终止与 Osram 的 50/50 汽车照明合资企 业，后者成立于 2018 年，专门从 事汽车照明系统。这两家公司目前 正在进行洽商，预计将于今年年底 取得解除业务的成果。 美国化学巨头 Dow 将把其全球劳 动力成本降低 6%，并对某些制造 资产进行合理化，预计到 2021年 底将节省超过 3 亿美元。该公司 将在 2020 年第三季度记入 5 亿美 元至 6 亿美元的遣散费和相关福利 费；与出口和处置活动有关的费 用；资产减值和冲销。 作为重大重组行动的一部分，英荷 石油巨头 Shell 将在全球削减多达 9,000 个工作岗位，或占其员工总 数的 10%，以便在 2022 年每年节 省高达 25 亿美元的成本，同时计 划扩大其化工业务，从化石燃料过 渡到低碳业务。重组行动是 Shell 计划在 2050 年实现净零排放的一 部分，但是由于 Covid-19 大流行 带来的经济影响，此重组计划将加 速进行。 OCTOBER 2020

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業界新聞 工厂开设／工厂扩建 • 机械公司 Arburg 最近在中国平湖 开设了 Arburg 技术中心（ATC）。 除了提供机器规格和自动化的基础 外，ATC 也为客户提供注塑模具测 试和参加培训课程的设施。培训内 容将提供从塑料加工、自动化和数 字化领域数十年的专业知识中汲取 综合工艺与应用技术支援，以及咨 询服务。 • 奥地利包装公司 Alpla Group 计划 在墨西哥建造一座 1500 万欧元的 工厂，以回收 HDPE，年产能为 15,000 吨。建设工程将于 2020 年 秋季开始，并计划在 2021 年下半 年启动。目标市场主要是墨西哥、 中美洲的邻国和美国。

Alpla 也从包装公司 Amcor 手中收购了印度的 PET 瓶坯注塑 厂。该工厂坐落在印度西部的阿兰 迪，拥有 50 名员工，为饮料行业 制造用于生产 PET 瓶的瓶坯。 • 全球两个最大的 PS 生产商 Ineos Styrolution 和 AmSty，计划在美 国伊利诺伊州建设一个联合的 100 吨／天的工厂，该工厂将采用化学 回收商 Agilyx 的回收技术，将用 过的 PS 产品回收成为等同于天然 的苯乙烯单体。 • 生物材料制造商 NatureWorks 是 由 Cargill 和泰国最大的化学生产商 PTT Global Chemical 共同持有的私 人公司，它拥有一系列制造技术项 目，包括丙交酯单体的提纯效率， 可将 Ingeo PLA 生物材料产品组合 的可用性提高 10%。 NatureWorks 在内布拉斯加州布莱尔的工厂现正 在进行安装工程，这是世界第一 座，也是最大的商业规模 PLA 生产 工厂，年产能为 15万吨。这些项目 将于 2021 年底完成。扩大后的可 用性将支援 3D 打印和无纺布卫生 口罩，以及可堆肥咖啡胶囊、茶袋 和铜版纸食品餐具等市场的增长。 • 德国工厂工程公司 Thyssenkrupp 将在华南建造一座生物塑料工厂， 并以其专利的 PLAneo 技术为基 础，工厂年产能为 30,000 吨，计 10

OCTOBER 2020

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划于 2021 年投产。该公司于 2018 年底在长春为中国最大的食品和 饮料公司 COFCO 建造了第一座以 PLAneo 技术为基础的商业工厂。 总部位于荷兰的 Total Corbion PLA 是法国石油巨头 Total 与 Corbion 的 50/50 合资企业，将 建设其第二家 PLA 工厂，产能将 提高至每年 100,000 吨。新工厂 计划位于法国格兰德皮特的 Total 工厂，并将于 2024 年投入营运， 投资成本为 2 亿欧元。Corbion 将继续成为乳酸的供应商。 瑞典的聚合物生产商 Trelleborg G ro u p 扩大了其在美国明尼苏达 州的工厂，其中包括增加一个 6,000 平方英尺的 ISO 7 级无尘 室，并增强了有机矽成型和合同 制造能力。 日本 Sekisui Chemical Group 的子公司 Sekisui Polymatech Europe，总部位于荷兰，已开始 为汽车制造商、电池制造商和动 力系统及底盘组件生产商进行热 界面材料商业生产。该工厂投资 总额达 1,230 万欧元，将全球产 能提高了三倍。此外，该公司正 致力于 2022 年在热管理业务达到 8000 万欧元收入。 奥地利的废物处理和切碎技术设 备供应商 Lindner Recyclingtech 最近庆祝了其新的 45,000 平方米 厂房的奠基仪式。 超声波焊接设备制造商 Rinco Ultrasonics 已经扩大其位于康涅 狄格州的美国制造总部的超声波 焊接工具的能力，增加了 4,000 平方英尺的操作空间，雇用新 员工，并添置了重要的机械和设 备。尽管 Rinco 的总部位于瑞士 的罗曼斯霍恩，但它自 1997 年以 来一直是 Crest Group 的成员，使 其成为美国拥有的公司。 AkzoNobel 目前正在中坜建设一 座工厂，它将为台湾客户提供更 先进的粉末涂料解决方案。这座 耗资 2,000 万欧元的全自动化工 厂将具有更高的生产能力，以满 足建筑、汽车配件、电信、电子

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元件、家具、家用电器、运动器材 和机床市场不断增长的需求。该工 厂预计将于 2021 年第三季度开始 运作。 Covestro 在泰国的 Map Ta Phut 工业区启动了一条新的 PC 薄膜生 产线。这些薄膜主要用于汽车、电 信、医疗技术和身份证件领域。总 投资超过1亿欧元，它包括了扩展 有助缩短交货时间的相关基础设施 和物流设备。 位于德国的 Wacker Chemie 正投 资 1 亿美元，在其南京的工厂建造 两个新的生产工厂，进一步扩大它 在中国的聚合物业务。它增设了用 于醋酸乙烯酯-乙烯共聚物（VAE） 分散体的反应器，以及用于 VAE 可 分散的聚合物粉末的喷雾干燥器。 该反应器和喷雾干燥器预计于 2022 年下半年投入生产。 总部位于卢森堡兼全球最大的石墨 烯纳米管生产商 OCSiAl 已在卢森 堡开设其研发和技术支援中心，目 的是要开发石墨烯纳米管的下一代 材料。 Lummus Technology 获得 Lukoil Burgas 颁发一项在保加利亚的石 化厂合同。Lummus 的范围包括 一个 280 吨／年产能的PP装置的 技术许可，它据称是东南欧的第 一家 PP 厂，并将成为该地区最 大的炼油企业 Lukoil Neftohim Burgas AD 的一部分。 挪威的矽基先进材料供应商 Elkem 已从政府机构 Enova 获得1000 万 挪威克朗的资金援助，为挪威潜 在的大型电池材料工厂的初步计划 提供资金，该工厂名为Northern Recharg。

RJA 行业新闻 • 德国轮胎／汽车零部件制造商 Continental 将关闭其在德国亚琛 的未充分利用的轮胎生产工厂。 这将影响该工厂各个生产、开 发和管理部门的 1,800 个工作岗 位。Continental 计划对其欧洲业 务进行大规模重组，以更好地适

新聞 新聞 应“汽车行业的转型以及经济和市 场环境带来的挑战。”

Continental 也计划脱售其部 分汽车业务，包括动力系统臂膀 Vitesco Technologies 的一部分 和橡胶部门 Contitech。管理层已 经在与可能对某些部门感兴趣的各 方进行会谈。该公司的轮胎业务不 属于撤资计划的一部分。脱售资产 是 Continental 重组的一部分，并 将裁员 30,000 人，目标是到 2023 年每年节省超过 10 亿欧元。 • Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) 计划投资并购活动，通过与多学 科的 Vietnam Chemical Group (Vinachem) 并 购 扩 大 其 橡 胶 和轮胎业务。VRG 目前管理 超过 400,000 公顷的橡胶种 植 园 （2019 年平均产量为 1.56 吨／公顷），但由于售价低廉， 受Covid-19 大流行影响导致需求 和产量下降，近年来业务一直呈 下降趋势。然而，VRG 将继续开 展业务，通过与 Vinachem 的并 购，重获它在此领域的立足点。 Vinachem 是轮胎领域的老大， 有四个生产橡胶轮胎的部门， 分别是 Da Nang Rubber、Sao Vang Rubber、Southern Rubber Industry 和 Inoue Rubber Vietnam。 • 由于 Covid-19 导致手套市场增 长，奥地利上市公司 Semperit 不会 脱售其医疗部门，并将继续经营其 九个月。今年1月，Semperit 宣布 将剥离其医疗业务 Sempermed， 其中包括在马来西亚的手套制造 商 Latexx Partners。Sempermed 生产用于工业领域的检查和手术 手套及防护手套。6 月的报导称， 马来西亚手套供应商 Top Glove 是接管 Latexx Partners 的领跑 者，Semperit 在 2012 年为此支付 了 6 亿令吉。Semperit 最近上调了 2020 年的盈利前景。 • 由于市场行情趋紧，在美国和德 国关闭工厂，德国轮胎热解公司 Pyrolyx 已从澳大利亚证券交易 所（ASX）及德国杜塞尔多夫和法

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兰克福股票市场退市。Pyrolyx 于 2020 年 5 月证实，其在美国和德 国的回收炭黑（rCB）设施的运作 仍处于关闭状态。该公司说，它将 继续审查业务和财务要求，以便 能够重新开放其设施。Pyrolyx 于 2019 年与 Continental 签订了为 期五年的供应协议，以向其全球轮 胎制造工厂供应 rCB。 印度炭黑供应商 Birla Carbon 已从 一项联合开发协议发展为对美国纳 米级材料制造商 Chasm Advanced Materials Inc. 进行策略投资，以 将纳米材料商业化，用于各种市场 领域，包括高性能轮胎、导电塑 料、新型涂料和新一代电池。Birla Carbon 和 Chasm 于 2019 年 11月 宣布了一项联合开发协议，以开 发结合了 Chasm 的纳米管增强 碳 （NTeC）技术和 Birla Carbon 在商业化及制造领域之专业知识的 纳米材料。 美国特殊化学品供应商 Cabot Corporation 的子公司 Cabot Norit Americas，已与 ADA Carbon Solutions 达成长期供应协议，后 者是褐煤基活性炭的生产商，也是 Advanced Emissions Solutions的 子公司。ADA 将独家向 Cabot Norit 制造和供应 Cabot Norit 的褐煤基 活性炭产品专有组合。后者也已达 成将其德克萨斯州的褐煤矿脱售给 ADA 的协议。Cabot 与关闭矿山相 关的总现金支出上限为 1000 万美 元，并在未来 14 年内摊销。 根据报导，全球最大的手套生产 商 Top Glove 将向其来自尼泊尔 和孟加拉国的工人支付补偿金，以 支付付给招聘机构的费用。这家马 来西亚公司将向每位尼泊尔的工人 和每位孟加拉国的工人分别支付约 1,500 美元和 4,800 美元的滞后招 聘费。早在 8 月，Top Glove 表示 将退还其外劳最多 1,273 万美元， 以期希望取消美国对其医用手套的 进口禁令 。 马来西亚的农业企业 FGV Holdings 旗下的 FGV Rubber Industries， 已经委任英国的 Rubber Heart Ltd

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作为其欧洲和北美代表，以在这些 地区销售其天然橡胶产品系列。 它将销售各种等级的技术规格橡 胶和其他特殊的 NR 基材料。FGV Rubber 是马来西亚顶级的马来西 亚标准橡胶（SMR）生产商之一， 在全国设有四家工厂。它也是马来 西亚绿色橡胶 ENR25、ENR50 和 DPNR 的唯一生产商。 化工公司 BASF 和以技术为基础 的 New Energy 合作，将后者从 废轮胎中取得的热解油作用 BASF 在德国路德维希港之综合化工生 产基地的原料。New Energy 将 为 BASF 提供高达 4,000 吨／年的 热解油，首批产品已在试点阶段 成功使用。这项新协议几乎是在 BASF 对德国热解公司 Pyrum 进 行巨额投资的同时达成的。 特殊轮胎制造商 GRI Tires 正在 斯里兰卡的 Mirigama 出口加工 区（MEPZ）建造新的混合厂，以 提高轮胎生产能力，并根据需求 的增长推动进一步的扩张。它届 时将可生产 200 吨／天的特殊轮 胎，高于目前的 50-60 吨。 印度 Mahansaria Tyres (MTPL) 位于古吉拉特邦西部的潘诺里， 价值1亿美元的非公路用轮胎制造 工厂已经开始商业生产。这个占 地 127 英亩的设施将满足当地农 业、工业／建筑和土方工程行业 对轮胎的需求。首阶段的年产能 为 40,000 公吨。 德国废旧轮胎处理公司Kurz Karkassenhandel 已通过其新的 在线查询工具向私人轮胎收集开 放，该工具允许拾起和正确处理 单个废轮胎。Kurz 的这项新计 划使轮胎能保持在循环经济，并 确保任何类型的轮胎–无论是乘 用车、轻型卡车、卡车或农用轮 胎，皆可对环境进行永续保护。 Kurz 将在兰道和文德林根周围 25 公里的半径内处理收集工作。此 外，一些标准的处置费用较高， 但仍保持在合理范围。废轮胎的 收集也可以为少于 20 个轮胎进行 委托收集。 OCTOBER 2020

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材料新闻

积 极 应 对 气 候问 题 与 可 持 续 包装 Angelica Buan 在这份报告中指 出，包装行业正 在通过确保包 装产品的可回收 性、可降解性、 安全性和有效性 来实现包装解决 方案中碳中和的 目标。

REFUCOAT 正在 开发各种包装 结构：用于薯 片的 BIOPET／ 涂层​​／BIOPE； 用于面包屑的 PLA／PHA／涂 层／BOPLA；用 于鸡肉的 BOPLA 薄膜／涂层， 以及含噬菌体 之活性涂层的 PLA／PHA 托盘

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OCTOBER 2020

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据世界经济论坛的数据，包装行业产生大量的塑料废物，每年给全球经济造成约 80-1200 亿美元的损失。因此，该行业正在过渡到使用环保的可持续包装：以负责 任的方式采购，可循环再造，并在整个生命周期内安全有效地使用。

尽管发展可持续包装涉及整个供应链，但是食品和饮料、化妆品和卫生、农业等塑料 包装的主要用户行业正在与包装制造商结成联盟，以提出创新和环保的解决方案。

显而易见，“获取–制造–弃置”包装模式已经过时，代替了对可持续包装日益增长的 需求。

对环境无负担的替代材料 保护地球的多样性和自然资源，以及减少生态足迹是可持续包装的晴雨表。

REFUCOAT 是一项由欧盟资助为期三年的项目，致力于使用高性能涂料开发可增强 气体阻隔性能与新功能的完全可回收的食品包装，以替代目前的金属化和改良型大气包装 （MAP） 。

该联盟是由12个合作伙伴组成，包括MIPLAST、IRIS、Grupo APEX、Manor Farm、 Dacsa、Biopolis、Thunen、CIB、AIMPLAS、EUFIC、Fraunhofer 和 AINIA，将利用中链 多羟基链烷酸酯（PHA），由微生物合成的生物聚合物，例如面粉。REFUCOAT 表示，由 于 PHA 具有低透湿性，因此是新鲜肉类包装的理想替代品，并且由于可通过堆肥进行生物 降解，因此PHA 可转化为肥料。

REFUCOAT 补充说，它也希望探索使用聚乙醇酸 （PGA）作为生物基食品包装薄膜的高阻隔涂层，因为它 可以完全生物降解，并且与其他生物聚合物和聚烯烃具有 良好的相容性。它同时具有出色的阻水性能，因此有望成 为食品包装中具潜质的材料，可替代金属涂料，因为这些 涂料需要复杂且昂贵的回收过程。

相对而言，REFUCOAT 首次开发了一种有效的方法 来生产高收率的乙醇酸（GA）- PGA 的前体，它目前是 由化石原料制成。

另外，REFUCOAT 也在探索将天然抗真菌、抗菌和抗氧化物质用作新鲜鸡肉（滋生 沙门氏菌等细菌）、零食和谷类食品的最终包装结构。在这方面，REFUCOAT 开发了一 种活性涂层，内含抗菌噬菌体，可以攻击有害的细菌生长。

对于需要长时间保持松脆，同时又不至于失去它们所储存的环境中的味道或散发气味 的干燥食品，如薯片和面包屑，它正在开发一种基于生物活性草本精油的抗氧化剂涂层。

具体而言，在项目中开发的创新性阻隔层和活性涂料与商业生物 PE、bio-PET 及 REFUCOAT PHA 和聚乳酸（PLA）相结合，可生产用于鸡肉、面包屑和薯片的包 装结构。

在类似的努力下，意大利的 BOPP 薄膜生产商 Irplast 利用材料公司 Sabic 的 Trucircle 产品组合中的 PP 聚合物，开发了一种名为 LOOPP 的循环双轴拉伸聚丙烯（BOPP）薄膜 和用于软包装的可再生 NOPP（天然 BOPP）薄膜。NOPP 薄膜是采用经过认证的可再生 Sabic PP 材料制成，该材料来自生物基原料，而 LOOPP 薄膜所使用的原料则是由混合废 塑料的化学回收制成。两种薄膜均可在常规聚烯烃废物分离流中 100% 回收。

Irplast 以其 BOPP LISIM 拉伸技术而闻名，与标准的两个阶段工艺相比，它可在一 个阶段完成，该公司一直致力于降低薄膜厚度以节省原材料和能源。根据 Irplast 的生命 周期评估（LCA）数据，与同等的化石燃料 BOPP 薄膜相比，每公斤 NOPP 可从环境中 除去 2 公斤的二氧化碳排放量。

材料新闻

这家位于瑞士的企业集团最近与包 装生产商 Amcor 合作，使用 Amcor 的 AmLite HeatFlex 可回收解决方案推出 了世界首个宠物食品可回收蒸煮袋。它 裂化过程 于 10 月在荷兰的商店中亮相。 采油

两家公司表示，他们在产品开发 过程中密切合作，测试了在实际生活 认证的 IRPLAST 中的耐热性、机器性能、保质期和可 S-BOPP 薄膜 聚合反应 回收性。 生产

软蒸煮包 生产 装是金属罐的 用可再生资源或化学回收原料制造的薄膜 现代替代品，并且由于其重

在食品领域的相关发展中，Sabic 和位于荷兰的 量轻、资源效率高、容易运 Syntegon Technology 推出了冷冻食品包装概念，它结 输及减少食物浪费，因此可 合了 Syntegon 的新型 PHS 2.0 密封技术及 Sabic 的 20以改善数百种消费产品的碳 mcm 薄 BOPE 薄膜。合作伙伴说，品牌持有者现在可以 足迹。这些公司表示，在其 通过将传统使用的 LDPE 薄膜替换为用于垂直成型，填 性能清单中增加可回收性将 充和密封（FFS）机器的 PHS 2.0 设备上密封的 BOPE 进一步改善这种包装解决方 来减少材料消耗并提高生产率。 案的环境状况，该解决方案

与此同时，与吹制的 LDPE 薄膜相比，薄规格的薄 的碳足迹减少了多达 60%。 膜可以减少 35-50% 的材料，并且可以节省多达 30%

Amcor 最近还推出了 的成本。PHS 2.0 密封系统包括伺服驱动的钳口，一把 AmPrima PE Plus 可回收薄 Amcor 和 Nestlé在可回收包 主动刀和两面加热的密封条，可将所需的夹紧薄膜表面 膜 ， 该 薄 膜 可 通 过 现 有 的 商 装方面取得了突破，从湿猫 减少多达 6.8%，并将包装速度提高了多达 25%，最高 店放下或路边（若有）进行清 粮开始，将消费者包装的生 可达 130 袋／分钟。后者是通过将密封及冷却时间分别 洁 和 干 燥 后 回 收 利 用 。 目 前 态足迹减少多达 60% 减少 50% 和 30% 来完成。 AmPrima 薄膜具有多种 PE 格式，根据 Amcor 的内部 LCA 工具，其不可再生能源使用量减少了 60%；碳足迹 减少 46%；耗水量减少 18%。此外，AmPrima 每替 换一百万平方米的 OPP，就相当于一年从道路上移除 45 辆汽车。 来自有机废物的油或 来自化学回收的烟油

Amcor 的 AmPrima 是更具可持续性的 包装解决方案组合， 是为可回收利用而 设计的

Syntegon 说，其新的 PHS 2.0 密封技术与 Sabic 的薄 BOPE 薄膜相 结合，可使品牌持有者减少材料消耗并提高产量

言行一致：推进再循环目标 实现可持续发展的主要公司目标之一是包装产品的可回 收性。食品公司 Nestlé 自 2018 年起即倡导其目标，即 到 2025 年使其包装 100% 可回收或可再利用；并在此期 间将原始塑料的使用量减少三分之一。该公司表示，它 在 2019 年已经取得进展，其包装的 87% 已可回收或可 重复使用。

同样的，位于芝加哥的 Conagra Brands 与总部位 于印第安纳州的包装公司 Berry Global 之间的合作关 系促成了可持续包装。

新的浅蓝色易抓握容器采用可回收的立方体设计， 用于 Conagra 的 Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa 系列（原本装 在罐子中）。它具有环绕式 IML 和节省空间的锥形立 方体设计，根据 Berry Global 进行的分析，可以将与 OCTOBER 2020

13

材料新闻 制造和运输热可可容器相关的 碳足迹减少 15%。它还可以减 少 98 吨／年的碳足迹，相当于 避免了驾驶 243,176 英里乘用 车的温室气体排放量，并允许 Conagra 更好地利用运输空间， 通过减少卡车装载运输塑料桶， 每年可节省超过 1,000 加仑柴油。

Conagra 的可持续发展高级总 监 Katya Hantel 说，采用新的可回 收立方体设计可让他们达到目 一种由可回收塑料制成且带 标，在 2025 年使 100% 的塑 有环绕式IML的新容器将率 料包装可再生、可回收或可堆 先使用于 Conagra Brands 肥。 的热可可混合物 品牌增加使用 PCR 基瓶盖 Coca-Cola North America 在 Dasani 瓶子采用了由再 生HDPE 塑料制成的瓶盖，成为饮料行业的首创，为可 持续包装带来了新变化。最近，它在加利福尼亚州的 20 盎司、500 毫升和 1 升 PET 瓶 Dasani 中对可重复密封的 瓶盖进行了试点和商业化使用，其中包括含 30% 的回 收成分。

从制造和监管的立场来看，生产像旋盖之类的塑料 瓶盖的过程具挑战性。FDA 批准的瓶盖内螺纹必须与瓶 颈上的螺纹完全匹配，以确保气密性。该公司表示，它 与树脂和瓶盖供应商密切合作开发了瓶盖，同时也满足 了所有技术和食品安全要求。

加利福尼亚州的试点项目还包括用于 Dasani 瓶的单 层标签，其塑料比现有标签少 40%。

其他方面，Berry Global 利用路边材料开发了一条 新的 PCR 瓶盖系列。首先，它根据各种设计属性和质量 确定尺寸／样式，并计划推出 30 种不同的瓶盖。根据尺 寸和物理性能选择最佳的 PCR 百分比。进行测试以审查 加工程序对每件产品的合适性、形式和功能的影响。在 评估所有这些特征的同时，该公司也与原始树脂，采用 0%PCR（当前），样品进行了比较。 Coca-Cola North America 使用再生 HDPE 制成的 瓶盖为可持续 包装带来了新 的变化

另外，奥地利化工公司 Borealis 与瓶盖生产商 Menshen 合作开发了十个基于 Borcycle 的包装瓶 14

OCTOBER 2020

盖，Borcycle 是一项不断发展的回收技术，可将聚烯烃 基的废物流转化为通用解决方案。该公司将 Borealis 的 回收和混炼专业知识与自己的 Borstar 多峰和成核技术 结合在一起。 这些包装解决 方案主要用于 洗衣和家庭 护理，还包括 2K 瓶盖。 双方在合 作过程中采用 50% PCR 含 量 的 P P 化 合 Menshen 制造的新瓶盖是采用 Borealis 的 Borcycle 复合材料制成的 物 - Borcycle UG522MO，它被选作新瓶盖的理想选择，因为与使用原 始 PP 相比，它可以减少多达 15% 的 CO2 排放量。 使食品接触应用 rPS 成为事实 Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) 是提高苯乙烯聚合物 循环使用的价值链计划，它已成功证明聚苯乙烯（PS） 可机械回收至食品接触标准。通过与德国的 FraunhoferInstitute 的合作，SCS 进行了所谓的挑战测试，测试结 果证实 PS 的机械回收技术具有很高的清洁效率，可去除 废水中的杂质。这些结果使欧洲食品安全局（EFSA）首 次就将回收的聚苯乙烯（r-PS）用作食品接触材料提出 了意见。

为了能够稳定地达到食品接触材料所需的PS回收 物的极高纯度，在机械回收过程中使用了机器制造商 Gneuss 的清洁技术。它在处理食品接触包装的消费后 PS废物的能力经过“压力测试”，并且在最坏的情况 下面对添加杂质的挑战。挑战测试显示，所采用的技 术具有良好的清洁效率，从而使 r-PS 的纯度达到了极 高的水平。

r-PS 的最终质量为食品工业包装生产商提供了灵活 性，因为它可使用于生产商现有的工业生产过程中，例 如挤出和热成型。

因此，SCS 补充说，机械回收的 PS 可以作为 FFS 生产线的简易解决方案。包装具备多种类型是可 能的：单层、r-PS 与纯 PS 的共挤出或将回收物用作 纯 P S （ A Styrenics Circular B-A）之间的 Solutions 证明了 中间层。 机械回收的 PS

以 上 无 适用于食品接触 疑将是苯乙烯 用途 对循环经济贡 献的一个里程 碑，而这也是 有关行业的发 展方向。

Country Focus

2020: still a banner year for Thailand’s key industries Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-largest economy and the world’s 19th largest manufacturer, is on track to achieving its high income status ambition by 2037 by leveraging competence in the automotive and medical devices industries, says Angelica Buan in this report.

I

n previous years, Thailand has tussled with weak exports resulting from the US-China trade war, further aggravated by a strong currency during the period and long-running political tensions. Its economic growth plummeted to nearly double between 2018 and 2019, from 2.4% to 4.2%, respectively, according to the World Bank. This year, however, has been hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, enfeebling the world’s financial markets and indomitable economies, including that of Thailand. Recently, the resurgence of political unrest in the country is anticipated to further mar the economy.

The Thai economy is projected to regress by 5% in 2020, according to World Bank’s June country monitoring report, considering its openness to trade and its anchor to tourism, which accounts to about 15% of its GDP. General weak demand, globally and domestically, spurred by the outstretched lockdown measures, has impacted Thailand’s key industries including the automotive, travel, energy, manufacturing, and exports, to cite a few.

Mobility restrictions from the Covid-19 are starting to be eased and anticipated to jump start economic activities. By 2021, economic growth is expected to rise to 4.1%, and in 2022, to 3.6%; recovery to pre-Covid output levels is also augured in two years’ time, hinged on an effective economic response that will help affected sectors including the vulnerable households and businesses, the World Bank also reported.

As well, optimism can be gleaned from its two high-value industries, the automotive and medical devices, which despite the challenges the country is facing continue to thrive.

Thailand, besieged by economic disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the recent political unrest, is optimistic to post a growth of 4.1% by 2021

Banking on rebound of the automotive sector The global automotive sector has struggled for some years but remains to be Thailand’s ticket to economic recovery. Thailand is Southeast Asia’s automotive hub, honing on its supply and logistics chain.

However, the pandemic has shaken up the industry with lockdowns resulting in reduced production in the first half of 2020 by a total 43.1% year-on-year, according to the Thai Automotive Institute data, with the Federation of Thailand Industry (FTI) estimating a 32.9% year-on-year slump in local car sales from January-August this year.

But even so, the Covid-19 crisis has not deterred investments activities. In September, Chinaheadquartered Great Wall Motors (GWM) signed a share sales and purchase agreement with General Motors (GM) to acquire GM’s production facilities in Rayong, Thailand. GWM intends to make Thailand its ASEAN production base for export of new energy vehicles and internal-combustion engine models.

Production is planned to start in the first quarter of 2021.

Elliot Zhang, President, GWM ASEAN & Thailand, added that the engine and vehicle production hub will be renovated and undergo system upgrades, upon the turnover of the assets as part of the signed deal.

OCTOBER 2020

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Country Focus

In a shares sales deal with GE, GWM intends to make Thailand its ASEAN production base for export of new EVs. Shown are GWM ASEAN & Thailand President, Elliot Zhang, and GE Director Director of Corporate Development, Global Mergers & Acquisitions, Joseph Urso

This will enable GWM’s expertise and capability in SUV and pickup truck production, including advanced powertrain technologies, giving it the ability to produce internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plugin hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Moreover, GWM says it will also invest in production automation technologies, such as AI, as well as R&D for Thai and Southeast Asian markets.

Meanwhile, the segment for advanced materials for automotive is also showing forward movement with German materials company Covestro, which has started up its operation of a new production line at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate.

Covestro’s new capacity for PC films in Thailand will serve the automotive, telecommunications, medical technology and ID document sectors. The project is the first step in a global expansion of Covestro's plastic film production, the company said, adding that the total investment of more than EUR100 million includes an expansion of the associated infrastructure and logistics to shorten delivery times. Covestro, which has 30 production sites worldwide, has been operating a production facility for specialty films in Thailand since 2007.

Covestro has started up its operation of a new production line for PC films at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate

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OCTOBER 2020

Green shoots in electric vehicles Thailand’s foray in green transportation is also unfazed by the ongoing Covid-19 and volatile political situations.

The government, keen to reduce energy consumption in the transport sector, as well as support global climate change initiatives with EVs, has been incentivising EV production in the country.

Three agencies, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC), and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), also embarked on EV conversion of old vehicles. The agencies jointly studied and developed major parts used for modifying old vehicles into EVs. Modification for one vehicle costs not more than 200,000 baht, excluding the battery.

Meanwhile, an EV roadmap has been drawn, underscoring Thailand’s capability to becoming a vital EV and electric bikes hub in the Asian region by 2025. The target by then is to produce 250,000 EVs, 3,000 electric public buses, and 53,000 electric motorcycles. In 2030, ambition is to raise EV production to 30% of total annual car production.

An EV assessment report by Frost & Sullivan in January, covering 2018 through 2025, projected a CAGR of 21.6% for the EV market during the forecast period.

The EV landscape has changed tremendously and at such a short time, with urbanisation as well as technological advancements in e-mobility as major growth drivers.

It is not surprising that adoption of EVs in Thailand continues to rise: in 2019, registration posted over 30,000 new HEVs/PHEVs, and over 1,200 battery electric cars and motorcycles; some 750 charging outlets were installed in 500 locations, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT).

Relatedly, the Thailand Board of Investments (BOI) has recently approved 24 projects by car makers to produce EVs, HEVs, PHEVs, and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), with a combined capacity of over 500,000 units/year.

MMTH has earmarked 5.48 billion baht to upgrade the company’s existing car production line at Laem Chabang Industrial Estate; It is also constructing an eco-friendly paint factory at the same site. Shown are MMTH President/CEO Morikazu Chokki, and executives from the Ministry of Industry led by Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit

Country Focus Among the approved projects include Mitsubishi Motors Thailand, which has earmarked 5.48 billion baht to upgrade the company’s existing car production line at Laem Chabang Industrial Estate, allowing the a production from 2023 of a total of 39,000 vehicles/year, consisting of some 9,500 BEVs and 29,500 HEVs. As well, Sammitr Group is investing 5.5 billion baht investment for the production of 30,000 BEVs at its Phetchaburi facility. Both projects are aimed at the local market and exports, mainly to other ASEAN countries.

Fomm, a new Japanese EV brand, has started making compact BEVs at a plant in Chonburi province

Other projects by car makers also received the nod: BMW for the production of PHEVs and its partnership with Germany-domiciled Dräxlmaier Group for the production of high-voltage batteries and battery modules. Elsewhere, Fomm, a new Japanese EV brand, has started making compact BEVs at a plant in Chonburi province; and Nissan Motor is launching a new BEV production project.

Reshaping the economy with medical devices growth The medical sector is another key area that Thailand is focusing on as it restarts its post-pandemic economy, pivoting on its medical tourism and export of medical devices. The medical sector has been in its blueprint of growth since the government plans to make the country the ASEAN region’s medical hub by 2020. To achieve this, it has been placed as one of Thailand’s new S-curve industries. This comes with investment incentives for investors in the medical devices sector.

Citing a US International Trade (ITA) 2018 projection, Thailand’s medical device market is estimated at US$2.7 billion. The world’s 17th largest exporter of medical devices – mostly single-use devices, including disposable test kits and syringes, surgical gloves and catheters, it is perceived to secure a market growth of 8-10% annually.

The growth is driven by a growing number of local and foreign patients availing medical and healthcare services, as well as it ageing population. The BOI said that by 2045, Thailand’s ageing population would have surpassed that of Europe, the US, and other regions with rapidly ageing society.

Kungsri Research provided a vista of Thailand’s medical devices sector in a recent report. It said that in 2018, a total of 594 medical devices producers are registered with the Department of Business Development. Of this, 98% are SMEs and 2% are large-scale operations. Included in this segment are multinational companies like Nipro, Hoya Optics, and Kawasumi Laboratories.

Pandemic not a deterrent to medical sector growth For a number of companies, the Covid-19 situation is not a detriment to continue to embark into Thailand’s medical devices market. According to the BOI, a number of global and domestic companies have filed 50 projects, with value totalling 12.69 billion baht during the first six months of the year. Investment interests are expected to flow in, as since April, the BOI has offered special incentive scheme to boost investments in the medical industry.

The 50 applications include projects that are related to coronavirus response and include the manufacture of medical devices or supplies such as rubber gloves and masks, and of non-woven fabric such as spun-bond or melt blown used as raw materials in the manufacture of masks and medical devices.

Other projects are biotechnology-related, and include Apsalagen Co Ltd, a joint venture between Thailand’s Siam Bioscience and Germany’s Haase Investment, which applied for its biological reagents and mastermixes used in the production of rapid tests (RT-PCR).

Another biotechnology development project approved was one by KinGen Biotech, a 50-50 joint venture between South Korean biotech firm Genexine and Thailand’s KinGen Holdings. KinGen Biotech has earmarked 406 million baht investment for the development and manufacture of bioactive compounds, such as Plasmid DNA and Fusion Protein, in Thailand.

In a related development, Thailand is also in the race for manufacturing Covid-19 vaccine. The Thai government has reportedly agreed to produce and supply the BritishSwedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s vaccine locally and across the Southeast Asian region.

The Thai Ministry of Public Health, AstraZeneca, Siam Bioscience and conglomerate SCG will be collaborating in the manufacture of the vaccine, which is currently being developed at the University of Oxford with funding by the UK government. If the vaccine is successful, Thailand will receive doses, and commence vaccination in the first half of 2021. Large scale manufacturing at Bangkok-sited Siam Bioscience’s facility will enable access of the vaccines in Southeast Asia.

The above opportunity not only frees up the region’s economy from Covid-related stagnancy, but also promises Thailand a healthy economic rebound.

Thailand will be producing and supplying AstraZeneca’s vaccine locally and across the Southeast Asian region OCTOBER 2020

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Extrusion Technology Die plate line with reduced lead time Nordson Corporation says it has built a dedicated production line for BKG die plates used in underwater pelletising, enabling the company to deliver a new electrically heated die plate in only three weeks after order placement, including order entry, engineering, and production. This is less than half of competitors’ delivery times, it adds.

Electrically heated die plate from Nordson

Kuhne’s triple-bubble line can be used to process recyclable barrier film

While most common die plates are on stock and can be delivered within a couple of days, building a new plate requires a range of engineering and manufacturing steps. By creating a database of standard designs, Nordson claims it has eliminated upstream engineering processes that had contributed to longer lead times. To reduce manufacturing time, it has dedicated a complete production line to die plates. The line is part of a new facility for BKG pelletising and melt delivery products completed in Münster, Germany, last year.

While the dedicated line produces only two-piece, electrically heated die plates in the BKG A, AH, Compact, and AHD190 families, these standard designs constitute the largest share of Nordson’s die plate output.

Die plates are wear components which periodically must be refurbished or replaced in order to maintain required levels of productivity and product quality.

The BKG A, AH, Compact, and AHD190 families of die plates are available with the most common nozzle bore diameters. Optional features include several different carbide inlays, thermal insulation layers, pressure reduction, staggered rows of nozzle bores, and both standard and short land lengths.

Kuhne’s triple-bubble line for recyclable barrier film Mono-material film structures are a modern solution for applications that require both high performance

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and environmental attributes, but the production of full polyolefin (PO) films poses challenges for plastics processors. They have to adapt and expand their manufacturing equipment and meet all the requirements of the food industry.

Now, with its triple bubble technology, Kuhne Anlagenbau from St. Augustin, Germany, offers a solution for the economical production of uniformly oriented highquality mono-material films that are directly sealable.

“We have been building Triple Bubble blown-film lines for over 20 years and, thus, have an enormous wealth of experience both in terms of machine technology and formulation development,” said Jürgen Schiffmann, Managing Director of Kuhne Anlagenbau.

“We have transferred this know-how to five-layer fullpolyolefin film structures, an alternative that has many advantages over conventional blown-film lines with machine direction orientation (MDO) stretching units.”

Kuhne has tested and optimised the five-layer structure at its in-house technical centre on a 13-layer triple-bubble R&D line, with an output of around 250300 kg/hour for a maximum double film width of 900 mm. Kuhne says the result is a uniformly oriented film with a full PE or PP barrier film structure. The primary advantages of these film structures are their sealability and the waste-free production process, it adds.

With most packaging solutions today involving a barrier function, especially when it comes to food products or pet food, the term mono-material is somewhat misleading, explained Schiffmann. “All commercially available full-PO films contain up to 5% of foreign material in order to achieve the desired barrier properties.”

Extrusion Technology In Kuhne’s solution, the sealing layer consists of materials such as metallocene PE or plastomers, and the inner EVOH barrier layer is enclosed by two PE-based tie layers and a HDPE blend is used for the outer layer.

“With the same line configuration, we can also produce a mono PP film without any modification,” emphasised Schiffmann.

The technology is just as flexible in terms of the film thickness, which can vary between 15-150 microns, and its film properties. Film shrinkage is also adjustable, depending on whether the film is to be used for standup pouches, coffee and snack packaging, which require non-shrinkable films, or for lid films, which require slightly shrinkable films. Bottom web film for food packaging can also be designed to be thermoformable and even deep-drawable and shrinkable for form-shrink applications.

Kuhne says its solution also eliminates the need to laminate an MDO film with a sealing layer, which is usually necessary. “Our films are directly sealable and can be processed further,” says Schiffmann, adding another economic and ecological argument for the production of mono-material film structures with the triple bubble technology.

Colines’s stretch film with 60% PCR Italian extrusion machinery maker Colines says it has made big steps towards the path of recycling having run tests on post consumer recycled (PCR) material film, in cooperation with materials maker ExxonMobil.

“We performed very high quality reels, both with a wide range of thicknesses and percentages of recycled materials. We reached up to 400% ultimate pre-stretch value (ultimate strain) on a standard film production. Even when using a very high grade of recycled material, the reels offered Colines claims up to 60% PCR use in stretch film production

good optical and mechanical qualities, perfectly suitable for today’s new market requirements,” claimed Nicola Lombardini, R&D Manager. He added, “This is impressive as we used up to 60% of PCR. Our cooperation with ExxonMobil provides us with the confidence to achieve further milestones in the near future.”

Meanwhile, Colines’s Executive President/Co-founder Eraldo Peccetti furthered, “After having made perfect reels with up to 90% of PIR (post industrial recycled) material, we had a further proof of the flexibility of our ALLrollEX lines in production.”

Lombardini also explained that the ALLrollEX lines are equipped with the newly designed GDS (gel down screw) screws and the in-line refeeding system BigMouth.

ExxonMobil’s nonwoven solution for hygiene products processed on Reicofil US materials firm ExxonMobil, in collaboration with German extrusion machinery maker Reifenhäuser Reicofil, has introduced what it says is a new breakthrough solution to produce nonwoven fabrics with lofty thickness, ultra-cushiony cotton-like softness, and a silk-like smooth touch. Also offering low lint and uniformity, the solution provides a tailored balance of properties for nonwovens used in premium diapers, pant-type diapers, feminine care and adult incontinence products.

ExxonMobil’s new nonwoven solutions can be processed on Reicofil’s spunbound technology

A blend of ExxonMobil PP3155E5, PP3684HL and Vistamaxx 7050BF performance polymer, the solution can be processed using bi-component (BiCo) spunbond technology from Reifenhäuser Reicofil.

By adjusting the formulation, nonwovens can be tailored to meet the needs of different hygiene product components such as the bellyband, back sheet and top sheet used in baby diapers, feminine care, and adult incontinence products. Offering the thickness required for cushiony softness, the nonwoven fabric is as resilient as it is lofty, while delivering good drapability, uniformity for consistent products and low lint for surface stability.

Formulation variations allow nonwovens to be produced with a different feel to meet the needs of the application, from a cottony touch to a silky touch. Spunbound fabrics can be manufactured that are up to 15% thicker for protection compared to other BiCo spunbond high-loft solutions. Plus, 80% of the thickness is maintained after being placed under load for an extended period.

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Renewable Energy

Indochina: a hot destination for clean energy The CLMV economies or Indochina, comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, are powering up clean energy projects for sustainable development, according to Angelica Buan in this report.

Rising demand for renewable energy The rising economy of the Indochina region is increasing demand for energy that is expected to triple by 2035, with the electricity and natural gas sectors to see significant capacity additions.

As the Asian sub-region continues to boost its economic growth, and as The CLMV region is on track to achieving the clean energy targets its economic status belly up to that of with bustling infrastructure its ASEAN peers, it also continues to developments in solar power, improve access to energy for powering its hydropower and wind energy households and industries. Therefore, the region is improving its energy mix as it diversifies, if not weans off, from coal and fossil fuels by increasing the renewable energy share.

With an estimated US$20 billion investment annually to fund capacity additions, the sub-region must also seek private infrastructure commitments as well as buoy the domestic infrastructure sector with financing from banks and institutional investors at commercial terms.

Power generation in the CLMV region is projected to grow 5.7% annually through to 2035, to 682 billion KwH, according to an ANZ Bank report. Of the countries, Vietnam’s energy generation is projected to grow the fastest, tripling its capacity from 44GW currently to 120GW in 2035.

Meanwhile, the CLMV group is on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations, in particular Goal 7, which hones in on affordable and clean energy and is based on the premise that energy is the main contributor to climate change, producing approximately 60% of greenhouse gases (GhG).

Vietnam: cutting carbon emissions with the forces of nature Vietnam’s population has crossed 97 million and could reach 120 million by 2050, according to the World Bank. The country, which has been reliant on fossil fuels, is thus increasing demand for cheap yet clean energy.

On its way to hitting the Goal 7 target, the country’s renewable energy development outlook to 2030 includes broadening access to sustainable and reliable energy services. It also intends to reduce GhG emissions by 45% in 2050; increase its share of solar-heating devices for households to 50% in 2050; amp up to 100 million by 2050 the application of biogas technologies and increase biofuels production by 25% by 2050.

Meanwhile, huge infrastructure projects are on the cards.

One is the Da Mi Ham Thuan Da Nhim Hydro Power (DHD), with a US$37 million financial package from the Manilabased Asian Development Bank (ADB). It involves installing a 47.5 megawatt peak (MWp) of floating solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation panels on the man-made reservoir of its existing 175 MW Da Mi hydropower plant, the country’s first large-scale and Southeast Asia’s largest installation of floating PV panels. DHD, a subsidiary of Vietnam Electricity (EVN) Power Generation Corporation, currently owns and operates four hydropower plants and the latest hydropowersolar project is expected to boost the share of renewable The two-phase Nam Ou River cascade hydropower project in Luang Prabang will have a total installed capacity of 1,272 MW energy to Vietnam’s energy mix.

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Renewable Energy B&T Wind Power JSC and investors such as Ami AC Renewables cooperate on the US$390 million wind farm project in Quang Binh

Another mammoth project is the US$390 million wind farm cluster in the central province of Quang Binh, which broke ground in September. Helmed by B&T Wind Power JSC, the 2,244-ha wind power project includes investors such as AMI AC Renewables, a joint venture between Philippine-based Ayala Corporation’s power generation arm AC Energy and AMI Renewables. Construction is in three phases with each engaging Dutch contractor Vestas Wind Systems; Vietnamese Facon Vietnam Construction JSC and V. Tech Vietnam.

Meanwhile, two incoming 53 MW projects, both by Vestas, are also expected to be commissioned by the third quarter of 2021. The two wind projects: Phu Lac Phase 2 wind farm and Loi Hai 2 wind farm, located in the Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces, are owned by Thuan Binh Wind Power Joint Stock Company (TBW), a subsidiary of Xuan Cau Company.

This is Vestas’s second-time collaboration with TBW that owns the 24 MW Phu Lac Phase 1 wind farm commissioned in 2015 with 12 V100-2.0 MW wind turbines.

Vestas, meanwhile, also has another 29 MW project from Vietnamese developer Soc Trang Energy Joint Stock Company, also a subsidiary of Xuan Cau. Soc Trang 7 will feature seven V150-4.2 MW turbines with customised towers placed on reinforced onshore foundations raised above sea level in the shallow near-shore waters.

Another partnership that is bringing renewable energy goals closer to the country’s target is General Electric (GE). It is collaborating with Phuong Mai Wind Power JSC to provide 11 2.4 MW-116 turbines and technical advisory service for Phuong Mai 1 wind farm.

The Binh Dinh province-sited Phuong Mai 1 project is expected to start generating energy by 2021. This is the second wind farm in Vietnam using 2.4 MW-116 turbines.

GE is currently operating 128 MW in Vietnam and is one of the oldest and largest OEMs in the country. It has established renewable energy footprints that include wind and solar farms as well as hydro and grid solutions.

Laos: energy diversification with hydropower solutions Laos, with an economy hinged largely to its rich natural resources and agriculture, is also tapping its natural resources for renewable energy to feed its energy requirements. While it has included in its medium term goal of accelerating hydropower projects, the government acknowledges energy diversification to be more sustainable.

Non-hydro renewables have been explored and, according to a 2018 OECD economic outlook report, are intended to increase their share to 30% of total consumption by 2025. The country’s potential to develop solar power complements its strength in hydropower generation. It is this area that Laos needs to close the gap with because, according to the OECD report, its share of solar power in the nation’s electricity output is small.

For achieving the Goal 7 in UN’s SDG, the country is looking into investing in solar, wind and thermal power infrastructure.

For hyrdropower, project investments are pouring in.

One of the most recent is Nam San 3B Power Sole, which operates the Xiangkhouang-sited 45 MW hydropower, and has been acquired by BCPG Indochina for US$113 million from PSG (Phongsubthavy Roads and Bridges Construction and Irrigation). Nam San 3B is now under power purchase agreement (PPA) with state-owned Électricité du Laos (EDL) for 27 years, starting from the commercial operation of 2015. From 2022, the two hydro power projects of BCPG, Nam San 3A and Nam San 3B, will be under PPA with EDL for 25 years, resulting in an extension of PPA period from 2042 to 2047.

This is BCPG’s second hydro power project in Laos.

The first is the 69 MW Nam San 3A, also in Xiangkhouang, acquired in 2019 for US$174 million.

The Nam San 3B Power Sole, which operates the Xiangkhouang-sited 45 MW hydropower, has been acquired by BCPG Indochina for US$113 million from PSG

BCPG is also building what is claimed as ASEAN’s largest wind farm, with a capacity of 600 MW, with an investment of US$840 million. The Swan project is starting up construction and is expected to operate by 2023.

Meanwhile, Power Construction Corporation of China is also building a hydropower facility along the Nam Ou River. The cascade hydropower project is developed in two phases, with a total installed capacity of 1,272 MW. When completed, it is expected to generate 12% of the electricity supply in Laos.

Cambodia: solar energy for improved power access More than half of Cambodia’s power generation is sourced from hydropower. However, it is also reliant on coal (20%) and fuel oil (8%). The country’s electrification rate is the second-lowest in Southeast Asia at 76% in 2020, after Myanmar (71% in 2020), according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) data. However, the country is poised to OCTOBER 2020

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Renewable Energy The entire PV system, developed and financed by Cleantech Solar, is 9.8 MW, with the 7 MW installed across multiple rooftops of the facility. The project is expected to generate 297 GWh of clean energy, said Cleantech Solar.

Cambodia's two-phase solar park project in Kampong Chhnang Province is backed with a US$7.64 million loan from the ADB

achieve 99% energy access rate by 2030 and plans to raise its power generation capacity by building hydropower and coal-fired plants.

In effect, its vast solar energy potential remains underutilised, with only 3% of its energy sourced from solar farms in 2019, said a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Cambodia has an average Daily Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) of 5 KWh/sq m, slightly higher than Thailand, China or Germany, but it had only 75 MW of on-grid solar capacity in 2018, compared to the countries, according to UNDP’s Harnessing the Solar Energy Potential in Cambodia report.

Nevertheless, investments are being divvied up for solar power infrastructure. The 100 MW National Solar Park Project, launched in 2017, echoes the country’s response to providing low-cost power generation, diversifying the power generation mix, and raising the clean share in its generation mix, in line with GhG emission reduction targets.

The two-phase solar park project in Kampong Chhnang Province is backed with a US$7.64 million loan from the ADB, in addition to a US$11 million loan and US$3 million grant from the Strategic Climate Fund. It also has a US$500,000 technical assistance grant provided by South Korea. The project includes a transmission system connecting to the main grid near Phnom Penh, which will allow it to supply power to the national grid.

Cambodia has also built other solar power facilities including its 10 MW first large-scale PV plant in Svay Rieng with Singapore’s Sumseap Group.

Meanwhile, it is home to a 2.8 MW floating solar plant, completed in early 2019, located on the reservoir of a cement plant owned by Chip Mong Insee Cement (CMIC).

This solar array is assembled and installed with Ciel & Terre’s patented new type of float, Hydrelio Equato, and the first with a four-in-a-row set-up.

The 2.8 MW floating solar plant located at CMIC's reservoir is installed with Ciel & Terre’s patented new type of float, Hydrelio Equato

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Myanmar: gearing up for clean energy Over in Myanmar, electricity is produced by hydropower and gas power plants, as well as coal, solar/PV, and biomass power plants, according to a 2019 report by Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) and the Economic Research Institute (ERIA).

Targeting to reach 100% electrification by 2030, Myanmar, to date, has the lowest electrification rate in Southeast Asia.

Like Cambodia, Myanmar has strong solar radiation level, and based on data from the 2016 Energy Master Plan, is expected to reach over 6.5 kWh/ sq m. Given its geographic features, Myanmar has a maximum potential of 40 TWh/year of solar energy. Moreover, 60% of its land area is suitable for PVs. Myanmar's first commercial four-phase solar plant, developed by Green Earth Power, is located in Minbu, Magwe Region

The country’s first commercial four-phase solar plant located in Minbu, Magwe Region, completed its first phase last year, adding 40 MW to the national power grid. Upon completion of all four phases, the plant, developed by Green Earth Power (Myanmar), is expected to generate 170MW of power that could benefit some 210,000 households.

Another milestone in Myanmar’s electrification strategy is the recent agreement between the World Bank and the government, which is expected to benefit nearly 500,000 people in rural areas, where many households still rely on candles, kerosene, low-quality batteries and diesel generators for their energy needs.

The US$3.45 million off-grid solar grant deal is co-funded by the Global Partnership for Results Based Approaches (GPRBA) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and will be implemented by the Department of Rural Development, which will provide sub-grants to the private sector to develop supply chains for quality solar products.

This innovative grant will help develop a commercial market for Lighting Global-certified solar products and support sustainable growth of the off-grid lighting market in rural, remote areas of Myanmar.

For the rest of Indochina, harnessing renewable energy sources is a major step to improving the populations’ quality of life and elevating productivity, thereby translating to contributing to its economic competitiveness as it converges with the ASEAN bloc.

Auxiliary Equipment

The most efficient way to process regrind

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lastics producers are always looking for the most sustainable and cost-effective way to produce their products. We also notice this in the growing demand for regrind systems from the market. Having regrind in your process can be very time consuming when it comes to emptying and cleaning inbetween two production runs. Also it disturbs your production process when it is not added in the right way.

You can make it easy on yourself by using the right equipment.

Auxiliary equipment maker Movacolor has dedicated dosing systems for specific regrind applications.

Now that physical visits are difficult, dosing specialist Movacolor has opened its online showroom.

Visitors can actually “walk around” in the showroom having a detailed look at the systems of their interest.

Via Chat, Teams or Skype you can connect directly to a specialist for a live tour. It is an easy accessible and pleasant way to find the information you are looking for and in the same time ask for advice when you feel like it.

MCHigh Output 2500R

The MCTwin is suitable for closed loop regrind addition and the MCHigh Output 2500R for the processing of lowdensity regrinds like PET flakes. These regrind dosing systems minimise change over time and increase the efficiency of the production line while feeding regrind in a controllable and fluent way.

MCTwin for closed loop regrind applications

Online showroom

About Movacolor Movacolor is the first choice of plastics producers worldwide that strive for excellence in injection moulding and extrusion. Movacolor’s leadership in dosing technology is based on almost 30 years of partnership with plastics producers all over the world. We understand that the most common problems in injection moulding and extrusion applications are color and wall thickness variations.

The dosing technology of Movacolor is based on the inline dosing of masterbatch, powder, regrind or liquid colorants into virgin material. We combine the unique Movacolor dosing cylinder with a stepper motor to ensure consistent flow resulting in reliable color.

Contact information: Silvia Meeuwsen/Jesper Korringa Website: www.movacolor.com Tel: +31 515 570 029 E-mail: marketing@movacolor.com

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Injection Moulding Asia Machinery

arburgXworld: digitalisation increases production efficiency

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achinery maker Arburg sees great potential in digitalisation and offers manifold added value with its digital products and services. It works with the question of how to use digitalisation to increase production efficiency when processing plastics. In the program arburgXworld, the company has collected all of its digital products and services as well as the customer portal of the same name. Besides “smarter” machine technology and innovative solutions in the service area, the central customer portal arburgXworld, with its numerous apps, is given a key position. There are now four packages to that end, which contain various apps and configuration levels.

These days, Arburg says many customers use the digital platform worldwide arburgXworld. It says the customer portal has been well received, and the basic version is free.

Practically anyone, from machine operators to managing directors, can individually benefit from the numerous apps during their daily work.

the machine controls on a PC or tablet to create data sets, optimise workflows, or train employees. The premium versions of the apps “MachineCenter” and “SelfService” include an expanded digital machine file, as well as a guided solution dialogue and the “video telephone services” feature.

Premium Plus The configuration level “Premium Plus” offers access to Arburg’s interesting calculation tools and detailed knowledge databases, thus significantly reducing the time expenditure for production planning, work preparation, and quality assurance, as well as for product development and sales. The “MachineFinder” helps you select the right clamping and injection unit based on data concerning processes and material technology. “DataDecoder” can be used to display machine data sets legibly and save them as scv or xlsx files.

Connect The “Connect” package offers machine-related expansion options for digital data integration. The optional “MachineDashboard” displays detailed status information and key indicators regarding individual Allrounders. It also includes the visualisation of production workflows using graphic trend diagrams. Based on the production protocol, the data for this are collected and continually processed in the machine via an IIoT Gateway. Customers who use the host computer system ALS will receive along with the ALS dashboard a cross-location overview of the machine fleet and key production indicators that is also mobile and extends outside one’s own company.

Customer portal: arburgXworld bundles digital services The customer portal makes work easier all along the value chain of injection moulding. Employees from purchasing, work preparation, and maintenance profit the same as production managers, machine setters, and machine operators. The digital services of arburgXworld come in four packages: Arburg’s arburgXworld makes it easier to work with injection moulding on a daily basis, with four packages that combine free and paid apps and services

Smart Machine: basic standard connectivity Beyond the digital solutions of the customer portal, Arburg adds it is continually refining the “smartness” of its machines. All new Allrounder come equipped with an IIoT Gateway and have basic connectivity so they can be interconnected with the customer portal or Arburg Remote Service. Digital tools that support the operator when working on the machine include four assistance packages for all new Allrounders in the clamp design and, optionally, Arburg’s filling and plasticising assistant.

Basic The free basic package includes central apps like MachineCenter, ServiceCenter, SelfService, Shop, and Calendar. They offer an overview of machine fleets, service history, and approaching maintenance dates, for example.

Service tickets and spare parts can be ordered round the clock. With the “Configuration” app, the hydraulic Allrounder 270 S Compact can be ordered online under specified conditions.

Smart Production: collecting and tracing data Digitised production and online organisation are in demand so that plastic parts can continue to be manufactured efficiently also in the future. Arburg offers solutions for designing series production flexibly, using resources sparingly, and increasing productivity, quality, and availability.

The Arburg host computer system ALS is one of these solutions. This MES, proprietary to Arburg, is designed for detailed production planning and for data acquisition and tracking in injection moulding production. Besides

Premium With the services of the premium package, which incurs a fee, Arburg offers valuable tools to increase machine availability. The app “VirtualControl” the user can simulate 1 OCTOBER 2020

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Injection Moulding Asia Machinery on site. This is a time and cost-efficient alternative and an option for the future, although it cannot fully replace personal contact and an on-site visit.

The Allrounder 270S compact is Arburg’s first injection moulding machine that can be configured and ordered online, through an app in the arburgXworld customer portal

Configuration of Allrounder 270S via arburgXworld Arburg’s hydraulic Allrounder 270S compact is its first injection moulding machine that can be configured online via the arburgXworld customer portal and ordered directly with short delivery times. The compact machine is said to offer even more modular configuration options and functionality that significantly expand the range of applications.

Compared to standard hydraulic machines, the Allrounder 270S compact offers 25% lower investment costs.

With its footprint reduced by around 20%, the compact machine is particularly suitable for customers whose production space is limited or who are planning to replace small machines.

With 350 kN of clamping force and a size 100 injection unit, the machine is now also available with a parting line unit. By repositioning the injection unit, it can also be used to vertically inject in the mould parting line, enabling a wider range of moulds and processes. In order to be able to work with a wider range of materials, highly wear-resistant chrome nitride-coated cylinder modules are optionally available. For automated applications, the Allrounder 270S can also be equipped with an Integralpicker V. Machines in the field can be retrofitted with a robot interface if required.

Features of the compact machine are its minimal footprint, a control cabinet integrated with the machine base and energy-saving servo hydraulics (ASH); and it is paired with Arburg’s Selogica control system. The hole patterns in the mounting platens take into account all standard requirements for mould technology in this size class, optionally for Europe or the US. To comply with current safety standards, the socket combinations of the machine are equipped with RCD protection as standard.

The machine is directly available online. In order to join the digital Arburg world, customers must initially register free of charge on the customer portal (www.arburgXworld. com) and then activate the Configuration app. With this tool, standardised machines can be individually configured by adding defined options and then ordered at fixed conditions.

the injection moulding machines of other manufacturers, metalworking machines and peripheral devices can be integrated.

With a production cell around an electrical Allrounder 570A, Arburg demonstrated at the trade fair K2019 how glasses can be manufactured “ready-to-wear” in a way that is fully automatic and traceable. To that end, Arburg “Turnkey” Control Module (ATCM) collects all process- and quality-relevant data.

Smart Services: less standstill, more productivity The digital services of the customer portal arburgXworld include the Apps Shop, SelfService, and ServiceCenter; customers can use the “Configuration” app to configure and order the Allrounder 270 S compact online; and the Arburg Remote Service (ARS) facilitates time-saving online support.

With remote machine acceptance, an Arburg sales expert will go through all requirements with the customer one by one with an iPad

New options for the Allrounder 270S include a parting line unit for vertical injection and an option for automation with an Integralpicker V

In light of the corona effects, Arburg has also created the option for accepting machines remotely. To that end, Arburg’s sales experts go through the requirement specifications with the customer using an iPad. The customer sees exactly what’s shown on the iPad. This allows all requirements to be checked one by one through a visual approval test. In conclusion, the customer receives an extensive written record along with image documentation before the customer’s Allrounder is finally put into operation 2 OCTOBER 2020

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Injection Moulding Asia Machinery Asia and packaging: pull factors to counter Engel’s sales decline

Sumitomo Demag’s orders grow in 2020, led by medical, packaging sectors

Austrian machinery supplier Engel expects a slower year, due to the pandemic and a slump in the automotive market, said Christoph Steger, CSO, speaking during an online event for journalists. He pointed out that the company had grossed a 20% lower turnover of EUR1.3 billion worldwide (FY 2019/2020 ended March). As for the outlook of the current fiscal year, Steger says it will drop again by around 20%.

While the majority of the family-owned company’s turnover is still from Europe (54%); it increased its share of Americas to 25% and is still generating 20% of its turnover from Asia.

Meanwhile, with some countries having lifted the lockdowns in place since March, Steger said the Asian market had “definitely recovered the fastest and faster than any other region, with the automotive Christoph Steger says that the industry having picked Asian market has recovered the fastest and faster than any other up substantially in China region, with the automotive and also in other Asian industry having picked up countries”. He also said substantially in China the medical and packaging industries had shown good growth rates.

In Southeast Asia, due to the easing of travel in Thailand, Steger said the country has picked up fastest. “It is possible to go to the customers and discuss projects and what we see is that the automotive industry is picking up in Thailand. There is also a momentum that we see in Indonesia and Vietnam, but in Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar, there is still a very slow movement, simply because the lockdowns are the heaviest there at the moment.”

Looking forward, the company expects the packaging, medical and technical moulding sectors to lift its sales out of the doldrums, against the back of slower growth from the automotive and teletronic markets.

It has been taking advantage of the “stay-at-home” trend to cater to new packaging applications that have been pushed into the market due to changing demands. “As people stay more indoors, they start do-it-yourself projects and are going to buy tools to improve their homes. And on the other hand, if there is a lockdown, products are ordered online, therefore bolstering demand in the last couple of months that have led to several projects for us,” highlighted Steger.

He added, “Technical moulding, covering infrastructure, toys and home equipment, has remained comparatively steady in its demand and it has the most important share in Engel’s portfolio.”

In terms of new technology, the firm highlighted the 130tonne e-mac and an all-electric micromoulding machine with an LSR injection unit to produce parts with a shot weight below 0.1 g.

A bright spark in the industry comes from GermanJapanese machine manufacturer Sumitomo (SHI) Demag that says it had a significant growth in orders, despite the economic downturn. From January-August 2020, its orders increased by 24% to EUR183 million, which it says is due to the packaging, medical technology and electronics sectors. For the 2020 financial year, Gerd Liebig, CEO, said the firm anticipates incoming orders and sales to reach EUR275 million and EUR250 million, respectively.

Demand for all-electric machines is also rising, with its market share in Europe accounting for 50% of all small and medium-sized machines. The packaging industry is also increasingly ordering all-electric machines, especially for applications with low and medium injection speeds, with its market share having significantly increased to 30%, said Liebig.

“We want to gradually close the price gap between hydraulic and fully electric machines. This will be achieved through global sourcing, optimisation of machine design and in-house production of drive technology optimised for the injection moulding process. These factors combined makes the costs and performance of our IntElect series highly competitive,” he added. Currently, more than 70,000 all-electric machines produced in Japan and Germany have been delivered worldwide.

Just like its competitors, SHI saw demand for automotive industry solutions falling by almost 70% in 2020. In contrast, demand for medical technology solutions rose by almost 50%. Here, the focus was on applications for in-vitro diagnostics.

Sumitomo Demag’s growth has been aided by its IntElect all-electric machines

Wittmann expects a plus sign in 2021 due to order backlog

Austria-headquartered Wittmann Group, which encompasses injection moulding machine maker Wittman Battenfeld and Wittmann (auxiliary equipment), saw its turnover drop by 17% to EUR310 million, compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the company has seen increased activity in the last few weeks. Managing Director Michael Wittmann said, “Our order income for 2020 has seen strong recovery in the second quarter with an incredible pick-up in business.”

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Injection Moulding Asia Machinery He also expects a plus for turnover in 2021, due to “good order backlog” but adds that there is “uncertainty behind any forecast because of the health situation”.

One of the innovations it introduced is the Ingrinder, which is an energy-efficient injection moulding system for recycling plastic waste.

Michael Wittmann cautions It consists of a sprue picker, granulator and vacuum conveyor against a rosy picture for next year, against the back and has been developed for the of the pandemic 110-tonne EcoPower machine and the 90-tonne SmartPower series. These machines run with cold-runner technology moulds, which produce sprues that can be recycled.

core competitiveness among the industry, which is a new milestone in the development history of the group”.

FCS Group was established in 1974 in Tainan, Taiwan.

It is currently the largest injection moulding machine manufacturer in Taiwan, and the first and only publicly listed company in Taiwan’s injection machine industry. It has also been rated as one of the Top 10 enterprises in China’s injection moulding machine industry for years.

The group has 900 employees, total assets of RMB1.28 billion, and annual revenue of approximately RMB770 million.

In addition to its Taiwan headquarters, FCS has four injection machine production bases in Dongguan (1994), Ningbo Jiangbei (2001), India (2019), and Ningbo Hangzhou Bay.

Husky’s wear-resistant nozzle for micro-moulding

Canada’s Husky Injection Molding Systems has introduced the newest addition to its Ultra Helix valve gate nozzle portfolio, the Ultra Helix 250 T2, developed to extend the benefits of the Ultra Helix technology for small part weights with difficult to access gate locations.

FCS breaks ground on new factory in China

Taiwanese machine maker Fu Chun Shin (FCS) Group recently held a groundbreaking ceremony in Hangzhou Bay New District, Ningbo, China, its fifth production base worldwide for injection moulding machines, after the Indian plant.

With an investment of US$40 million, the plant occupies an area of about 66,690 sq m and will have an output of 2,000 special injection machines/year. It will mainly produce large two-platen moulding machines with a clamping force of more than 500 tonnes, large twocolour moulding machines, and large horizontal opposite moulding machines. The annual output value is estimated to be RMB600 million. The construction is expected to be completed in 2022, and will officially start up in January 2023.

FCS adds that the new plant is “expected to greatly enhance the R&D and production capabilities, as well as the

Husky’s latest valve gate nozzle is targeted at closures

The latest nozzle has a 12-mm bore that allows for direct gating in locations not achievable with larger nozzles. The pitch spacing down to 15 mm supports high cavity density and small moulds.

Furthermore, the T2’s extended maintenance interval PX actuation is designed for applications with leakage prone resins like TPE and PE. The addition of a stem seal paired with enhanced thermal management heater technology improves performance and optimises maintenance requirements. This results in lower risk and cost of ownership.

Husky says customers are already taking advantage of the Ultra Helix 250 T2 to make parts for medical barrier closures, flow regulation valves, and food and beverage packaging and flip-top closures.

The nozzle is being used to produce parts ranging in weight from less than 0.1 to more than 4 g. Materials processed include PP, HDPE, LDPE, TPE, and TPV in both single injection and multi-material applications.

FCS is expanding its presence in China with a new factory in Hangzhou Bay

4 OCTOBER 2020

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Rubber Journal Asia Industry News • German tyre/automotive parts maker Continental will be shutting down its underutilised tyre production plant in Aachen, Germany. It will affect 1,800 jobs in various production, development and administration sections of the plant. Continental is planning a massive restructuring of its European operations to better suit the “transformation of the automotive industry and the challenges presented by the economic and market environment.”

Continental also plans to sell some of its automotive operations, including parts of powertrain arm Vitesco Technologies and rubber unit Contitech.

The management is already holding talks with parties potentially interested in some of the divisions. The company’s tyre business is not part of the divestment plan.

The asset sales are part of a restructuring at Continental, with 30,000 job cuts and a target of annual savings of more than EUR1 billion by 2023.

• Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) plans to invest in M&As to expand its rubber and tyre business with multidisciplinary Vietnam Chemical Group (Vinachem).

VRG is managing more than 400,000 ha of rubber plantations (average yield of 1.56 tonnes/ha in 2019) at present and the business has been on a downward trend

in recent years due to low selling prices, with lower demand and output also due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, VRG will continue with the business but through M&As with Vinachem to regain its footing in this segment. Vinachem is an established player in the tyre segment with four units producing rubber tyres, namely Da Nang Rubber, Sao Vang Rubber, Southern Rubber Industry, and Inoue Rubber Vietnam.

• Given the boost in the gloves market due to Covid-19, Austrian public-listed firm Semperit is not selling its medical division and will continue to run it for another nine months. In January, Semperit had stated that it would divest its medical business Sempermed, which includes Malaysia-based glove maker Latexx Partners. Sempermed manufactures examination and surgical gloves as well as protective gloves for the industrial sector.

Reports in June had said that Malaysian glove supplier Top Glove was a frontrunner to take over Latexx Partners, for which Semperit paid RM600 million in 2012. Semperit recently upwardly revised its earnings outlook for 2020.

• Due to the closure of its facilities in the US and Germany, against the backdrop of tighter

market conditions, German tyre pyrolysis company Pyrolyx has delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the Dusseldorf and Frankfurt stock markets in Germany. Pyrolyx had in May 2020 confirmed that manufacturing at its recovered carbon black (rCB) facilities in the US and Germany remained shut. It had said that it was continuing to review operational and financial requirements to enable it to reopen its facilities. Pyrolyx had in 2019 entered into a fiveyear supply agreement with Continental to supply rCB to its tyre manufacturing facilities worldwide.

• Indian carbon black supplier Birla Carbon has progressed from a joint development agreement to a strategic investment in US Chasm Advanced Materials Inc., a manufacturer of nanoscale materials, to commercialise nanomaterials for various market segments including high-performance tyres, conductive plastics, novel coatings, and next-generation batteries. Birla Carbon and Chasm announced a joint development agreement in November 2019 to develop nanomaterials that combine Chasm’s nanotube enhanced carbon (NTeC) technology with Birla Carbon’s expertise in commercialisation and manufacturing.

1 OCTOBER 2020

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Rubber Journal Asia Industry News • US speciality chemicals supplier Cabot Corporation’s subsidiary, Cabot Norit Americas, has entered into a long-term supply agreement with ADA Carbon Solutions, a producer of lignitebased activated carbon and a subsidiary of Advanced Emissions Solutions. ADA will manufacture and supply Cabot Norit’s proprietary portfolio of lignite-based activated carbon products exclusively to Cabot Norit. The latter has also entered into an agreement for the sale of its lignite mine in Texas to ADA. Cabot’s total cash outlays associated with the closure of the mine are capped at US$10 million and are amortised over the next 14 years.

• The world’s largest glove producer Top Glove will reportedly pay its workers from Nepal and Bangladesh retribution to cover fees paid to recruitment agencies. The Malaysian company will pay workers from Nepal about US$1,500 each and workers from Bangladesh about US$4,800 each in backdated recruitment fees. Back in August, Top Glove said it would refund up to US$12.73 million to its foreign workers in the hope that a US import ban on its medical gloves would be lifted.

• FGV Rubber Industries part of FGV Holdings,

a Malaysia-based agri business, has appointed UK-based Rubber Heart Ltd as its European and North American representative to market its range of natural rubber products in these regions. It will market various grades of Technically Specified Rubbers and other specialty NR-based materials.

FGV Rubber is one of Malaysia’s top Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) producers with four factories throughout the country. It is also the sole producer of Green Rubbers ENR25, ENR50 and DPNR in Malaysia.

• Chemical company BASF has tied up with technology-based New Energy to use the latter’s pyrolysis oil from waste tyres as feedstock at BASF’s integrated chemical production site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. New Energy will provide BASF with up to 4,000 tonnes/year of pyrolysis oil with the first batches already been successfully used in a pilot phase. This new agreement comes almost at the same time as BASF has invested heavily in German pyrolysis firm Pyrum.

• Specialty tyre manufacturer GRI Tires is constructing a new mixing plant at the Mirigama Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), Sri Lanka, to boost capacity of tyre production and facilitate further expansion in line with increasing

demand. It will allow the production of 200 tonnes/day of specialty tyres, up from its current capacity of 50-60 tonnes.

• India’s Mahansaria Tyres (MTPL) has commenced commercial production at its US$100 million off-highway tyre manufacturing facility in Panoli, western Gujarat. The 127 acrefacility will cater to the demand for tyres in the local agricultural, industrial/construction and earthmoving industries. Phase I will have a capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes/year.

• German scrap tyre disposal company Kurz Karkassenhandel has opened up to private tyre collection with its new online inquiry tool that allows pick-up and proper disposal of individual waste tyres.

The new initiative by Kurz keeps tyres in a circular economy and ensures the environment is sustainably protected, regardless of the tyre type – whether passenger car, light truck, truck, or agricultural tyres.

The collection will be handled by Kurz within a radius of 25 km around Landau and Wendlingen.

Additionally, the standard fees for disposal, some of which are relatively high, are kept within reasonable limits. The collection of waste tyres can also be commissioned for fewer than 20 tyres.

2 OCTOBER 2020

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Rubber Journal Asia Green Rubber

Green measures to recalibrate the impact of tyres The use of green rubber and recycling of

end-of-life tyres (ELTs) can mitigate the carbon impact of the tyre industry, says Angelica Buan in this report.

Carbon emissions from tyres The evolution of vehicles has taught us lessons on how transportation has contributed to the economic advancement and, on the one hand, the rising pollution levels. The transport industry is touted to account for nearly a quarter of global carbon emissions. Pivoting to lightweight, fuel-efficient models and electric vehicles (EVs) may deliver the needed change towards a decarbonised automotive sector, but their utmost adoption will not happen overnight.

Looking past EVs and lightweight cars, pollution guardians have spotted the quintessential part of a vehicle as a pollution contributor – the tyres.

Recent findings by Emissions Analytics indicate that pollution from worn tyres is a thousand-fold worse than vehicle exhaust emissions. It reported that harmful particle matter from tyres, as well as brakes, is a growing environmental problem. The increasing demand for EVs, its batteries make them heavier than standard cars, and large, heavy vehicles such as SUVs, worsen the situation.

The report added that vehicle tyre wear pollution is completely unregulated, unlike exhaust emissions, which have been rapidly reduced by car makers in light of the stringent emissions regulations. New cars now emit very little in the way of particulate matter but there is growing concern around non-exhaust emissions (NEE), which impact air quality.

NEEs are particles released into the air from brake wear, tyre wear, road surface wear and resuspension of road dust during on-road vehicle usage. Currently there is no legislation on the limit or reduction of NEEs. These emissions are believed to constitute the majority of primary particulate matter from road transport, 60% of PM 2.5, and 73% of PM10.

The UK’s Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) 2019 report, Non-Exhaust Emissions from Road Traffic, recommends recognising NEEs as a source of ambient concentrations of airborne particulate matter, even for vehicles with zero exhaust emissions, such as EVs. As a short-term remedy, the researchers suggest fitting higher quality tyres as a way to reduce NEEs; to have the tyres inflated to the correct level and to effectively reduce vehicle weight.

Pollution from particulates being released by worn-out tyres is 1,000 times worse than vehicle exhaust emissions, according to a study

There are a few other studies that have pointed to tyres as a source of pollution particles. Back in 2019, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) launched a study highlighting microrubbers being released by worn out tyres.

Microrubbers are the finest particles from tyre abrasion, mainly from cars and trucks, which enter the soil and air through the road surface or are removed by artificial turf. In the study, it found that tyre abrasions are responsible for 97% of the particles released in the environment; and 3% by artificial turf. From1988 to 2018, around 200,000 tonnes of microrubbers have accumulated in Switzerland’s environment, EMPA stated.

Findings such as the abovementioned bring attention to how tyres, a major component in mobility developments, can actually make or break the green initiatives of the automotive sector.

Tyre makers rally for low-rolling resistance tyres One of the main focuses of the tyre industry’s innovations is on lowering the rolling resistance of tyres for better fuel economy and greater reduction of carbon emissions.

Low-rolling resistance green tyres have come about because of a growing awareness of making tyres environmentally-friendly and adoption is advancing, with global tyre brands responding to this demand.

3 OCTOBER 2020

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Rubber Journal Asia Green Rubber Michelin North America has recently launched its new tyre offering, Michelin X One Line Energy T2 tyre, which it said is its most fuel-efficient trailer tyre to date, for the North American line-haul market. It described the new tyre as delivering improved tread wear while providing fuel and weight savings. The tyre can increase fuel savings through an 11% lower rolling resistance when used in trailers and can increase revenue by carrying up to 130 kg of payload.

It features a tread design that helps prevent irregular wear and incorporates compounds designed to improve resistance to late-life tyre aggression. The dualcompound tread consists of a mileage top layer that controls tread stiffness and stress to reduce irregular wear and a fuel-efficient bottom The Michelin X layer that minimises internal One Line Energy T2 tyre is casing temperatures for low said to increase fuel savings through an 11% lower rolling rolling resistance. The tread resistance when used in incorporates directional microtrailers sipes, resulting in a directional tyre for the first half of tyre life. Located along the centre ribs, matrix siping with zigzag walls interlock for squirm resistance.

Another global tyre major, Continental, has rolled out its latest green tyre offering, the Conti EcoRegional truck tyre line. The new tyres feature reduced fuel consumption and improved mileage, thus enabling fleet operators to significantly increase the efficiency of vehicles in regional transport, according to the Germandomiciled tyre producer.

The Conti EcoRegional HS3 and HD3 warrant reduced CO2 emissions owing to a new manufacturing process in combination with an innovative tread design for the steering axle and a rubber compound that is optimised for rolling resistance for the drive axle.

The Conti EcoRegional HS3 was produced using the new Conti Diamond Technique production process, and features an optimised tread surface pattern in the ground contact area with a modified tread groove geometry, reduced sipe width, and W-tread groove technology for particularly even abrasion. The tyre runs with the tried-and-tested tread concept of the Conti Hybrid Gen 3 line, but uses a new, innovative tread compound in the form of Conti InterLock Technology. It is said to enable an unprecedented level of low rolling resistance with the same mileage, especially in regional and highway applications.

In both Conti EcoRegional HS3 and HD3, base compounds optimised for rolling resistance are used; and in the casing, compounds optimised for rolling resistance are used.

Over in China, a major consumer of tyres owing to its huge vehicle demand, the country is served with new biobased rubber tyres from Shandong Linglong Tyre.

The new range of biobased rubber tyres were unveiled during an industry event held in mid-September in Shanghai.

The Conti EcoRegional truck tyre range features reduced fuel consumption and improved mileage; and base and casing compounds used are optimised for rolling resistance

Shandong Linglong Tyre showcased three new bio-based tyres made from dandelion rubber and eucommia rubber, and an itaconate biosynthesis steel-belted rubber tyre at a China fair in September

4 OCTOBER 2020

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Rubber Journal Asia Green Rubber Developed in collaboration with Beijing Chemical Industry University over the past three years, the tyres use a host of biobased rubber products. As part of the key bio-rubber R&D project, Linglong says it is able to produce dandelion-rubber snow tyres, radial truck tyre based on eucommia rubber and itaconate biosynthesis steel-belted rubber tyres.

Eucommia ulmoides (EU) gum is a natural polymer material extracted from EU oliver, which can be applied in the tyre industry to reduce the rolling resistance of the tread compound and save the energy, Linglong said. It adds that the solar-source development of a new generation of biobased rubber was part of its strategy to address the unsustainable production of synthetic rubber and natural rubber as well as the shortage of resources. China has no local source of natural rubber, and thus imports 80% of the polymer. The tyres have been evaluated to display performance that is superior to traditional rubber, Linglong quipped.

BASF feeds the pyrolysis oil supplied by New Energy into its site in Germany, thereby replacing fossil resources. The share of recycled raw material is allocated to certain products manufactured by BASF by using third-party audited mass balance approach.

BASF also said that the materials, which carry the name suffix “Ccycled”, have the exact same properties as those manufactured from fossil feedstock, and are targeted at automotive parts.

The agreement is part of BASF’s ChemCycling project, which focuses on chemically reprocessing post-consumer plastic waste on an industrial scale.

In addition, BASF says it is taking advantage of the opportunity to increase recycling rates for ELTs. It said that there was no technology so far that allowed the recycling of pyrolysis oil from tyres into high value applications.

Meanwhile, BASF has also invested EUR16 million into Pyrum Innovations AG, a pyrolysis waste tyre firm, headquartered in Dillingen/Saar, Germany.

With the investment, BASF says it will support the expansion of Pyrum’s pyrolysis plant in Dillingen and the further roll out of the technology.

Utilising tyres for sustainable rubber products Reducing waste can help greatly in marking down the carbon impact of the tyre industry. An estimated 1.5 billion end-of-life tyres/year (ELTs) go to waste and potentially end up in landfills. The industry is moving towards increasing tyre recycling rates, sustainably and employing safe recycling methods to curb its carbon footprint, with tyre makers doing their share of incorporating not only biobased rubbers in tyres but also blending in recycled tyres into automotive part products.

Global chemicals company BASF and Hungarybased technology company, New Energy, have forged a deal for uptake of pyrolysis oil derived from waste tyres and for a joint feasibility study. New Energy, which specialises in the pyrolysis of waste tyres will supply BASF with up to 4,000 tonnes/year of waste tyre-derived pyrolysis oil.

Germany-sited Pyrum’s ELTs pyrolysis plant can process up to 10,000 tonnes of tyres/year; most of the pyrolysis oil will be used by BASF, which recently invested into the company.

Pyrum is currently running a pyrolysis plant for ELTs that can process up to 10,000 tonnes of tyres/ year. Until the end of 2022, two additional production lines will be added to the existing plant. Most of the pyrolysis oil will be used by BASF. Furthermore, Pyrum intends to build additional tyre pyrolysis plants together with interested partners. BASF and Pyrum anticipate that production capacities of up to 100,000 tonnes of pyrolysis oil derived from waste tyres could be built up within the next years, together with additional partners.

These sustainable tyre rubber-based innovations satiate the consumer demand for eco-friendly solutions, while improving the tyre industry’s carbon impact scorecard.

BASF struck an agreement with New Energy for the uptake of pyrolysis oil derived from waste tyres

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20 - 23 OCTOBER ProPak Asia Venue: BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand Tel: +65 6233 6688 Fax: + 65 6233 6633 Email: jeffrey.au@informa.com Internet: www.propakasia.com 25 - 27 NOVEMBER ProPak China Venue: (NECC) Shanghai, China Tel: 86-21-3339 2121 Email: vivien.miao@imsinoexpo.com Internet: www.propakchina.com 2 - 5 DECEMBER Plast Eurasia Istanbul Venue: Istanbul, Turkey Tel: +90 212 867 11 00 Fax: +90 212 886 94 04 Email: nurkulacoglu@tuyap.com.tr Internet: www. plasteurasia.com 8 - 9 DECEMBER Thermoplastic Elastomers World Summit Venue: Frankfurt, Germany Tel: + 44 (0) 1372 802 202 Email: phaggerty@smithers.com Internet: www.elastomer-forum.com/tpe-elastomersworld-summit-2020 8 - 10 DECEMBER ProPak India Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India Tel: +91 22 6172 7126 Email: Monica.Rohra@informa.com Internet: www.propakindia.com

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