Middle East

With an eye toward driving more growth of 3D printing technology in markets such as medical, Stratasys and Objet this week announced they want to join forces in a company called Stratasys that will be incorporated in Israel.

If shareholders and regulatory authorities approve the merger, it's expected that the companies would be combined sometime this fall.

And it will be the 600-pound gorilla in the 3D printing/direct digital manufacturing world.

Qatar sees plastics as a pathway to an economy consisting of more than gas and oil and NPE2012 as one of the first steps in reaching that diversified future.

Polypropylene (PP) prices firmed in Asia last week, on the back of bullish crude and naphtha values coupled with week-on-week gains in propylene, according to Polymerupdate. The startup of cracker turnaround season across Asia is expected to trigger a climb in regional prices of olefins while tightening spot availability. PP raffia and injection molding prices rose to $1390/tonne CFR Far East Asia, a week-on-week rise of $20/tonne.

Polypropylene (PP) prices in Asia slid last week due to sluggish regional buying trends and a decrease in feedstock propylene values, according to Polymerupdate. On Feb. 23, Asian propylene was assessed at $1330/tonne FOB Korea, down sharply. In the downstream PP markets, PP injection and raffia prices fell to $1370/tonne CFR Far East Asia, a week-on-week slide of about $20/tonne. PP sellers polled by Polymerupdate confirmed that buying pulse had failed to lift despite the price decline.

Polypropylene (PP) prices in Asia last week were hammered lower, dropping due to muted regional buying, plentiful availability and softer feedstock costs, according to Polymerupdate. CFR Far East Asia prices of PP injection and raffia fell to $1255/tonne, a steep tumble of more than $60/tonne on the week. In South East Asia, prices of PP injection and PP raffia were assessed down at $1260/tonne CFR while CFR South Asia prices were assessed down at $1330/tonne.

 
A polyproprylene plant with capacity of 320,000 tonnes/yr is to close down by year-end in Pasadena, Texas, as a result of the dissolution of a 60:40 joint venture of Chevron Phillips Chemical (The Woodlands. TX) and Sumitomo Chemical (Tokyo).

BASF has broken ground on a previously announced multi-million dollar plastic additives facility at the Bahrain International Investment Park, with production of customer specific antioxidant blends (CSB) to start in 2012.

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)-based Xenoy iQ resin from SABIC Innovative Plastics (Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands) has been selected by Ford for the pedestrian safety system of its 2011 C-MAX multipurpose vehicle (MPV). In doing so the automaker has earned a five-star rating from the independent safety organization Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program).

Plastics and additives supplier BASF announced it would build a new plant for customer specific antioxidant blends in the Middle East. When operational by the end of 2012, the plant will be one of the largest for these plastic additives in the world with annual capacity of about 16,000 tonnes.

Hose and tube customers are boosting business at Davis-Standard (D-S; Pawcatuck, CT). The company just announced that specialty micro tubing extruder MDC Plastics (Sderot, Israel) has added Davis-Standard winding technology, a Euro Blue extruder with DS e-TPC control, and an HPE coextruder, while hose manufacturer All-American Hose (Union City, PA) has added a 3 1/2-inch (90mm) Super Blue extruder with DS-eTPC.