LyondellBasell has successfully started up a new 320 KT per year Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (ACP) high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant at Münchsmünster, Germany. The Münchsmünster HDPE plant enhances LyondellBasell’s flexibility to supply advanced HDPE grades to customers in Europe and the Middle East. LyondellBasell also has HDPE production in Frankfurt and Wesseling, Germany and a joint venture in Plock, Poland, which all use the Hostalen ACP technology. The new plant has 65 full-time employees.
Hostalen ACP technology surpasses standard bimodal HDPE performance by producing resins with an advanced toughness/stiffness balance, superior impact resistance, higher stress crack resistance, good organoleptics and processing advantages. Other technology features include excellent plant reliability, fast grade changes and high monomer conversion rates. Typical customer applications include thin-wall packaging, caps and closures, large blow molding and textiles for packaging.
“Multimodal HDPE grades offer significant cost savings through processability improvements, downgauging and energy savings,” explained Tassilo Bader, LyondellBasell’s vice president, Polyethylene and Polyolefins Solutions – Europe, Asia and International.
