NatureWorks LLC announced a major capital investment project at its Blair, Neb., manufacturing facility for the production of new grades of high-performance Ingeo biopolymers as well as a new generation of lactide intermediates. Samples of the new polymers and lactide intermediates will be available next year with commercial sales commencing by 2013.
The world pipe market is projected to expand 5.8 percent per year to 31.5 billion meters in 2015, a mild deceleration relative to the 2005-2010 period, according to a report by the Freedonia Group.
Affiliates of Sun European Partners create Pan-European flexible and rigid packaging specialists.
The CEO of Bayer MaterialScience has been elected the new President of PlasticsEurope.
Bulgarian Government is imposing a new eco-tax in July, adding to the cost of retail plastic carrier bags in a bid to phase out their use in the country.
The local government of India’s capital, Delhi, has imposed a blanket ban on the manufacture, sale, storage and use of plastic bags in the capital city, starting 4 April.
Belgian chemicals and plastics company Solvay has announced plans to acquire Rhodia in a deal valuing the French company at €3.4bn. Solvay is offering €31.60 for each Rhodia share in cash as part of a friendly deal. The new group will have sales of €12bn.
APPE has invested €10m in increasing capacity at its PET recycling plant in Beaune, France, by 40%.
European masterbatch supplier Gabriel Chemie plans to double its production capacity in Russia during 2011.
Lanxess is expanding its global production network for high-tech plastics. The specialty chemical company broke ground today on a new compounding facility in the United States. Additionally, Lanxess and U.S. chemical company DuPont will double the capacity of their joint compounding facility in Hamm-Uentrop, Germany.
Husky Injection Molding Systems today announced its intention to acquire KTW of Waidhofen, Austria, recognized as a global leader in closure mold making.
In spite of the economic slowdown, global beverage closure demand has continued to grow, according to a report from UK beverage research company Canadean.
