Plastic Material News

BASF Announces Polyurethane Systems Price Increase in North America

August 10, 2010 - Wyandotte, MI - BASF today announced that effective August 15, 2010, or as contracts allow, BASF Polyurethane Systems will increase prices by $0.07/lb for rigid polyurethane products, which include, but are not limited to Elastopor®, Elastocool®, and FE trade name products.

For more information contact:
Kathy Dennis, BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 245-6288
E-mail: kathy.dennis@basf.com

BASF - The Chemical Company
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.us.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

DSM Engineering Plastics Announces Price Increases for Arnitel and Arnite

July 29, 2010 - As a result of continued escalations in the costs of key raw materials and further investments in innovations, DSM Engineering Plastics will increase prices on a global basis for its Arnitel® and Arnite® products. Effective 1 August 2010, DSM will increase prices for these products by 10%.
Ute Schick, Global Business Director Arnitel & Arnite, says “This increase is necessary to ensure DSM Engineering Plastics’ sustainable long-term growth. It is important that we ensure and strengthen our position as an innovation player with strong technical service, while at the same time continuing to pursue and implement cost savings initiatives targeted at absorbing the impact of raw material escalations.
Ute Schick adds: “Within the strategy of DSM Engineering Plastics we stay strongly committed to Innovation and Sustainability. With greener and market specific solutions we continue to differentiate ourselves strongly. We will continue to work in close partnership with our customers.”

DSM Engineering Plastics
DSM Engineering Plastics is one of the world's leading suppliers of quality engineering thermoplastics providing customer value through sustainable solutions that reflect the DSM People, Planet and Profit strategy. DSM Engineering Plastics delivers innovative opportunities for customers who design or produce electrical applications, electronic equipment, cars, barrier packaging films as well as many mechanical and extrusion applications. These markets are served with a broad portfolio of high performance materials including Akulon® and Novamid® 6 and 66 polyamides, Arnitel® TPC, Arnite® PBT and PET polyesters, Yparex® extrudable adhesive resins, and Stanyl® high heat 46 polyamides. Most recently, DSM Engineering Plastics has introduced the first new polymer of the 21st century: Stanyl® ForTii™ and has expanded her portfolio with two bio-based, high performance engineering plastics, EcoPaXX™ and Arnitel Eco. DSM Engineering Plastics had sales in 2009 of EUR 648 million and employs some 1600 people worldwide More on: www.dsmep.com.

DSM – the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company
Royal DSM N.V. creates solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance. Its end markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM manages its business with a focus on the triple bottom line of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity, which it pursues simultaneously and in parallel. DSM has annual net sales of about € 8 billion and employs some 22,700 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com.

Kraton Polymers Announces European SBS Price Increase

July 2, 2010 - Houston, TX - Kraton Polymers LLC (together with its direct and indirect subsidiaries, "Kraton"), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers, announces a general price increase in Europe, Africa and the Middle East of Euro 150 /MT for Kraton SBS and OE SBS polymers and compounds across all markets and end-uses.

Subject to the terms of any applicable contracts, these price increases will take effect August 1, 2010.

For more information about Kraton, visit our website at www.kraton.com. In addition, customer questions and other direct inquiries may be addressed to info@kraton.com or the applicable Kraton representative.

About Kraton
Kraton Polymers LLC, the operating subsidiary of Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (the "Company"), is, with its direct and indirect subsidiaries, a leading global producer of engineered polymers and, we believe, the world's largest producer of styrenic block copolymers (SBCs), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us almost fifty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Our polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing and footwear products. We currently offer approximately 800 products to more than 700 customers in over 60 countries worldwide, and are the only SBC producer with manufacturing and service capabilities on four continents. We manufacture products at five plants globally, including our flagship plant in Belpre, Ohio, as well as plants in Germany, France and Brazil, and a joint venture plant operated in Japan.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, and the "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are all trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements herein are "forward-looking statements" made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations or beliefs concerning future events, and actual results of operations may differ materially from historical results or current expectations. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, a downturn in overall economic conditions or changes in levels of consumer spending or preferences, failure of the Company's suppliers to perform their obligations, limited availability or increases in prices of raw materials, the Company's substantial level of indebtedness, competitive pressures in the specialty chemicals industry, and other factors which are set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Price Increase for Altuglas® Cast Sanitary Range

June 8, 2010 - As a consequence of the dramatic raw material price hike over the last months, Altuglas International will have implemented a total price increase of 350 €/ton on Altuglas® Cast Acrylic Sheets for Sanitaryware application as of July 1st, 2010 for deliveries in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Altuglas International is implementing similar price increase levels for the other Altuglas® and Oroglas® Cast
Acrylic sheet product ranges.

More about Altuglas International:
Altuglas International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ARKEMA Group, is world leader in PMMA, manufacturing 20% of world demand in the form of sheet, block and resin. www.altuglasint.com

BASF To Increase Pricing For Polyalcohols In North America

June 8, 2010 - Florham Park, NJ - Effective July 1, 2010, BASF is increasing its list and off-list prices in North America by $0.17 per pound for 1,6 Hexanediol (HDO), Epsilon-Caprolactone (CLO) and 1,5 Pentanediol (PDO). These price adjustments ensure that BASF can continue to offer the highest levels of product and service quality to its customers.

Polyalcohols are used for producing coatings, adhesives, and other industrial products.

BASF to Increase Pricing for Diols and Derivatives in North America

June 2, 2010 - Florham Park, NJ - Effective July 1, 2010, or as contracts allow, BASF is increasing its off-list prices in North America by $0.14 per pound for butanediol (BDO), tetrahydrofuran (THF), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP).  Off-list prices for Polytetramethylene ether glycol (PolyTHF®) will increase by $0.20 per pound.

Butanediol and its derivatives are used for producing engineering plastics, polyurethanes, solvents, electronic chemicals and elastic fibers.

PolyTHF® is a BASF trademark in many countries.

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers Announces Price Increase for All Grades of DuPont™ Elvax® Resins

May 12, 2010 - Wilmington, DE – DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers announced a price increase of $0.05 per pound on all grades of DuPont™ Elvax® resins. This increase is effective June 1, 2010.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company.  Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.  Operating in approximately 80 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

DSM Engineering Plastics Announces Stanyl Price Increase

May 10, 2010 - Sittard, The Netherlands - As a result of continued tightness in end product markets as well as raw material markets, DSM Engineering Plastics will increase prices on a global basis for its Stanyl® products. Effective June 1st 2010, DSM will increase prices for these products on a global basis:

Stanyl (PA46 unfilled) 0.20 Eur/kg 0.13 $/lb
(PA46 reinforced, non FR) 0.20 Eur/kg 0.13 $/lb
(PA46 FR) 0.40 Eur/kg 0.26 $/lb

As a committed supplier of Stanyl, DSM Engineering Plastics will – to alleviate pressure - start up its second Stanyl plant from the second quarter of 2010.

While DSM Engineering Plastics continues to pursue and implement cost savings initiatives targeted at absorbing the impact of the raw material escalations, this additional increase is necessary to ensure DSM Engineering Plastics’ sustainable long-term growth.

Ivo Lansbergen, Global Business Director Stanyl, says: “Within the strategy of DSM Engineering Plastics we are strongly committed to Innovation and Sustainability. We will continue to work in close partnership with our customers and differentiate through new and more sustainable products.”

Growth in the Global LDPE Market to Return in 2011

May 7, 2010 - Driven by stronger demand in the Asia Pacific region, growth in the global LDPE market will return in 2011 according to Ceresana Research. The primary markets for LDPE (low density polyethylene) include films, carrying bags, and sacks, accounting for roughly 67% of global LDPE demand. Some examples of these applications include agricultural, multi-layer, and shrink films, as well as reinforcements for levees. LDPE, which is soft, ductile, and flexible, is additionally utilized for strong, elastic goods, such as screw caps, lids, and coatings. 

LDPE exhibits particularly excellent rheological characteristics, it is still favored in many regions of the world- even though it has competition from newer polyethylene grades like HDPE and LLDPE. However, the trend of substituting LDPE with other polymers is declining again throughout industrialized nations. Opportunities for LDPE in Western Europe, the US, and Japan can be seen, for example, in coatings and packaging for medical products. These applications will recover relatively quickly from the financial crisis. LDPE prices have fallen by as much as 30% in certain regions: Western Europe and North America are additionally seeing considerable decreases in demand. Consequently, global revenue has fallen to €15.9 bln (US$22.2 bln). However, growth is expected to start again in 2011. The Asian Pacific will be the most important LDPE market and will be able to increase its share of global consumption to more than 39%. The Middle East is defined by its continued expansion of LDPE production: capacity increases of around 3.5 million tons are planned to take place by 2014. As a result, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iran will become the world's largest exporter of plastics.

LDPE prices fell by up to 30% in certain regions during 2009, and Western Europe and North America exhibited considerable decreases in demand. As a result, global LDPE revenue is estimated to have fallen by €15.9 bln in 2009. But next year Ceresana expects to see growth again with Asia Pacific increasing its share of global consumption to more than 39%. The trend of substituting LDPE with other polymers is declining again throughout the industrialized nations. Opportunities for LDPE can be seen in the application of coatings and packaging for medical products. These applications will recover relatively quickly from the effects of the economical crisis. LDPE production is also on the rise, particularly in the Middle East. Capacity increases of approximately 3.5 mln tons are planned to be implemented by 2014. 

BASF announces price increases on Styropor® and Neopor® expandable polystyrene in North America

May 3, 2010 - Florham Park, NJ - BASF today announced it is increasing prices for all grades of Styropor® and Neopor® expandable polystyrene in North America by $0.05 per pound effective May 15, 2010.  This increase is necessary due to raw material cost increases, particularly benzene and ethylene, principal precursors in the production of EPS.