ADM to acquire UK based probiotic supplements provider

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has reached an agreement to acquire Probiotics International Limited (PIL), a UK based provider of probiotic supplements for human, pet, and production-animal use.

The all-cash transaction will be valued at £185 million. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

PIL, based in Somerset, UK — and known under its umbrella brand Protexin — is a leading provider of probiotic supplements for human wellness and animal markets, including aquaculture, equine, livestock and companion animals. With sales into more than 60 countries, PIL produces the popular Bio-Kult brand of probiotic supplements along with contract-manufactured products. The company has about 160 employees.

“ADM is already one of the world’s largest providers of human and animal nutrition solutions, and the acquisition of PIL will add to our extensive portfolio of products that promote health and wellness,” said Vikram Luthar, president, ADM health & wellness.

Read more: ADM to acquire UK based probiotic supplements provider

Total to sell 9.99 pc stake in Dunkerque LNG terminal

Total SA has decided to enter into an agreement to sell its 9.99 percent stake in the Dunkerque LNG terminal, as a part of a broader sale process initiated by EDF Energy (65.01 percent) earlier this year.

At the completion of the transactions two buyers, a consortium composed by Fluxys Europe B.V. (currently 25 percent), AXA Investment Managers and Credit Agricole Assurances on one hand and another consortium composed of Samsung Securities Co Ltd, IBK Securities Co Ltd and Hanwha Investment & Securities Co Ltd on the other hand, will hold a 35.76 percent and 39.24 percent respectively.

Read more: Total to sell 9.99 pc stake in Dunkerque LNG terminal

ExxonMobil completes acquiring Indonesian lubricant manufacturer

ExxonMobil has completed the acquisition of PT Federal Karyatama (FKT), one of Indonesia’s largest manufacturers and marketers of motorcycle lubricants, from PT Mitra Pinasthika Mustika Tbk and its affiliate.

The acquisition, first announced in April, includes the Federal Oil brand and a 700,000 barrel per year blending plant in Cilegon, Indonesia.

The acquisition of FKT and its distribution network, which is supported by about 40 dealers, 3,200 Federal Oil centers and more than 10,000 retailers in Indonesia, strengthens ExxonMobil’s position in a key growth market and will contribute to building the Mobil lubricant brand in Indonesia.

ExxonMobil will manage both the existing Indonesian Mobil-branded lubricants business and the FKT business.

Read more: ExxonMobil completes acquiring Indonesian lubricant manufacturer

Total partners with Citeo, Saint-Gobain, Syndifrais for polystyrene recycling

Citeo, Total, Saint-Gobain and the French Union of Fresh Dairy Product Manufacturers (Syndifrais) are joining forces to help lay the groundwork for an industrial-scale polystyrene recycling channel in France and to validate its technical and cost feasibility within 18 months.

This is part of the voluntary commitments for the French government’s Circular Economy Roadmap and in line with French and European Union objectives in the area of plastic recycling,

All of the players in the polystyrene consumer packaging value chain are actively seeking a recycling solution that will enable the development of a circular economy for these products. This involves not only collecting the packaging and finding the right technical solutions for recycling it, but also identifying uses for the recycled polystyrene, all while ensuring each step is affordable. It is estimated that 110,000 metric tons of polystyrene packaging is put on the market each year in France.

Developing a collection system

France’s fresh dairy product manufacturers have undertaken to organize, via Citeo, the separation, sorting and preparation of several hundred tons of post-consumer polystyrene from France's extended household waste sorting program. Syndifrais, alongside Citeo, will therefore contribute to the emergence of a recycling channel for polystyrene packaging.

Read more: Total partners with Citeo, Saint-Gobain, Syndifrais for polystyrene recycling

Songwon increases polymer stabilizer prices globally

Songwon Industrial Co Ltd said that prices for its polymer stabilizers products will be raised by up to 15 percent.

The new prices are effective as of 1 July 2018.

Read more: Songwon increases polymer stabilizer prices globally

Cosmetics, personal care to be biggest driver of wax market

Wax Market size is forecast to exceed $10 billion in 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc.

Sturdy growth in cosmetics and personal care industry will be majorly driving wax market demand over the forecast period. Wax has air and water barrier properties, which open up a myriad of applications in various industries such as packaging, cosmetics and adhesives.

The global cosmetics industry is driven by product innovation, the rise of e-commerce and growth in travel retail across the globe. Wax has skincare properties and its flexibility and plasticity facilitates easy application. These properties make wax highly desirable in cosmetics industry.

Increasing product application in packaging sector will also be a key factor for the wax market growth over the forecast duration. The global packaging industry is primarily driven by the BRICS market which accounts for approximately 37% of the global demand. The packaging industry growth in Asia Pacific is mainly a result of increasing consumption of consumer goods, which in turn has driven the need for sophisticated packaging. Increasing consumption levels in Asia Pacific and Latin America can be attributed to the rising disposable income of the middle class in these regions.

Read more: Cosmetics, personal care to be biggest driver of wax market

IIT team's solar powered system can convert plastic into fuel

Scientists from IIT Madras have developed a solar powered system to convert non-recyclable plastic into fuel that can substitute diesel used in generators, furnaces and engines.

The technology - which consists of a mobile unit that can collect and process waste - currently yields around 0.7 liters of fuel oil per kilo gram of plastic, researchers said.

"India produces approximately 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste in a day. Centralized systems for plastic waste management cannot work to effectively deal with this much plastic waste on a daily basis, said Ramya Selvaraj, a research student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in Tamil Nadu.

"We thought that if the plastic can't come to the industry, let the industry come to the plastic," Selvaraj said.

The team showcased its project on the occasion of the World Environment Day, hosted by the United Nations (UN) in New Delhi.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day was "Beat Plastic Pollution".

The conversion of plastic to fuel involves a process called pyrolysis - a thermochemical treatment that exposes the material to high temperature in the absence of oxygen, leading it to go through physical and chemical changes.

This creates a low-density fuel oil by breaking down the polymer chain of plastic at the temperature of 350- 500 degrees Celsius. This oil can be used as a substitute for diesel to power generators, furnaces and engines.

Read more: IIT team's solar powered system can convert plastic into fuel