Teijin to acquire automotive composite supplier in Portugal

Teijin Limited has agreed to acquire Inapal Plasticos SA (Inapal), a leading automotive composite supplier in Portugal. The shares of Inapal will be purchased by Teijin Holdings Netherlands BV, the Teijin Group's holding company in the Netherlands.

The acquisition was completed at the beginning of August 2018.

Inapal, headquartered in Leca do Balio, Porto, Portugal, is a tier-one supplier of composite components to the automotive and heavy truck industries. The company’s capabilities include Class A body panels, structural and underbody components using a variety of materials and processes, including sheet moulding compound (SMC), carbon fibre SMC, pre-preg compression moulding (PCM), direct long fibre thermoplastic (D-LFT) and glass mat thermoplastic (GMT).

The company has two manufacturing locations in Portugal serving a variety of European OEM customers including Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Bentley.

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LyondellBasell completes acquisition of A Schulman

LyondellBasell (LYB), has completed the acquisition of A Schulman Inc.

The acquisition more than doubles LyondellBasell's existing compounding business and broadens the company's reach into growing, high-margin end markets such as automotive, construction materials, electronic goods and packaging.

"This acquisition builds upon our complementary strengths, creating a substantial value proposition for our customers and positioning the company for future growth in this space. Moving forward, our team is focused on a seamless integration that captures opportunity and creates exceptional value for our shareholders," said Bob Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell.

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Nemaska inks lithium hydroxide supply agreement with Northvolt

Nemaska Lithium Inc has signed an agreement to supply battery grade lithium hydroxide to Northvolt AB.

On April 27, Nemaska Lithium announced an agreement in principle with Northvolt. This agreement is now superseded by a definitive 5-year supply agreement. Under this agreement, Nemaska Lithium agrees to supply, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Nemaska Lithium Shawinigan Transformation Inc and Northvolt agrees to purchase, on a take-or-pay basis, up to 5,000 but not less than 3,500 metric tonnes per year of lithium hydroxide produced at the Nemaska’s commercial plant in Shawinigan.

For a 5-year supply period commencing upon the start of commercial production at both the Shawinigan Plant and Northvolt's projected Skelleftea factory in Sweden (the "N Factory").

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Sika opens new concrete admixtures factory in Dubai

Sika AG has opened a new factory in Dubai, developing its operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

An existing production facility for concrete admixtures has been relocated to the new site and expanded. A state-of-the-art mortar facility and a reactor for producing polymers have been installed and will constitute the basis for the production of high-performance concrete admixtures. Furthermore, the new facility will play a strategic role as a sales and distribution centre for the region.

Sika has grouped together and greatly expanded its mortar and concrete admixtures production, warehouse capacity, and offices at the new location in Dubai Industrial City. Material streams, logistics, and the cost structure will thus be optimized, and the course set for further growth. The local polymer production facility will help to significantly cut costs and make it possible to supply customers located in all states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with customized concrete admixtures for demanding construction projects.

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S-Oil to invest $5 bn in feed cracker, olefin downstream facilities

S-Oil Corporation is conducting a feasibility study into building a mixed feed cracker with the size of 1,500KTA and olefin downstream facilities. This is part of its phase II investment project to expand its petrochemical business portfolio.

The company is expected to invest more than KRW 5 trillion ($4.46 billion) into the project until 2023.

The steam cracker will produce ethylene and other basic petrochemicals from naphtha and off-gas burned as fuel in the refinery, thus giving the company an added advantage over feedstock sourcing and cost competitiveness. Olefin downstream facilities will produce an increased volume of high-value petrochemical products including PE and PP.

The new facilities will be built on a 400,000? land S-OIL purchased from Hyundai Heavy Industries near its Onsan Refinery to possibly create a mega-scale single location plant and secure higher economics and operational efficiency if realized.

S-OIL said the project will significantly benefit the economy, too, as it will create 2.7 million man-days during construction, 400 regular jobs, reinvigorate the construction sector and increase exports.

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BASF launches next generation of carotenoid formulations

BASF Animal Nutrition launches its Lucantin NXT product line in the EU 28 market. The next generation of carotenoids is stabilized by propyl gallate (PG) and butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) or tocopherol. The introduction in other countries will gradually follow.

Extensive trials have shown that Lucantin NXT products deliver high homogeneity, outstanding stability and long shelf life while maintaining egg yolk and broiler skin coloring efficacy. These carotenoid formulations meet the latest Regulation (EC) No 2017/962, which requires to withdraw EQ as a feed additive.

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Evonik, Wynca forms JV to produce fumed silica in China

Evonik Industries AG and the Chinese company Wynca have agreed to form a joint venture. The new company, in which Evonik will hold 60 percent, will produce fumed silica marketed under the name Aerosil.

The product is used in transparent silicones, coatings and paints, modern adhesives as well as non-combustible high-performance insulation materials. The joint venture, Evonik Wynca (Zhenjiang) Silicon Material Co Ltd plans to build a fumed silica production facility in the Zhenjiang New Material Industry Park (Jiangsu Province, China), investing an amount in the mid-double-digit million Euro range.

The facility, with a projected annual output of 8,000 metric tons is scheduled to become operational in 2021. The overall project still requires the approval of the relevant corporate bodies and the competent authorities.

The global market for fumed silica is growing at around 5 percent, showing stronger growth than the global economy. Key drivers for the fumed silica market in China include the silicone industry for adhesives and sealants in buildings and cars as well as gel batteries such as those used in electric bikes. The joint venture will supplement Evonik's global network of Aerosil production facilities, while Wynca plans to further expand its business with silicon-based products, using the benefits of a shared approach.

Read more: Evonik, Wynca forms JV to produce fumed silica in China