The Urethane Blog
March 4, 2021
These are the personal thoughts of the blogger and no more . . .
I had the opportunity to have a relatively normal (by car) business trip this week to visit a key supplier. It was a refreshing experience and it is time to encourage everyone to get back to normal, in my opinion.
The travel day was cold but sunny and a four or five hour car trip was involved. However, a stop half way and a normal lunch (masks in and out, but not at the table) was great. Good food and the restaurant was half or a quarter full, but vibrant.
Another few hours to our destination and an hour meeting or so. Check in and a form to fill out for tracing purposes, but just paperwork to my mind.
Sitting in a meeting room and talking about the current difficult situation in the urethane industry. Exploring options that wouldn’t make it to the Zoom discussion (no two second delays). Real empathy between the participants about their current situations, none of which are good.
But a chance to sit face-to-face with people we’ve known for years to figure out solutions.
Followed up by a simple dinner among friends. We still discussed business, but also our personal issues and triumphs and (hopefully) small failures. How we’ve all fared this past year.
Followed up by a few tasks, and a new agenda to help us get through the current shortages and crises.
Then back to a hotel with no restaurant, not even an open front desk. No health club either, and masked guests in all public areas. But great nonetheless.
The next day, it was up with coffee and an apple for breakfast left over from the day before. Some time to catch up on emails. A brisk walk. Then off in the car for the trip home–phone calls the whole way until a lunch break. A great small restaurant recommended. Back to the office late that afternoon. Lots of details to catch up on, calls to reply to, emails to be sent. Another hour or two in the office.
It is time to get back to normal!
March 4, 2021
These are the personal thoughts of the blogger and no more . . .
I had the opportunity to have a relatively normal (by car) business trip this week to visit a key supplier. It was a refreshing experience and it is time to encourage everyone to get back to normal, in my opinion.
The travel day was cold but sunny and a four or five hour car trip was involved. However, a stop half way and a normal lunch (masks in and out, but not at the table) was great. Good food and the restaurant was half or a quarter full, but vibrant.
Another few hours to our destination and an hour meeting or so. Check in and a form to fill out for tracing purposes, but just paperwork to my mind.
Sitting in a meeting room and talking about the current difficult situation in the urethane industry. Exploring options that wouldn’t make it to the Zoom discussion (no two second delays). Real empathy between the participants about their current situations, none of which are good.
But a chance to sit face-to-face with people we’ve known for years to figure out solutions.
Followed up by a simple dinner among friends. We still discussed business, but also our personal issues and triumphs and (hopefully) small failures. How we’ve all fared this past year.
Followed up by a few tasks, and a new agenda to help us get through the current shortages and crises.
Then back to a hotel with no restaurant, not even an open front desk. No health club either, and masked guests in all public areas. But great nonetheless.
The next day, it was up with coffee and an apple for breakfast left over from the day before. Some time to catch up on emails. A brisk walk. Then off in the car for the trip home–phone calls the whole way until a lunch break. A great small restaurant recommended. Back to the office late that afternoon. Lots of details to catch up on, calls to reply to, emails to be sent. Another hour or two in the office.
It is time to get back to normal!
March 3, 2021
Spandex value chain: uptrend hard to change temporarily
Text size
| Price change of spandex market around Spring Festival holiday Variety Unit 2021-2-6 2021-3-1 Change Change BDO yuan/mt 15,950 31,000 15,050 94.36% MMDI yuan/mt 21,600 22,500 900 4.17% PTMEG yuan/mt 23,325 30,300 6,975 29.90% Spandex 20D yuan/mt 56,000 74,000 18,000 32.14% Spandex 30D yuan/mt 54,000 70,000 16,000 29.63% Spandex 40D yuan/mt 46,000 61,000 15,000 32.61% Spandex market was in uptrend after the Spring Festival holiday, following gains on upstream market. The increment of BDO market outpaced other products amid short supply and strong downstream demand. With surging feedstock prices, tight supply and improving downstream demand, spandex prices firmly chased up. Upward tendency on spandex value chain will be hard to alter amid sound fundamental in short run based on the following logic. BDO and PTMEG market:  Supply of spot BDO remained short. Sellers mainly guaranteed term volume, with little supply for spot transactions. However, demand from downstream sectors such as PTMEG, GBL, PBT and spandex market was buoyant. One thing should be noted: Affected by continuously jumping price, some players on PU market have turned to use other more cost-effective materials instead of BDO. Buyers were cautious in purchasing under high price and mainly purchased to cover the most pressing demand. However, prices of BDO are expected to sustain firm as supply is tight and sellers are reluctant to sell, expecting price to surge. Supply of PTMEG was still in shortage and downstream players hoped upstream feedstock supply to be ample to guarantee production. Offers for PTMEG 1800 were mainly at 43,000-45,000yuan/mt in Mar, negotiable in actual transactions, up by 18,000-22,000yuan/mt compared with Feb. Demand for PTMEG was hot and prices of upstream and downstream products both climbed. Price of PTMEG is anticipated to hike further. Spandex market:  Production cost of spandex hiked with surging BDO price and bigger increment of PTMEG in Mar. In addition, operating rate of downstream plants gradually ascended after Spring Festival holiday. Supported by sound demand and booming upstream market, prices of spandex extended higher. Current prices of spandex were mixed. The operating rate of spandex was still at 95%. Most spandex companies ran at full capacity now. Stocks of spandex climbed to 8 days, sustaining low. Spandex companies strongly intend to raise price boosted by growing rigid demand and mounting cost. In short run, prices of spandex are anticipated to move higher amid short supply but risk will enlarge too after price surged. Spandex inventory of some downstream players is around 15-30 days. Later procurement of downstream market should be noted. All in all, spandex value chain is still anticipated to extend higher in short run. Downstream order and procurement change should be concerned after price surged. |
https://www.ccfgroup.com/newscenter/newsview.php?Class_ID=D00000&Info_ID=2103026520004
March 3, 2021
Spandex value chain: uptrend hard to change temporarily
Text size
| Price change of spandex market around Spring Festival holiday Variety Unit 2021-2-6 2021-3-1 Change Change BDO yuan/mt 15,950 31,000 15,050 94.36% MMDI yuan/mt 21,600 22,500 900 4.17% PTMEG yuan/mt 23,325 30,300 6,975 29.90% Spandex 20D yuan/mt 56,000 74,000 18,000 32.14% Spandex 30D yuan/mt 54,000 70,000 16,000 29.63% Spandex 40D yuan/mt 46,000 61,000 15,000 32.61% Spandex market was in uptrend after the Spring Festival holiday, following gains on upstream market. The increment of BDO market outpaced other products amid short supply and strong downstream demand. With surging feedstock prices, tight supply and improving downstream demand, spandex prices firmly chased up. Upward tendency on spandex value chain will be hard to alter amid sound fundamental in short run based on the following logic. BDO and PTMEG market: Supply of spot BDO remained short. Sellers mainly guaranteed term volume, with little supply for spot transactions. However, demand from downstream sectors such as PTMEG, GBL, PBT and spandex market was buoyant. One thing should be noted: Affected by continuously jumping price, some players on PU market have turned to use other more cost-effective materials instead of BDO. Buyers were cautious in purchasing under high price and mainly purchased to cover the most pressing demand. However, prices of BDO are expected to sustain firm as supply is tight and sellers are reluctant to sell, expecting price to surge. Supply of PTMEG was still in shortage and downstream players hoped upstream feedstock supply to be ample to guarantee production. Offers for PTMEG 1800 were mainly at 43,000-45,000yuan/mt in Mar, negotiable in actual transactions, up by 18,000-22,000yuan/mt compared with Feb. Demand for PTMEG was hot and prices of upstream and downstream products both climbed. Price of PTMEG is anticipated to hike further. Spandex market: Production cost of spandex hiked with surging BDO price and bigger increment of PTMEG in Mar. In addition, operating rate of downstream plants gradually ascended after Spring Festival holiday. Supported by sound demand and booming upstream market, prices of spandex extended higher. Current prices of spandex were mixed. The operating rate of spandex was still at 95%. Most spandex companies ran at full capacity now. Stocks of spandex climbed to 8 days, sustaining low. Spandex companies strongly intend to raise price boosted by growing rigid demand and mounting cost. In short run, prices of spandex are anticipated to move higher amid short supply but risk will enlarge too after price surged. Spandex inventory of some downstream players is around 15-30 days. Later procurement of downstream market should be noted. All in all, spandex value chain is still anticipated to extend higher in short run. Downstream order and procurement change should be concerned after price surged. |
https://www.ccfgroup.com/newscenter/newsview.php?Class_ID=D00000&Info_ID=2103026520004
March 3, 2021
Fire in Chrastava. | Photo: HZS LK
The fire was located at 5:25 p.m. Traffic on the railway line was stopped for several hours due to safety reasons. It is already restored in slow motion. “During the intervention, eleven attack currents were conducted and almost a hundred firefighters intervened here.
The laboratory from Kamenice did not measure increased
concentrations of any toxic substances in the air,” said Jakub Sucharda, a spokesman for the fire brigade. The damage was preliminarily estimated at 100 million crowns.
Based on the information provided by the structural engineer, it is forbidden to enter the building. A special remote-controlled HUDDIG loader from the Zbiroh Embassy arrived at the site, which will export material in front of the building, where it will then be extinguished. Firefighters stay on site overnight for 6 units. Firefighters will eliminate hidden fires. At night, the units spread out. During Saturday, an investigation into the
cause of the fire will begin, during which investigators from the Fire and Rescue Service and the Police of the Czech Republic will be present. The incident went without injury.
A chemical laboratory from Kamenice came to the event to monitor the air around the scene. The voluntary unit of the village of Cvikov monitors the area of the Lužická Nisa river up to the village of Chotyně. Firefighters on site cooperated with environmental representatives.
It is a fire in the plant of Grupo Antolino, which in Chrastava focuses on production with chemical processes – specifically it produces polyurethane foam. The company also uses the premises as a logistics center for the storage of input material and finished production, for the production of spare parts and repackaging of loose components. The locals are said to have been warned not to ventilate. This applies to Chrastava, Stráž
nad Nisou and other nearby villages.
The fire affected the production hall together with the storage premises in which the production of polyurethane products took place. A representative of the municipality of Chrastava arrived at the place. Approximately 100 people were evacuated from the site and left the building on their own.
The information has already been confirmed to Deník by Jakub Sucharda, spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Service of the Liberec Region (HZS LK).
“It burns in the industrial area in Chrastava. It is a special degree of fire alarm, because polyurethane boards are burning. The chemical laboratory is already on its way to the site. There are currently 17 fire brigades involved. “Sucharda said.
A remote-controlled loader was called from the Zbiroh Rescue Service. Before the arrival of the troops, all persons were evacuated. The number of intervening units hasincreased to 21 on the spot.
https://www.denik.cz/nehody/chrastava-pozar-20210226.html
Plameny pohltily Grupo Antolin v Chrastavě. Škoda vyšplhala na 100 milionů korun
26.2.2021
aktualizováno 26.2.2021
Vodseďálek
Petr Vodseďálek
Kolářová
Zuzana Kolářová
/FOTO,VIDEO/ Silný dým a plameny šlehaly z průmyslového objektu v Chrastavě. Viditelné byly na několik stovek metrů. V okolí požáru bylo slyšet výbuchy.
Požár v Chrastavě. lupa-plusKliknutím zvětšíte
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7 fotografií v galerii ›Požár v Chrastavě. | Foto: HZS LK
Požár byl lokalizován v 17:25 hodin. Provoz na železniční trati byl z důvodu bezpečnosti na několik hodin zastaven. Ve zpomaleném režimu je již obnoven. “Během zásahu bylo vedeno jedenáct útočných proudů a zasahovala zde bezmála stovka hasičů. Laboratoř z Kamenice nenaměřila zvýšené koncentrace žádných jedovatých látek v ovzduší,” řekl tiskový mluvčí hasičů Jakub Sucharda. Škoda byla předběžně odhadnuta na 100 milionů korun.
Na základě informací poskytnutých statikem je zakázáno vstupovat do objektu. Na místo se dostavil speciální dálkově ovládaný nakladač HUDDIG ze ZÚ Zbiroh, který bude vyvážet materiál před budovu, kde bude následně dohašen. Hasiči zůstávají na místě přes noc v počtu 6 jednotek. Hasiči budou likvidovat skrytá ohniska. V noci se jednotky prostřídají. Během soboty začne vyšetřování příčiny požáru, při které budou přítomni vyšetřovatelé hasičského záchranného sboru a Policie ČR. Událost se obešla bez zranění.
K události se dostavila chemická laboratoř z Kamenice monitorující ovzduší v okolí místa zásahu. Dobrovolná jednotka obce Cvikov sleduje oblast toku Lužické Nisy až do obce Chotyně. Hasiči na místě spolupracovali se zástupci životního prostředí.
Zdroj: Youtube
Jde o požár v závodu společnosti Grupo Antolino, která se v Chrastavě soustřeďuje na výrobu s chemickými procesy – konkrétně vyrábí polyuretanovou pěnu. Areál společnost využívá také jako logistické centrum pro skladování vstupního materiálu a hotové výroby, pro výrobu náhradních dílů a přebalování volných komponentů. Místní obyvatelé už prý dostali upozornění, aby nevětrali. Týká se to Chrastavy, Stráže nad Nisou a dalších obcí v blízkosti.
Požárem byla zasažena výrobní hala společně se skladovacími prostory, ve které probíhala výroba polyuretanových výrobků. Na místo se dostavil zástupce obce Chrastava. Z místa bylo evakuováno přibližně 100 osob, kteří opustili budovu samovolně.
Informaci už Deníku potvrdil Jakub Sucharda, mluvčí Hasičského záchranného sboru Libereckého kraje (HZS LK). “Hoří v průmyslovém areálu v Chrastavě. Jde o zvláštní stupeň požárního poplachu, protože hoří polyuretanové desky. Chemická laboratoř je už na cestě na místo. Aktuálně tady zasahuje 17 hasičských jednotek. V rámci mezikrajské výpomoci zde zasahují i jednotky ze Středočeského kraje se speciálním zařízením,” řekl Sucharda.
Ze Záchranného útvaru Zbiroh byl povolán dálkově ovládaný nakladač. Před příjezdem jednotek proběhla evakuace všech osob. Počet zasahujících jednotek se na místě zvýšil na 21. “Hasiči zasahují vnitřní i vnější zásahovou cestou, připravujeme zásah po střešní konstrukci,” informoval mluvčí HZS LK Sucharda.
U JSDHO Chrastava je zřízeno stanoviště pro plnění lahví dýchací techniky pro zasahující. Provoz na železnici nebyl prozatím obnoven.
Hasiči monitorovali situaci i z výšky za pomocí dronu. “Místo události je rozděleno na 4 úseky – 3 úseky, ve kterých probíhá hašení a dále 4. úsek, ve kterém je zřízeno stanoviště pro čerpání hasební látky,” vysvětlil mluvčí HZS LK. Podle starosty Chrastavy Michaela Canova by lidé neměli větrat.
Zdroj: https://www.denik.cz/nehody/chrastava-pozar-20210226.html
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