The Urethane Blog
July 28, 2020
Chinese cracker expansions enter new phase July 28/2020 MOSCOW (MRC) — Four large new crackers are poised to start operations in China in the next 3-6 months, in a sharp expansion of the country’s petrochemical cracker sector, said Argusmadia.
State-controlled Sinochem today said it has commissioned the 3mn t/yr condensate unit at its Quanzhou complex in Fujian province. The key upstream facility produces naphtha for use as a cracker feedstock.
Sinochem conducted successful trial runs at cracker furnaces and a derivative 200,000/500,000 t/yr ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol (EO/EG) plant on 15-16 June.
Quanzhou’s naphtha cracker — Sinochem’s first cracker — was commissioned in December. The unit has 1mn t/yr of ethylene and 500,000 t/yr of propylene capacity.
Sinochem started construction of the cracker and a refinery expansion project at Quanzhou in October 2017. The project has a full stream of petrochemical derivative units, including 100,000 t/yr ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), 400,000 t/yr high density polyethylene (HDPE), 200,000/450,000 propylene oxide/styrene (PO/SM), 580,000 t/yr polypropylene (PP), 120,000 t/yr butadiene (BD), 100,000 t/yr MTBE, 350,000 t/yr BTX and 800,000 t/yr paraxylene (PX) capacity, as well as the 200,000/500,000 t/yr EO/EG unit.
The refinery expansion includes a residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) with 230,000 t/yr of propylene capacity.
Fellow state-controlled firm Sinopec is also nearing a cracker start-up at its new Zhanjiang complex in Guangdong province. The cracker is likely to come on line in July-August, after Sinopec started operating the new 200,000 b/d Zhanjiang refinery on 16 June. The 40bn yuan ($5.6bn) project also includes an associated ethylene cracker complex.
The naphtha cracker has 800,000 t/yr of ethylene and 430,000 t/yr of propylene capacity and is integrated with 250,000/400,000 t/yr EO/EG, 350,000 t/yr HDPE, 100,000 t/yr EVA and 550,000 t/yr PP derivative units. The refinery also has a RFCC unit with 320,000 t/yr of propylene capacity.
Two private-sector Chinese firms are also making progress on cracker projects.
Refiner Bora Chemical is preparing to start its 1.1mn t/yr ethylene cracker project at Panjin in northeast Liaoning province. The company held successful trial runs at its downstream 450,000 t/yr linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit on 25 May and is now aiming to feed in the cracker in August-September. The cracker will consume 1.65mn t/yr of naphtha and light products from Bora’s 140,000 b/d Panjin refinery, as well as 1.1mn t/yr of propane and butane that will be bought from the market. The complex has 450,000 t/yr LLDPE, 350,000 t/yr HDPE, 350,000 t/yr SM and 600,000 t/yr PP derivative capacity. Global petrochemical firm LyondellBasell agreed in early March to take a 50pc stake in the project and set up a joint venture, Bora LyondellBasell, which will operate the ethylene cracker and associated polyolefin derivatives complex. The project has a total expected cost of about USD2.6bn.
Private-sector Wanhua Chemical is poised to commission its LPG-fed cracker at Yantai in Shandong province. It plans to start up the cracker around September-October this year.
The cracker, fed by 2.4mn t/yr of propane and butane, can produce 1mn t/yr of ethylene and 500,000 t/yr of propylene. Wanhua started construction work in 2017.
The cracker’s petrochemical derivative facilities include a 350,000 t/yr HDPE unit, 450,000 t/yr LLDPE plant, 300,000/650,000 t/yr PO/SM plant, 150,000 t/yr EO unit, two 320,000 t/yr EDC plants, 300,000 t/yr PP unit and an 80,000 t/yr BD plant.
Wanhua Chemical owns China’s single-largest capacity propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant at Yantai in Shandong province. The PDH unit has 750,000 t/yr of propylene capacity and fully integrated derivatives units. Wanhua is also the world’s largest methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) manufacturer.
July 27, 2020
Virginia bans OSB wood containing PMDI for live fire training
By Robert Dalheim July 23, 2020 | 1:56 pm EDT
VIRGINIA – The Virginia Department of Fire Programs has announced a ban on the use of oriented strand board (OSB) containing poly-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI) during live fire training. The ban was put into effect because OSB containing PMDI can release toxic, carcinogenic byproducts when burned, according to the VDFP. “We are adopting aggressive cancer prevention efforts during such critical training,” VDFP Executive Director Michael Reilly said in a statement. “After each live fire training, a complete wash down of PPE, SCBA, and other tools used in the fire occurs. Also, personal cleanup is done and then a medical evaluation is completed. We understand that this prohibition of engineered wood containing PMDI, as well as the extensive rehab procedures may be met with some opposition. However, based on industry research and our mandate to reduce carcinogen exposures and cancer related deaths among Virginia’s Fire Service, it is the right thing to do.” The change was backed by state governor Ralph Northam, the Virginia Fire Services Board (VFSB), the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters and the Virginia Firefighters Association, says the VDFP. “The Fire Service explores several methods to reduce risks and harm to our men and women in the field,” VFSB Chair Walt Bailey said in a statement, “It is much more meaningful to create policies and involve local and state officials. Then, the widespread action follows.” OSB is commonly used in the construction of residential and multifamily housing, as well as in a variety of other applications.
July 27, 2020
Virginia bans OSB wood containing PMDI for live fire training
By Robert Dalheim July 23, 2020 | 1:56 pm EDT
VIRGINIA – The Virginia Department of Fire Programs has announced a ban on the use of oriented strand board (OSB) containing poly-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI) during live fire training. The ban was put into effect because OSB containing PMDI can release toxic, carcinogenic byproducts when burned, according to the VDFP. “We are adopting aggressive cancer prevention efforts during such critical training,” VDFP Executive Director Michael Reilly said in a statement. “After each live fire training, a complete wash down of PPE, SCBA, and other tools used in the fire occurs. Also, personal cleanup is done and then a medical evaluation is completed. We understand that this prohibition of engineered wood containing PMDI, as well as the extensive rehab procedures may be met with some opposition. However, based on industry research and our mandate to reduce carcinogen exposures and cancer related deaths among Virginia’s Fire Service, it is the right thing to do.” The change was backed by state governor Ralph Northam, the Virginia Fire Services Board (VFSB), the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters and the Virginia Firefighters Association, says the VDFP. “The Fire Service explores several methods to reduce risks and harm to our men and women in the field,” VFSB Chair Walt Bailey said in a statement, “It is much more meaningful to create policies and involve local and state officials. Then, the widespread action follows.” OSB is commonly used in the construction of residential and multifamily housing, as well as in a variety of other applications.
July 27, 2020
BASF declares force majeure from US TDI plant
Author: Zachary Moore
2020/07/24
HOUSTON (ICIS)–BASF has declared force majeure from its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant in Geismar, Louisiana, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
The plant has a capacity of 160,000 tonnes/year, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database.
TDI supplies in the US have been sufficient to meet demand in recent months as the economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak resulted in reduced consumption for TDI and downstream polyurethane systems.
Demand has started to pick up from the low points seen in April and May as automotive plants are resuming production while demand for furniture and bedding is starting to approach pre-crisis levels.
TDI is mainly used for the production of polyurethane (PU) flexible foams used in upholstery, mattresses and automotive seats.
Major US TDI producers include BASF and Covestro.
July 27, 2020
BASF declares force majeure from US TDI plant
Author: Zachary Moore
2020/07/24
HOUSTON (ICIS)–BASF has declared force majeure from its toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant in Geismar, Louisiana, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
The plant has a capacity of 160,000 tonnes/year, according to the ICIS Supply and Demand Database.
TDI supplies in the US have been sufficient to meet demand in recent months as the economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak resulted in reduced consumption for TDI and downstream polyurethane systems.
Demand has started to pick up from the low points seen in April and May as automotive plants are resuming production while demand for furniture and bedding is starting to approach pre-crisis levels.
TDI is mainly used for the production of polyurethane (PU) flexible foams used in upholstery, mattresses and automotive seats.
Major US TDI producers include BASF and Covestro.
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