The contrat to sell the Menzolit-group (menzolit.com) to the German investor All-Finanz has been signed in Heidelberg on April 20th, 2009.

At the beginning of March 2009, the Swedish company Plastal, to which Menzolit formerly belonged, filed for insolvency. Before Plastal´s insolvency, extensive negociations were already in an advanced stage to sell Menzolit Compounds International GmbH and its subsidiaries, but delays were caused due to the actual circumstances of Plastal´s insolvency .

iwis antriebssysteme GmbH & Co.KG (Hall 25, Stand B26) will launch its new FLEXON® hinged-slat chains and MatTop chains made of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin at Motion, Drive & Automation (Hanover, Germany, 20-24 April 2009). The polymer chains are the Munich-based company’s response to market requirements for materials handling systems which can help prevent contamination, as well as being energy efficient and easy to maintain.

DSM Engineering Plastics (dsmep.com) has announced that Akulon PA6 resin has been selected by various OEMs and Tiers for various applications and feasibility studies for oil sumps and oil pans use in under-the-hood. Currently various engine and road tests are ongoing. Final design validation of Akulon PA6 in the oil sumps and oil pans is expected for the end of 2009.

In the course of ongoing international expansion Semperit AG Holding (semperit.at) takes over the remaining 26% of the shares of Sempertrans Nirlon, India, from its former local jointventure partner. This transaction makes Semperit the sole shareholder of Sempertrans Nirlon. Sempertrans Nirlon manufactures textile conveyor belts and targets mainly the Indian home market. In 2008 the installation of a complete new production line almost doubled the capacity. This investment constitutes the basis of further growth in India as well as for increased export to the whole Asian region.

BASF will idle the smaller of its two steam crackers at its site in Ludwigshafen due to continuing weak demand. The temporary shutdown of the cracker, which has an annual capacity of 220,000 metric tons of ethylene, is planned for the middle of April and will last at least three months. Overall, a total of five production lines are currently idled at the Ludwigshafen Verbund site, and an additional 60 production lines are operating at very low capacity utilization rates. BASF has reduced its production capacities worldwide by more than 25 percent.

On March 13, 2009, BASF has started up a new plant for the insulation material Neopor® in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Neopor is an expandable polystyrene (EPS). The plant has a yearly production capacity of 90,000 metric tons and works with a new process based on extrusion. The insulating capacity of Neopor is up to 20 percent better than that of Styropor® (EPS), thus contributing to energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Annual market growth of five percent worldwide for polystyrene foams in construction applications expected

The performance of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin in terms of its strength, flexibility and fatigue resistance is critical to the reliable operation of tray arresters fitted in Medstor medical cabinets from Mailbox Mouldings International Ltd. (Stalybridge, England). Used in combination with two-way angled liners, the arresters prevent accidental removal of storage trays from the cabinet while, simultaneously, allowing them to be extended at an angle for easier retrieval of stock at high levels.

Early this year, Braskem Europe BV granted the Hamburg distributor KRAHN CHEMIE GmbH (krahn.de) the sales rights for ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) of the Brazilian holding company Braskem S.A. (www.braskem.com.br). Both companies have been working together for many years in successfully marketing UTEC® UHMW-PE.

KRAIBURG TPE (kraiburg-tpe.com) is expanding its portfolio to include a new product group – "THERMOLAST® M" – directed toward customers in the field of medical technology. Five different series of compounds offer innovative solutions in TPE for use in the pharmaceutical and medical technology markets, covering product reliability risk up to indirect blood contact. Additionally, this TPE specialist with worldwide presence will be offering a comprehensive service and safety package as well as a two-year delivery guarantee.

The launch of DuPont™ Delrin® 300CP (dupont.com) marks the development of a new polyacetal (polyoxymethylene, POM) offering a distinct combination of properties. The engineering thermoplastic combines high impact resistance, even at low temperatures, with high stiffness, strength and elongation at yield – yet it is particularly efficient during processing, thanks to its relatively low melt viscosity. The cost of the new resin is around that of standard polymer grades.