Borealis to debottleneck PP plant & expand ethylene capacity in Norway
Borealis announced its plans to debottleneck its PP plant at Rønningen. The company will also expand its Noretyl ethylene cracker capacity by 100,000 MT/year at its joint venture with Hydro Polymers. The two Norwegian projects will be completed in the autumn of 2005.
The polypropylene production capacity will increase from 105,000 MT/year to 175,000 MT/year. The engineering part of the project, which started in early June 2004, is handled by Jacobs Engineering.
Noretyl AS signed a contract with Linde AG, Germany, to carry out the project to expand the cracker to about 550,000 MT/year in connection with a planned turnaround. The investment will amount to NOK 600-700 million (approx. EUR 70-85 million).
The boost of the cracker’s capacity will increase the supply of ethylene and propylene to the two cracker owners’ nearby downstream plants.
Comments: Borealis has been very active this year as it expands capacity and introduces various new grades. Borealis is one of the Top Ten producers of polyolefins in the world and the second largest in Europe. It manufactures polypropylene via a variety of process technologies including (1) Borstar, (2) Spheripol, and (3) bulk/slurry process. The Rønningen site produces polypropylene and polyethylene as well as compounded products. Ethylene and propylene feedstock are provided by Noretyl. The polypropylene plant in Rønningen is based on Spheripol technology.
Indelpro to construct a polypropylene plant using Basell’s Spherizone process
Basell announced the reaching of an agreement with Indelpro SA de CV to license Basell’s Spherizone process for the operation of a new 350 KT polypropylene plant to be constructed in Mexico.
Indelpro, the polyolefins joint venture owned by Alpek and Basell will construct the plant at the port of Altamira, Mexico, where the company has operated a Spheripol process PP plant since 1992. With start-up targeted for the 3rd quarter of 2006, the new Spherizone plant will increase total PP capacity at the Indelpro site to 550 KT.
Comments: Basell started up the first commercial Spherizone process plant in Brindisi, Italy in 2002. The Spherizone process is based on multi-zone circulating reactor technology that enables the production of multi-modal resins in a single reactor. The up riser and down comer of the reactor are designed to be able to operate in varying environments, thus leading to unique, yet uniform products. Basell added the Spherizone process to its broad portfolio of process technology platforms in October 2003. Indelpro’s selection of Spherizone technology comes as no surprise due to its affiliation with Basell (Indelpro is a joint venture between Basell and Alpek, the petrochemical arm of the ALFA group).
For more information, please refer to our “Global PO&E” – Volume 2, Issue 10.
Borealis launches two new families of single-site catalysts based on Borstar® technology
Borealis introduced two new families of single-site catalysts (SSC) polyethylene, based on unimodal and Borealis’ bimodal Borstar technology, for the fast-growing SSC PE packaging market.
Borecene marks Borealis’ entry into the unimodal SSC LLDPE blown and cast film market, while SSC BorPlus offers superior processability. Borecene products are available for blown and cast film applications. The materials are said to offer a range of properties and processing benefits including excellent film clarity and sealability, and BorPlus materials are the first SSC-LLDPE grades with good bubble stability, drawdown, and throughput for blown film applications.
With the fast-growing use of co-extruded materials, converters want cost-effective combinations of polymers. As such, these new materials offer applications including shrink- or over-wrap films and food packaging for meats, cheeses, liquids, and snack foods; freezer film; stretch and shrink films; and shipping bags.
Comments: Borealis commercialized its Borecene product line in 1996 with the introduction of roto-molding grades with densities ranging from 0.934 – 0.940 g/cm3 and MI from 4 to 6. Shortly thereafter, film products with introduced with densities ranging between 0.922 and 0.934 and an MI of 1.2. These unimodal grades were produced in the slurry loop at Rønningen using a catalyst similar in structure to ExxonMobil’s Exxpol®, so Borealis licensed the catalyst precursor technology from ExxonMobil to circumvent any potential legal difficulties with practicing the technology.
Borealis has been working diligently to take advantage of the fast-growing metallocene polyethylene market. Due to the first-mover advantage of ExxonMobil and Dow in the metallocene polyethylene markets, newer entrants have had to focus more on differentiation. Borealis’ BorPlus grades are expected to provide such differentiation due to their bimodal nature. A broad or bimodal molecular weight distribution enables resins to process easier while retaining final end-use performance properties, which is particularly important for metallocene-based resins.
Sabic considers joining Sinopec in a joint venture after Dow’s departure
Sabic announced that it was considering the possibility of joining Sinopec in an ethylene project in Tianjin, China that was originally conceived as a joint venture between Sinopec and Dow Chemical. Dow withdrew from the discussions in 2002.
The ethylene project has been expanded from an initially planned capacity of 600,000 MT/year to 1 million MT/year. Sabic is also negotiating with Panjin Ethylene Industry Corp. (Panjin, China), a PetroChina subsidiary, to form a 50-50 joint venture that would expand ethylene capacity at Panjin by 350,000 MT/year, to 450,000 MT/year, and further raise the capacity of several downstream units.
Comments: After a series of delays in the Sinopec –Dow JV to build the ethylene capacity Sinopec seems to be looking for other partners. As the Chinese plastics market grows at double-digit rates it needs new ethylene capacity to fuel the growth. China cannot delay the construction and completion of new capacities for a long time. In an attempt to overcome the problems with its current JV partner Sinopec is considering SABIC for the JV.
SABIC has the advantage of being the lowest-cost supplier across the globe but it does not have high domestic demand for plastic products. To take full advantage of its cost position it needs a presence in regions that are demand centers. A JV with Sinopec in China provides SABIC with an opportunity to expand in regions that will consume large amounts of plastic.
The situation seems to be beneficial to both companies and provides them with an opportunity to accomplish their long-term goals.
Huntsman borrows an additional $400 million, partly to use for the construction of a polyethylene plant
Huntsman International LLC has sought the approval of its lenders pursuant to extend the Company’s $400 million revolving credit facility through September 30, 2008, to borrow an additional $100 million under the term loan facility, bringing the outstanding amount under the term loan facility to $1.34 billion, and to extend the term of the term loan facility to December 31, 2010.
The incremental term loan proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include the construction of the low-density polyethylene facility at the Company’s Wilton, U.K. site, which is currently under consideration.
Comments: LDPE markets have realized higher operating rates in the last decade due to a tight supply-demand balance. In North America, there have been no grassroots LDPE plants since the 1980s. This has helped maintain higher operating rates for LDPE. Owing to these reasons LDPE markets have been highly profitable and any capacity additions have been closely monitored.
During the beginning of the year 2003 Huntsman had announced that it was planning to decide by April 2003 to add a 400 KT LDPE plant at Wilton, UK. However, Huntsman was reconsidering its plans because of various factors such as soft global economies, soft LDPE demand, and others. The discipline of bringing new capacities online has been one of the key factors influencing the success of LDPE. After delaying its decision on the LDPE plant till December 2003 Huntsman seems to have decided on adding new capacity and has now made arrangements to finance it.
SABIC to invest US$ 6.4 billion in petrochemical projects
SABIC announced it plans to invest about SR 24 billion (US$ 6.4 billion). The investment plans include:
(1) Construction of new petrochemical plants in Yanbu having a total capacity of 3.8 million MT/year producing ethylene and downstream units including ethylene glycol, polyethylene, and polypropylene products scheduled to come on-stream in 2007,
(2) Expansions at the Eastern Petrochemical Company (SHARQ) adding 2.9 million MT/year of ethylene, polyethylene, and ethylene glycol capacity by 2008,
(3) An additional 1 million MT/year of flat steel products at the Saudi Iron and Steel Company with production scheduled for 2006, and
(4) An additional 1.7 million MT/year of methanol at the Saudi Methanol Company (AR-RAZI) is scheduled for production in the latter half of 2007.
Comments: SABIC continues to strengthen its position in the Middle East as it expands its reach globally. SABIC is currently number two in the world for Ethylene Glycol production and will become number one following the construction. The company is also third in Polyethylene production, sixth in Polypropylene, and fourth in Polyolefins overall. The construction of the new polyolefins facilities is driven by SABIC’s advantaged feedstock position that has allowed it to achieve a low manufacturing cost base for its polyolefins products. The availability of low-cost natural gas coupled with higher natural gas costs in other regions, especially North America, provides a great impetus for SABIC to expand its assets in polyolefins.
Indian Oil Corp. selects Panipat as the location for its naphtha cracker and polymer complex
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd selected Panipat, Haryana as the location for constructing a naphtha cracker and polymer complex.
The total investment in the construction will be approximately Rs. 6300 crore, and the project is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2007. The project envisages setting up of a Naphtha Cracker based on captive utilization of Naphtha from the Panipat, Mathura, and Koyali refineries of Indian Oil, besides other downstream polymer units utilizing the intermediate ethylene and propylene to be generated from the Cracker.
According to the company, the proposed naphtha Cracker complex will be a part of the Corporation’s overall integrated Refinery and Petrochemicals Complex, which includes the PX/PTA and Panipat Refinery expansion projects, which are currently underway. Apart from the Naphtha cracker unit, the project would have associated units like hydrogenation, Butadiene extraction, and Benzene extraction. It would also have a swing unit for the production of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene/High-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE/HDPE), a dedicated HDPE unit, a Poly-propylene unit, and a Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) unit. With a combined investment of over Rs. 20,000 crores, the integrated Refinery and Petrochemicals Complex is Indian Oil’s single largest investment at any single location in the country.
Comments: In the early 1990s the liberalization process began in India and the petrochemical sector was opened for private enterprises aspiring to build new capacities. Reliance Industries was the first company to take advantage of this situation and it began expanding and building new capacities.
In the post-liberalization era, Reliance and IPCL have started building world-scale fully integrated plants. This has been complemented by a continuous but gradual decrease in import duties. Two major projects initiated in this sector include: (1) GAIL and
(2) Haldia Petrochemical Complex (HPC) (jointly promoted by West Bengal Government, Tata Group, and Soros Chatterjee Group (USA)). Other smaller players include Supreme Petrochemicals, Oswal Agro, Finolex, Bindal Agro, Bombay Dyeing, and Polychem.
Indian Oil Corporation is one of the major players in the refining industry. The company seems to be expanding in the downstream area by constructing this petrochemical complex.
Petrobras subsidiary, Petroquisa plans to increase its stake in Petroquimica Triunfo
Petroquisa, the petrochemical subsidiary of Petrobras announced its plans to increase its stake in Petroquimica Triunfo. The company may acquire Petroplastic’s stake in Triunfo increasing its stake. Petrobras plans to acquire 9.8% common stocks for $20.3 million.
Petrobras is dedicating US$1.1 billion in investments to five petrochemical projects in 2004-2007 while Triunfo intends to make US$269mil investments in the same period. Triunfo produces low-density polyethylene and has a capacity of 160,000 MT/year.
Comments: Earlier this year, Petrobras announced its plans to invest a total of $53 billion during the years 2004-2010. The total investment will be split between oil exploration & production (60%), refining & transportation (21%), gas and energy projects (11%), distribution (3%), corporate administration (3%), and petrochemicals (2%). The announced investment plan includes an investment of $1.1 billion to expand its petrochemical operations. This would also include the construction of a $160 million polypropylene plant scheduled for start-up in 2009.
Under its previously announced investment plan, the company is now planning to increase its stake in Petroplastic. Petroquimica Triunfo is jointly owned by Petroplastic, Dow, and Petrobras.
DSM Dyneema invests in the new production line for fiber for medical applications
DSM Dyneema announced the start of construction of a production line for Dyneema® Purity, a high-performance fiber for use in medical applications, such as strong orthopedic sutures and other surgical implants. The production line will be located at DSM Dyneema’s site in Heerlen, the Netherlands, and will serve the global medical device industry. The new line will come on stream in early 2005.
Since Dyneema® Purity is used in medical applications there are specific requirements to be met in its production. To meet these requirements, DSM Dyneema has developed a special version of its proprietary spinning process.
Comments: There have been a series of expansions/investments announced by high-performance fiber producers such as DuPont, Allied Signal, and others. DuPont and Allied Signal both announced the expansion of their respective fibers product lines, Kevlar® and Spectra. DSM Dyneema had also brought online a new facility in Greenville, NC.
The demand for Dyneema polyethylene fibers has been increasing continuously and hence the company is investing in the construction of another facility. For more information on high-performance fibers, please refer to our “Global PO&E – Volume 2- Issues 11 & 12”.
Ticona introduces Riteflex® thermoplastic elastomers for medical, pharmaceutical, and food-contact uses
Ticona, the technical polymers business of Celanese AG, introduced the Riteflex® MT9000 series of copolyester thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) certified for use in drug delivery systems, medical devices, pharmaceutical & other healthcare applications, and food-contact applications.
The series consists of seven grades – Riteflex® TPE MT9635, MT9640, MT9647, MT9655, MT9663, MT9672, and MT9677 – suitable for use in such applications as medical tubing, stoppers, transdermal patches, and intravenous bags. They can be compounded in various FDA-compliant colors.
These TPEs offer a wide range of properties. Riteflex® TPE MT9635 has a Shore D hardness of 35, a flexural modulus of 8,800 PSI, and a melt temperature of 163°C. Riteflex® TPE MT9672 has a Shore D hardness of 72, a flexural modulus of 100,000 PSI, and a melt temperature of 210°C. They also can be sterilized by all common methods from autoclaving to gamma radiation.
The Riteflex® TPE MT9000 series is part of Ticona’s MT medical technology line, which holds resin formulation steady for extended times so devices and packaging will not need to be requalified due to a material change. Ticona MT grades also undergo independent testing for biocompatibility with skin, blood, and tissue, e.g., USP 23 Class VI.
Comments: Ticona was formed in 1960 as a joint venture between Celanese and Hoechst. The company is one of the major suppliers of engineering plastics, with total sales of about EUR 675 million. The several products produced by Ticona include (1) polybutylene terephthalate, (2) cyclic olefin copolymers, (3) ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, (4) polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), (5) thermoplastic elastomers, and (5) others. Ticona is constantly investing in capacity expansions or the development of new grades. In March this year, the company increased production capacity for acetal copolymers and PPS.
Copolyester elastomers are a specialty type of thermoplastic elastomers. Copolyester elastomers possess a continuous two-phase domain structure. The crystalline, short-chain polyester hard segments contribute to the strength and serve as a thermally reversible tie point, while the amorphous soft polyether ester segments account for the elastomeric character of the polymer. The relative proportions of the two components determine the hardness, modulus, melting point, and chemical resistance.
The North American demand for copolyester elastomers is expected to grow at 4.6% per annum for the next five years. Chemical Market Resources, Inc recently published a multiclient study on “Worldwide Flexible Polymers – 2003-2008” containing detailed chapters on COPE and TPE. For more information on copolyester elastomers, kindly contact Chemical Market Resources, Inc at 281-333-3313.
Lanxess to construct polyamides and PBT compounding plant in China
Lanxess announced its plans to construct a plant in China to produce PA and PBT compounds. Lanxess is the plastics company to be spun off by Bayer. The plant is scheduled to come on stream in 2006.
According to Lanxess, the locally available polymer will be used in the plant – which will produce un-reinforced, mineral-filled and glass-fiber reinforced PA6, PA66, and PBT compounds.
Comments: Lanxess is taking advantage of the explosive growth experienced by China in recent years. Lanxess is planning to construct a compounding facility to produce PA and PBT compounds.
Nylons are melt-processible thermoplastics whose chain structures feature repeating amide groups. There are two general classes of nylons: (1) Nylon 6 – a condensation polymer of amino caprolactam and (2) Nylon 6,6 – a condensation polymer of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine. Other commercial nylons made from combinations of hexamethylenediamine and azelaic, sebacic, or dodecane dioic acids are types – 6/9, 6/10, and 6/12 respectively. Nylon 11 and 12 are also made by addition reactions. While there is a large range of nylons that can be made, the bulk of the commercial volume comes from the two major types 6 and 6/6.
PBT is semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyester. PBT is formed by the trans-esterification reaction of dimethyl terephthalate and 1,4-butanediol. The product is raised to the desired molecular weight through subsequent post-condensation. Most PBT is compounded with a variety of additives to produce resins with a wide range of end-use properties. These resins are sold in the form of pellets.
Thermoplastics can be divided into three major categories based on price and performance including (1) volume thermoplastics, (2) engineering thermoplastics, and (3) high-temperature engineering thermoplastics. Nylon and PBT fall under engineering thermoplastics. These materials typically have a price range between $1-2 per pound and perform superior to volume thermoplastics but inferior to high-temperature engineering thermoplastics. The exhibit shows the positioning of different thermoplastics relative to each other.
Shell joint venture completes construction of a plant for Corterra® polymers
PTT PolyCanada LP announced the completion of the construction of the first poly trimethylene (PTT) polymer plant. Production is expected to begin at the plant in the fourth quarter of 2004. PTT PolyCanada is a 50/50 limited partnership of Shell Chemicals Canada Ltd. and Investissements Petrochimie (2080) Inc. (a subsidiary of SGF Chimie).
CORTERRA Polymer is a thermoplastic polymer derived from 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and terephthalic acid and can be spun into both fibers and yarns. The new plant is located in Montreal, Canada, and has a capacity of 95,000 MT/year of polymer. Its output is primarily targeted for the carpet and textile market in North America. The project value is estimated at over US$100 million. The plant will create about 100 direct and indirect jobs and create 1,000 jobs during the construction phase. The primary feedstocks for PTT polymer are PDO and purified terephthalic acid (PTA). The PTA will come from an SGF/Interquisa plant nearby. An affiliate within Shell Chemicals will supply PDO from its Geismar, Louisiana plant.
Comments: Shell started the production of Corterra® polymers in 1996 at its facility located in Point Pleasant, WV having a capacity of about 12 million pounds per year. Corterra polymers based on poly trimethylene terephthalate are specialty polyesters mainly used in textile applications and mainly compete with nylons. The major attributes of these polymers include the chemical resistance characteristics of polyester and the elastic recovery of nylon. The company then constructed another plant in 1999 having a capacity of 200 million pounds at Geismar, LA.
The major hurdle in the commercialization of PTT polymers was the production of 1,3-propanediol which is one of the important raw materials for the production of these polymers. However, several producers including DuPont, Degussa, and Shell can commercially produce PDO using various raw materials such as acrolein, and ethylene oxide hydroformylation. Shell has formed alliances with several companies such as KoSa, and Sunkyong Industries for the development of markets for Corterra polymers.
Rohm & Haas awarded polymer R&D grant by National Institute of Standards
Rohm and Haas (R&H) announced the receiving of a $2-million grant from the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Advanced Technology Program for the development of a family of high-performance acrylic polymers and copolymers.
According to the company, it plans to work with researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena) on a new platform for catalytic polymerizations that will allow the molecular control of the polymers’ architecture, including the placement of polar groups.
Comments: One of the major drawbacks of polyolefins is their lack of polarity. Historically incorporating an acid moiety onto the polyolefin chain has been the only possible route to achieve polarity. Of all the acids attempted so far (more than 500 of them, only acrylic and methacrylic acid moieties were found effective). Rohm & Haas is actively involved in the development of acrylic polymers and copolymers. The company’s acrylic-based products participate in several end-use markets such as coatings (architectural, powder, automotive, and functional), adhesives & sealants, plastic additives, consumer products, building & construction, and others.
One of the drawbacks of NIST programs is that the organizations have to share the development process and the results with the universities and public institutions. Historically, commercialization of such developments had been fraught with non-exclusivity, lack of speed to market; lax intellectual property issues. – A classic example of recent times is the development of Amoco’s Elastomeric Homopolymer polypropylene.
London Metal Exchange announces detailed plastics contract specifications
The London Metal Exchange (LME) provided the detail of the contract specifications for polypropylene and linear low-density polyethylene – the two plastics contracts to be traded on the LME. The specifications were released as part of the launch process and to ensure that all interested parties, producers, consumers, traders, and LME members can ready themselves for the contract launch.
According to LME, the plastics industry and the Exchange’s membership will find value in the launch of specifications as it will allow them to organize the resources in anticipation of the launch.
Comments: London Metal Exchange is completing all the necessary steps before launching the exchange for commercial transactions. Providing detailed contract specifications is one of the important steps in the tedious process of launching the exchange.
The online trading of plastics was attempted several times in the past. Plastic trading did not succeed in the past because virgin plastics meet less than 10% of the required characteristics for successful e-commerce trading. The characteristics include (1) low concentration of buyers – Yes; (2) a high number of dispersed suppliers – No; (3) a high number of intermediaries – No; (4) standardized products – No; (5) high number of transactions/customers – No: (6) high repeat trades – No; (7) customer service low/non-existent – No; (8) frequent excess capacity – No; (9) unpredictable demand – No; and (10) low brand name impact – No.
Just compare the successful e-trading in commodities and/or travel services.
Dow to close and restructure a site in Sarnia, Canada
Dow Chemical Canada Inc. announced its plans to close the Epoxy plant which produces DERAKANE® epoxy vinyl ester resins, located in Sarnia, Ontario, on August 1, 2004. In addition to and consistent with global restructuring efforts within the company, the site will be reviewed to ensure the most competitive structure.
Closure of the plant and a review of site infrastructure – functions and processes – means there will be significant changes. The reduction of 50-70 wage and salaried jobs will occur in 2004. Dow plans to use its Relationship by Objectives (Dow/Union) process within the parameters of the recent Collective Agreement to address early retirements in a top-down order that will minimize job loss. In addition, Dow will be maximizing redeployment opportunities and retirements which should also minimize job loss.
Comments: Dow Chemical Canada enjoyed its importance when it was an independent group in Canada. Since Canada was included in the North America group, it lost its importance – just like Dow Chemical Mexico of the early 80s. In spite of its being located in Canada, the NAFTA inclusion made Canada and Mexico smaller than some of the major states in the continental United States.
New barrier films for blister packaging developed by Tekni-Plex
Tekni-Plex announced the launch of a new range of thermoformable films for blister packaging. The new products, sold under the Tekniflex® brand are the first to combine Topa’s cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), supplied by Ticona, and polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE). According to the company, the films are thin and offer high moisture barrier properties.
In addition, pairing Topas COC and PCTFE allows the overall thickness of the film to be reduced with no loss in moisture barrier. Tekniflex COC-PCTFE grades are available with PCTFE thicknesses of 10 to 100 microns and COC thicknesses of 200, 250, 300, and 350 microns.
Comments: The most common materials used in blister packaging include PVC, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PETG, and styrenics to a certain extent. The major applications of blister packs include the packaging of various products such as tools, hardware, small appliances, pharmaceutical products, food products, and others. The major technical requirements for a plastic material to be used in this application include (1) FDA compliance, (2) gel freedom, (3) high melt strength, (4) clarity, (5) no sagging properties, (6) dimensional stability, (7) impact strength, and (8) others. Traditional blister films combine a relatively thick layer of PVC or PET that has excellent thermoforming properties with a relatively thin layer of a barrier polymer like PCTFE or polyvinylidene chloride.
Siam Cement Group to increase its stake in PVC producer Thai Plastic and Chemicals by 10%
Siam Cement Group (SCG) announced its plans to invest Bt1.6 billion to raise its stake in PVC producer Thai Plastic and Chemicals (TPC) by 10.14%.
SCG entered into a share purchase agreement to buy 8.875 million TPC shares from Thasco Chemical at Bt180 each. Thasco Chemical is a primary shareholder of TPC as well as a subsidiary of Asahi Glass. Upon the completion of the transaction, Siam Cement’s stake in the PVC producer will increase from 26.13 % to 36.27 %. When combined with shares held by CPB Equity, a subsidiary of Crown Property Bureau, Siam Cement’s major shareholder, the collective holding of the two groups amounts to 57.22 per cent.
TPC is the country’s largest producer of PVC, one of the most versatile plastics in the world with major applications in the construction industry. Petrochemical is one of Siam Cement Group’s core businesses, which also includes cement, building materials, and paper and packaging.
Comments: The demand for PVC is increasing in Asia Pacific, especially in China. Due to the increasing demand, the prices for PVC have also increased. In order to benefit from the growing demand for PVC, Siam Cement Group has made a strategic decision to increase its stake in the PVC producer Thai Plastics and Chemicals.
Laser-catalyzed route to produce polyethylene developed
Research scientists from the University of Florence’s European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy announced the development of a high-pressure process to produce crystalline polyethylene (PE) using only laser light as the catalyst. The scientists claim that the high yield and crystallinity of the resulting polymer, as well as the simplicity of the process, makes it appealing for large-scale applications.
Olefins can be polymerized at extremely high pressures, but the procedure usually results in amorphous materials consisting of highly branched polymers whereas the use of laser light as a catalyst requires much lower pressure, resulting in the formation of perfectly crystalline PE. The reaction proceeds via a photon absorption process that results in a change in molecular geometry, favoring the production of linear polymer chains.
According to scientists, the process not only produces materials with improved properties but also eliminates catalyst use and disposal. The complete transformation of the monomer into a high-quality crystalline polymer, and the simple reaction conditions of high pressure and optical catalysis make this method extremely effective for chemistry with reduced environmental impact.
Comments: Polyolefins are the plastics of the future and new developments and innovations will constantly bring new ideas and opportunities
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