Materials
PE, PP Prices Firming, Others Soften
Polyolefin prices appear to have bottomed out, with flat-to-upward pricing expected, while PS and PVC prices are likely to flatten. Prices of ABS, PC, and nylons are soft and going nowhere in the near future.
Read MoreA. Schulman to Acquire Network Polymers
Acquisition expected to be completed in the next few months.
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Modifying PVC with Bio-Based PHA Rubber
A new class of renewable and very efficient multifunctional modifiers for PVC has been developed at Metabolix. This series of biobased PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) copolymers offers toughening, plasticization, and improved processing of all types of PVC compounds. They also have good UV stability and transparency, do not promote biodegradation, and are fungi resistant.
Read MorePET Bottle Resin Prices Drop 7¢/Lb
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Prices of PET bottle grades have dropped an average of 7¢ since March, which puts them 8¢ below last year’s average prices.
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PP, PS Prices Drop; Others Soften
Polypropylene prices have dropped significantly and may have hit bottom, while PE prices flattened out and face downward pressure from increased supplier inventories, lower feedstock prices, and soft demand.
Read MoreNew Firm Offers PVC Compounds Free of Phthalates & Heavy Metals
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Axiall Corp., Atlanta, the new company that resulted earlier this year from the merger or Georgia Gulf and PPG Industries’ commodities chemicals business, has developed flexible and rigid PVC compounds that replace phthalates and heavy-metal stabilizers with organic alternatives.
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PE, PVC Prices Up; PP, PS Softening
Polyethylene and PVC prices moved up, while PP and PS prices were headed down by the end of the first quarter and into April.
Read MoreBorealis Acquires LLDPE & Plastomer Lines From DSM and ExxonMobil
Acquisition consists of DSM’s Stamylex LLDPE brand name and product line and ExxonMobil’s Exact metallocene plastomer products.
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First PVC Long-Fiber Composites Debut
SolVin has developed technology that allows production of what are said to be the world’s first PVC long- or continuous-fiber composites.
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Dimensional Stability after Molding—Part 5
All materials possess a property called the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The vast majority of materials increase in size as their temperature increases and decrease in size as their temperature declines.
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