Accella Renames Its Main Business Units

Accella to Rebrand Main Operating Units as of 2016

Accella Performance Materials announced that as of 1 January 2016, it will rebrand its main operating units, including IPS Polymer Systems, MarChem, Arnco Performance Polymers, Premium Spray Products and Burtin Polymer Laboratories, as Accella Polyurethane Systems. The company's ArncoPathway and Zeus Tire Fill business units will assume the name Accella Tire Fill Systems.

New COO and Board Member at Alfa Klebstoffe: Bänninger

Christian Bänninger, 29, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Alfa Klebstoffe AG and has joined the Board of Directors. With this appointment, the third generation of the Simmler and Bänninger families has entered the management of the Swiss adhesive manufacturer. The grandson of the company founder, who has worked for Alfa Klebstoffe for seven years, has been supporting the company as Deputy Director of the research and development division. In this new role, Bänninger has also assumed responsibility for the management of business processes and services. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thomas Simmler stated: "With this step we are strengthening our commitment to operating Alfa Klebstoffe AG as an independent family company in the long term."

New BASF Headquarters Complex with PU Floor Coating

BASF's new headquarters building utilized the company's own PU solutions for floor coverings. BASF specified that Ucrete polyurethane concrete was selected for 1,400 m² of the building's flooring in areas subject to particularly heavy wear, such as work rooms, storage areas and machinery rooms. Approximately 2,700 m² of corridors and storage areas were coated with MasterTop 1324 polyurethane system, which BASF describes as "particularly durable". The machinery room floor was finished with epoxy resin system MasterTop 1273 S, and the quiet room with elastic PU floor coating MasterTop 1325.

Honeywell Wins Green Building Product Award

Honeywell announced that one of its new insulation materials with low global warming potential was selected by green building information provider BuildingGreen for the "2016 BuildingGreen Top 10 Green Building Products" category. Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA), used in energy-efficient polyurethane foam insulation, was among the award winners during the 2015 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.

Baalbaki Expands with New Plant in UAE

Baalbaki Chemical Industries (BCI), a manufacturer of polyurethane systems, polyester polyols and specialty adhesives, has opened a new polyester and pre-polymer production facility in the Hamriyah Free Zone in the UAE. With this new facility, the company plans to increase its production capacity for specialty polyurethane systems and food packaging adhesives as well as polyester polyol production. BCI Holding Chairman Hassane Baalbaki stated that this new facility will enable BCI to efficiently serve the GCC region, the Indian subcontinent and South East Asian markets. In April 2015, BCI announced that its new polyester and pre-polymer production facilities in the UAE were operating at full capacity. This new facility will add 40,000 t/year of aromatic/aliphatic polyester polyol and isocyanate pre-polymer capacity to BCI's existing facilities in Egypt. The new production facility is located on a 30,000 m² industrial property with more than 15,000 m² of covered space in the Hamriyah Free Zone. BCI stated that this development represents an important step in the group's capacity to serve its growing customers in the GCC, Pakistan, Iran, India and South East Asia with rigid, specialty moulded and shoe polyurethane systems as well as aromatic and aliphatic polyester polyols, alongside specialty adhesives for the flexible packaging industry.

Sapici to Distribute Aliphatic Polyisocyanates from Wanhua

Italian company Sapici and Chinese Wanhua Chemical Group have signed a contract based on cooperation for the distribution of aliphatic polyisocyanates and tolling in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets. Under this contract, Sapici will warehouse and distribute Wanhua's polyisocyanate (HDI trimer and HDI biuret) portfolio in the EMEA region. Additionally, Wanhua will have access to Sapici's production capacities and technical resources.

TPI and Vestas Sign Wind Turbine Blade Supply Contract for Turkey

TPI Composites, Inc., a global wind turbine blade supplier, announced that it has signed a multi-year supply contract with Vestas Wind Systems A/S. Under this contract, TPI will supply blades for the V126 wind turbine from its second facility in Izmir, which it recently introduced and is scheduled to begin production in late 2016. The facility, to be built on a 10-hectare site, will initially have a width of 30,000 m² with provision for future expansion.

Sipchem and RESINEX Reach Agreement on PBT Marketing in Europe

Saudi Arabian company Sipchem (Saudi International Petrochemical Company) and European plastics and rubber distributor RESINEX have reached an agreement on joint launch and marketing of Sipchem virgin PBT resin in Europe. The product portfolio includes MFR values (250°C/1.6 kg) with high-viscosity and super EasyFlow grades ranging between 11 and 200 g/10 min.