Small player in a large market speaks in a loud voice.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Audi in Germany has selected a new Softell PP copolymer compound from LyondellBasell (U.S. office in Wilmington, Del.) for the rear inner door panel of its new A1 model.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: LyondelBasell (U.S. office in Wilmington, Del.) is introducing three new LDPE and HDPE grades that reportedly outperform industry standards used in cables.

The footprint of thermoplastic materials suppliers at this year’s NPE is going to be fainter than usual.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Two new LDPE resins for injection and blow molded packaging have been introduced globally by LyondellBasell Industries, Wilmington, Del.

A new metallocene PP copolymer for extrusion blow and injection-blow molding is said to combine the clarity and gloss of PET.

An excellent combination of ESCR and stiffness is claimed for a new HDPE for blow molding personal-care and detergent containers and toys.

WEB EXCLUSIVE LyondellBasell Industries, Wilmington, Del., has formed a global business team dedicated to healthcare applications, and claims this is a first for a polyolefins supplier.

Hostalen 4731B HDPE is the latest trimodal HDPE from LyondellBasell in the Netherlands.

A new family of metallocene-based PP copolymers reportedly offers unprecedented “glass-like” clarity similar to PC and PETG, along with good physical properties and processability.

Dutch-based LyondellBasell announced early last month that it had voluntarily filed to reorganize its U.S. operations (headquartered in Wilmington, Del.) under Chapter 11 of the U.S.

A family of HDPE resins boasts improved resistance to bio-diesel fuels and is poised for use by makers of automotive fuel tanks.

The first two of a new family of propylene-butene plastomers is said to feature outstanding compatibility with PP for improving the flexibility, softness, toughness, transparency, and stress-whitening of PP or TPOs.

A developmental metallocene-based PP copolymer for injection molding is said to provide superior clarity in applications such as food and beverage packaging, food-service trays and covers, drink cups, pitchers, storage containers, CD/DVD cases, and medical devices.

WEB EXCLUSIVE A patented family of HDPE resins boasts improved resistance to bio-diesel fuels and is poised for use by makers of automotive plastic fuel tanks.

WEB EXCLUSIVE A novel family of metallocene-based PP copolymers reportedly offers the ultra-high clarity of amorphous engineering resins such as PC and PETG, along with good physical properties and processing advantages.

A new maleic-anhydride grafted LLDPE adhesive resin is specially designed to for anticorrosion coatings on on oil, gas, and water pipelines.

A new family of PP resins tailored for stretch-blow molding has attained its first commercial uses.

WEB EXCLUSIVE A new family of color masterbatches is formulated for use with medical-grade PE and PP resins sold under the Purell brand name by LyondellBasell, Wilmington, Del.

Olefinic TPEs originally comprised only two classes of rubber-modified polypropylene, known as TPO and TPV. More recently, these have been supplemented by new types of olefinic elastomers that can be used on their own or as the rubber component in TPO/TPV compounds. Additionally, a small handful of specialty TPEs using olefinic matrices occupy niche applications.

An unusual soft-touch polypropylene material is about to make its first appearance in auto interior components.

WEB EXCLUSIVE — Two new high-performance PP resins, one for multilayer food packaging, the other for transparent cast film applications such as retortable pouches, are available from LyondellBasell Industries (formerly Basell), Wilmington, Del.

The recently completed merger of Basell Polyolefins in The Netherlands and Houston-based Lyondell Chemical Co. has resulted in the formation of LyondellBasell Industries, the world’s third largest independent chemical company.

A family of patented HDPE resins for automotive fuel tanks boasts enhanced resistance to bio-diesel fuels.

Custom backlighting with color-converting plastics and robotic extrusion of door seals won two categories of the 37th Innovation Awards presented in November by the SPE Automotive Div.

Two new polyolefins designed to help downgauge packaging were featured at the K 2007 show in Dusseldorf by Basell Polyolefins (soon to become LyondellBasell Industries), Wilmington, Del.

Basell Polyolefins in the Netherlands (U.S. office in Wilmington, Del.) has agreed to buy Solvay Engineered Polymers, Inc., Auburn Hills, Mich., a leading supplier of TPOs and TPVs.

Improved clarity and cost competitiveness, added to its inherent heat resistance, are reviving OPP’s prospects in hot-fill barrier containers. But hot-fill PET containers are raising the bar with higher productivity and ‘panel-less’ bottle designs.

A new family of Adsyl PP sealing resins from Basell North America, Wilmington, Del., is designed to run on the latest generation of high-speed BOPP film lines.

Basell North America moved last month from Elkton, Md., back to Wilmington, Md., which was its former headquarters location.

A new freezer-grade PP has made its U.S. debut in ice cream packaging.

Alastian, the online business channel of Basell of the Netherlands (U.S. office in Elkton, Md.), has expanded its offerings to include more than 60 high-volume PP and PE grades.

Two specialty, high-purity LDPE resins for medical blown fi lms reportedly surpass the performance of standard grades.

Basell North America Inc. will move its headquarters from Elkton, Md., to a new site this year.

A new HMW-HDPE for injection molding components of automotive fuel tanks is said to provide better mechanical properties than other commercial grades and outstanding environmental stresscrack resistance (ESCR). Available from Basell Polyolefi ns, Elkton, Md., Lupolen 4261A IM also reportedly is compatible with HDPE grades used for the tank shell.

A new polypropylene impact copolymer reportedly offers high transparency, a wide processing window, and good stiffness for sheet used in form-fi ll-seal (FFS) packaging trays.

Long-glass reinforcements and structural blow molding accounted for four of this year’s nine SPE Automotive Innovation Awards, presented last month in Detroit.

From PPs for frozen-food packaging to nylons and alloys that withstand the heat of circuit-board soldering or automotive paint ovens, NPE 2006 was rich in news of commodity and engineering resins and TPEs.

Fewer thermoplastic materials suppliers will make the trip to Chicago this year.

Basell of the Netherlands (U.S. office in Elkton, Md.) will become a participating producer in the global PE and PP futures market hosted by the London Metals Exchange (LME) in the U.K. “Basell has been following the LME activity closely over recent months, and liquidity is growing slowly,” said Hans-Robert Schmidt, senior v.p. of Basell Polyolefins in Europe. “As one of the major producers of polyolefins, the time is now right to list.” Schmidt explained that this move “is consistent with our view that a shorter-dated contract, a spot marker, is a vital ingredient for the LME’s plastics contract to work effectively.

What’s new in plastics on cars?

The advance of TPOs into new interior and exterior automotive applications was the theme of the latest annual Automotive TPO Global Conference, sponsored by the Society of Plastics Engineers in Dearborn, Mich.

Nano-sized particles have mega-potential in plastics because just a pinch does so much more than heavy loadings of other additives. Three recent conferences presented almost 200 papers on the feverish pace of ‘nano’ R&D on boosting plastics’ mechanical and barrier properties, flame retardancy, and electrical conductivity.

Quite a few new polyolefins are being featured at this year’s show, with a particular emphasis on specialty PP and PE materials.

Maybe this time the often-predicted breakthrough will actually occur. What could make the difference are improved resins, clarifiers, and machinery.

Whether it’s toughness, stiffness, heat resistance, clarity, barrier properties, high flow, or high melt strength—you’ll find more of what you’re looking for in new breeds of PP resins from all suppliers.

To succeed in Detroit, it’s not enough for polypropylene-based TPO elastomers to be low-cost, lightweight, easily processable, and recyclable. They also have to look good for the life of the vehicle.

 New styles of resin reactors don’t come along very often.

Two new lines of polypropylene resins from Basell North America challenge PS, PET, PVC, and other PPs for clear, rigid packaging.

New materials at NPE 2003 target automotive, appliance, and packaging sectors. Engineering thermoplasticsdominate the news, but there were also severalnew TPEs and a few polypropylene introductions.

Food and consumer packaging was the focus of new developments in polyolefins and styrenics, while automotive was the main target for new engineering materials.

This year’s show will present such a large number of new polymer additives that only a few categories can be covered this month: antioxidants, halogen and non-halogen flame retardants, PVC heat stabilizers, and impact modifiers. Next month, we’ll report on new uv stabilizers, colorants, additive concentrates, lubricants, and more.

New materials at K 2001 are weighted heavily toward the engineering variety, especially nylons, acetals, and TP polyesters. A large handful of polypropylenes round out the major news.

The Hivalloy line of in-reactor grafted alloys of polypropylene and amorphous resins from Montell Polyolefins, Wilmington, Del., is expanding its market reach with new grades, new developmental alloy families, and dramatic new applications. Besides injection molding, developing applications now include thermoformed sheet and even barrier packaging films.