UHMW-PE capacity in U.S. increased by 15000 tons annually by Celanese

Celanese announced this massive increase to be completed by 2022.  Increased demand for  Electric Vehicle (EV) battery separator plates is driving this need. Celanese last increased capacity in 2017 and  this expansion will raise their capacity to 120,000 t/y. EV demand is estimated to grow 25% through 2025.

Clear barrier applications growing

Delta Airlines announces ” 2600 plexiglass shields in place throughout your journey”. Plaskolite running at capacity although expecting slowing as market becoming saturated. Growing market is maintenance (using proper cleaners) and replacement of clear MMA & PC sheet.

Plaskolite adds antimicrobial coating to its barrier sheet -called AMGARD

Plaskolite just announced the availability of an antimicrobial coating for its MMA, PC and PETG sheet used in coronavirus barrier applications.  Trademarked AMGARD, it is touted as an additional safeguard to protect infection prevention applications from being contaminated especially when continual cleaning is not practical.

Resin Production and Pricing at halfway 2020

US resin production to fall 6% in 2020, rebounding in 2021 by increasing 13 %, year over year. Prices of volume resins bottom out. Increased exports, higher prices for feed stocks, and a slow ramp up of production of industrial goods are projected  to stabilize  resin prices, Upward pressure on PE and PC seems certain. … Read more

Plexiglass with 2 ss’s helps defeat Covid-19

Much is reported, and in fact now being seen  universally,  about “Infection Protection” barriers and dividers made from “Plexiglass” as this pseudo mark is referred to. Some background: Originally trademarked Plexiglas® in 1933 by Rohm und Haas in Germany, now owned by Arkema France. First used as a glass substitute; one of the first applications … Read more

SIMONA acquires PMC ( Premier Material Concepts )

PMC is an extruder of sheet products for primarily thermoformed products made of ABS and PVC/Acrylic. and TPO and combinations of these materials. PMC was formerly PE company owned. Integrated with its Boltaron subsidiary this new SIMONA entity will continue its growth in the U.S., it’s second largest market.

Infection Protection…continued

In an interview with Forbes, Mitch Grindley, Plaskolite’s Executive Chairman, reports their ramped up production was extruding enough acrylic sheet to be used for over 200,000 barriers back in March-April, 2020 with current revenue up 6- fold while current deliveries running about 15 weeks Lucite International has been supplying polymer at record volumes to Plaskolite. … Read more

Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (MCAM) renames some Quadrant products

MCAM, as part of its acquisition of Quadrant in 2013, and the renaming of Quadrant to MCAM as of 2019, has rebranded some products. PPS and Polysulfone polymers in semi finished shape forms are now called “Sultron”.   PC, Polymethylpentene and PPO are newly named “Altron”and “Flextron“.  Nylon 6/6 once again called “Nylatron“

“PLexiglass Is the New Hot Commodity…Wall St. Journal”

Clear acrylic sheet is especially coveted now as clear dividers are being installed at checkout counters, restaurant tables, assembly lines and many other spaces where people interact in public. According to the WSJ, a  Dallas area school; district ordered 30,000 sheets from Plaskolite, whose experiencing a 50% increase in business that is directly related to … Read more

Infection Protection

Acrylic sheet is everywhere it seems. Almost universally,  its recently being  called Plexiglass by most of the pr  eess. Barriers between office desks, bathroom stall and sink separators, in restaurants separating booths, in nail salons, movie theaters, on airliners and of course at retail points of sale. The list of applications will be virtually endless. … Read more

Total Plastics acknowledged by Michigan Gov. Whitmer

Total Plastics (TPI) producing tens of thousands of PETG face shields per day, supplying hospitals nationally. They have already shipped over 3 million. Continuing their Covid-19 response TPI is  gearing up to produce acrylic protective barriers  on a continuing basis to , retail stores, schools and corporate offices, according to Tom Garrett, Pres. TPI. The … Read more

New… Plastics Shapes Industry Heroes

Within the last 45 days (seems a lifetime) , many of our companies and their employees, have suddenly and quickly performed heroic tasks during the current Pandemic. Ramping up production of PET & PC face shields and acrylic barriers & partitions…all providing personal protection against Covid-19 infection. Despite film & sheet sudden shortages, supply chains … Read more

Transparent TP sheet re-discovered during Covid-19 pandemic!

Almost overnight, the globe has discovered MMA; PC & PET sheet & film used as face shield,personal protective barrier  demand & divider shields  grows as exponentially as the virus. Plaskolite instantly sells out is capacity  take a as applications for fighter jet canopies and signage are on hold Fabricators and Distributors are suddenly incredibly inundated with … Read more

The Covid 19 pandemic suddenly changes our world…and industry

Plastics sheet and film suddenly no longer an environmental hazard..but a life saving commodity! Surfaces now inert and virus repelling. Transparent Face shields and dividers protect us from contamination while performing see thru barrier functions. Fabricators  (Modern Plastics in CT, for one) step up voluntarily while fulfilling pipelines as new markets explode!