Russian LLDPE plant goes from strength to strength

13 Aug 2010 • by Natalie Aster

Leading Russian polymer manufacturer Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNH) has begun producing LLDPE for the first time since the launch of a polyolefins plant in Nizhnekamsk back in February.

Since July, Nizhnekamsk-based NKNH has turned out a range of four LLDPE grades used to make rigid and regular films, general purpose flat die film, package inserts and stretch film products, it said.

The firm has also launched a special grade, PE 5118Q, which makes use of co-monomers such as buten-1 and hexene-1. The grade is intended for the manufacture of high-strength stretch film to compete with stretch film made using just buten-1. NKNH expects this grade will snatch Russian market share away from special imported products.

The 230,000 tpa plant in Nizhnekamsk, which now produces 10 HDPE grades for use in pipe/tube manufacture, has already turned out 60,000 tonnes of high and Linear Low Density Polyethylene polymers. The facility employs LyondellBasell's Spherilene process technology.

A year ago, NKNH became Russia's top producer of polystyrene when it commissioned its third PS manufacturing line. Today, it produces more than 70% of the polymer used in the country.

Despite its bold expansion plans, which this year also envisage the addition of plants to manufacture ABS and EPS and the upgrade and enlargement of its ethylene capacity, the firm has felt the draught of global recession.

NKNH has seen prices of its product range fall as a result of the crisis and has introduced counter measures aimed at lowering its production costs and improving the efficiency of its management structure, it reported.

Source: European Plastics

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