[News] Advanced HDPE plant brought online

By PlasticsToday Staff Published: August 26th, 2010

Plastics supplier LyondellBasell, just a few months out of Chapter 11 protection, is moving ahead with strategic growth, adding another 320,000 tonnes of HDPE capacity in Europe. Output from the plant is even better than current bi-modal materials, claims the company.

The supplier (Rotterdam, Netherlands) reports the new plant, in Münchsmünster, Germany, uses its Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (ACP) for production of the high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This new plant joins current LyondellBasell plastics plants in Frankfurt and Wesseling, Germany, and a joint venture in Plock, Poland, as all using the Hostalen ACP technology. The new plant has 65 full-time employees.

According to the supplier, Hostalen ACP technology surpasses standard bimodal HDPE performance by producing resins with an advanced toughness/stiffness balance, superior impact resistance, and a higher stress-crack resistance. Typical customer applications include thin-wall packaging, caps and closures, large blow molding and textiles for packaging.

"Multimodal HDPE grades offer significant cost savings through processability improvements, downgauging and energy savings," explained Tassilo Bader, the company's VP for polyethylene and polyolefins Solutions - Europe, Asia and international.
Earlier this week we reported on the company's expansion of its offerings to rotomolders with its launch of two new pre-colored rotational molding resins said to provide good cold temperature impact performance and environmental stress cracking resistance.

After a 15-month reorganization, LyondellBasell emerged from Chapter 11 protection on April 30, 2010, and the company now is working on its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The company had declared bankruptcy on Jan. 6, 2009, pressured by a global contraction in resin demand and the burdensome debt structure that resulted from its creation. While in Ch. 11, it did close some older plants in Europe, including ones in England, Germany, and Italy. —mpweditorial@cancom.com