Polyurethanes
Overview
Polyurethanes are a feature of everyday life. They’re present in our furniture, bedding, clothes, shoes, buildings, and cars. The journey from base chemicals such as propylene or benzene to end-use polyurethanes involves multiple steps and chemical products. Argus can help you to navigate this complex and volatile value chain and make better commercial decisions around sales, marketing, distribution and procurement.
Argus’ polyurethanes services give you in-depth global and regional pricing insight, including feedstock analysis, in single, concise and integrated reports. In addition to pricing, you get access to global industry news and analysis of key economic drivers on a weekly basis. We cover isocyanates, propylene oxide, propylene glycols and polyols.
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Latest polyurethanes news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global polyurethanes industry.
Life-cycle analysis crucial for PU foam: Vita Group
Life-cycle analysis crucial for PU foam: Vita Group
Amsterdam, 24 April (Argus) — Life cycle analysis data is crucial in considering sustainability, UK-based polyurethane foam producer Vita Group chief technical officer Mike Murray told the Utech Europe conference in Maastricht today. "Life cycle analysis is the only normalised and scientific method to validate how sustainable your product is," he said. "If you don't have verified data, you are guessing." "Life cycle analysis reflects all of the environmental and material impacts through your supply chain," he said, including raw materials, manufacturing, waste products, transport and through to recycling or disposal at the end of the life cycle. "It is possible to make PU flexible foam more sustainable," Murray said, but only by working with a wide network of supply chain partners, customers and legislators. "We can no longer achieve emissions reductions on our own… we have to achieve those emissions targets by working together," he said. "As an industry we need to demonstrate that commitment to [the circular economy]. We have a choice between leading the advanced composites market in the circular economy, or wait for legislation to drive the change," he said. "We can't wait for the legislation." Flexible polyurethane foam industry association Europur is working on a life cycle analysis model for the industry "so where we generate and share data, we are doing so on the same basis," Murray said today. Options for more sustainability for PU foam include mechanical recycling, the use of bio-based polyols, and chemical recycling. But for bio-based polyols, "When we look at those we should be looking at the life cycle analysis," Murray said. Vita's analysis indicates that its flexible PU foam has a lower carbon impact across its life cycle than competing products "but that is not how people talk about PU foam," Murray said. Verified data from those competing sectors is "still lagging", he said. Going forward, the PU foam industry must lead the legislation discussion and "take a science-based approach to really show our commitment to the journey we are on," he said. By Laura Tovey-Fall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Turkey becomes biggest EMEA PU producer in 2023
Turkey becomes biggest EMEA PU producer in 2023
Amsterdam, 23 April (Argus) — Turkey has become the biggest polyurethane producer in the EMEA region, overtaking Poland in 2023, flexible polyurethane foam industry association Europur said today at the Utech Europe conference in Maastricht. The EMEA region's polyurethane (PU) production fell by 2.9pc to 5.9mn t in 2023, after having fallen by 5.1pc in 2022, consulting firm IAL said at the conference. Within that, output from western Europe, the largest producing region, fell most, while production in the Middle East grew well from a small base. Overall regional production is expected to be flat this year, IAL said. PU flexible foam makes up around 33pc of the market in the EMEA region, IAL said, with rigid foam making up another 33pc. Elastomers, coatings, adhesives, sealants and binders make up the remainder. The European PU flexible slabstock foam market is set to fall by 10pc this year, Europur president Bart ten Brink said, driven by a drop in consumer demand for furniture and mattresses. But Argus has learned that early indicators suggest that the fall in demand may stabilise in the second half of the year, slowing the downward trend. Price instability in Europe has increased the shift away from Europe and towards China, ten Brink said. "We as an industry need stability in terms of supply and price," making an appeal to the upstream for more stability. By Catherine Rabe and Laura Tovey-Fall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Mideast petchem firms break ground on China, Qatar JVs
Mideast petchem firms break ground on China, Qatar JVs
Singapore, 21 February (Argus) — Key Middle East petrochemical producers broke ground on new joint venture (JV) petrochemical complexes this week in China and Qatar. In China, Saudi Arabian state-controlled Sabic and China's Fujian Energy and Petrochemical group broke ground on construction of the Sabic Fujian Petrochemical Complex at Gulei Petrochemical Industrial Park in Fujian province. The complex will have a cracker producing 1.8mn t/yr of ethylene, with downstream units producing polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene glycol and polycarbonate. Commercial operations are slated to begin in the second half of 2026. Sabic Industrial Investment Company has a 51pc stake in the venture, and Fujian Fuhua Gulei Petrochemical owns the remaining 49pc. In Qatar, state-owned QE and US-based CPChem broke ground on a PE complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City. QE owns 70pc and CPChem the remaining 30pc. The site will have an ethane cracker that can produce 2.08mn t/yr of ethylene. It also includes two downstream high density polyethylene (HDPE) units with a combined capacity of 1.68mn t/yr. The producers expect commercial operations to begin in late 2026. CPChem and QE are also building an integrated polymers facility in Orange, Texas through their Golden Triangle Polymers venture. This facility will include an ethane cracker that can produce 2.08mn t/yr and two 1mn t/yr HDPE units. CPChem owns a 51pc stake and QE the remaining 49pc. Joint ventures have become a popular option for global petrochemical producers looking to expand their reach, as they can help better manage risks associated with fluctuating regional demand, volatile feedstock costs and supply chain uncertainties. Mergers are also being considered. Austria's OMV is in negotiations with the Abu Dhabi's state-controlled Adnoc for a potential consolidation of their polyolefins businesses . This could create a single entity with PE and PP sales volumes exceeding 8mn t/yr. By Matthew Rajendra Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Turkey’s appliance sales drop in 2023 on lower exports
Turkey’s appliance sales drop in 2023 on lower exports
London, 1 February (Argus) — Sales of white goods produced by major production base Turkey fell in 2023, Turkish white goods manufacturers association (Turkbesd) said. Total sales were around 33mn units, down by 4.1pc year on year, while production fell by 1.4pc to 32.4mn units. Within that, exports fell to 23.2mn units, down by 10pc in 2023 compared with a year earlier. This drop was partially offset by a 14.4pc year on year increase in domestic sales to 9.5mn units. The white goods sector is a key demand channel for isocyanates into rigid foams for the manufacture of appliances. Turkbesd's sales figures include the six main product categories of refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and ovens. By Laura Tovey-Fall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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