2002/10/10　Basell

Basell introduces trademark - Spherizone - for new PP manufacturing process

The launch of a trademark -- Spherizone -- for Basell's new breakthrough polypropylene manufacturing technology was announced today at a press conference at the company's Giulio Natta Research Centre.

"With its multi-zone circulating reactor, the Spherizone process is a significant step forward in polymerization technology that generates properties beyond those produced in any other PP manufacturing process," said Anton de Vries, President of Basell Research & Development.

First envisioned in its current layout in 1998, the new technology has moved forward to commercial production in a relatively short period of time. Following testing in Basell's Ferrara pilot plant, the new process has now been commercialised in a 160 KT unit at Brindisi, Italy that came on-stream in August.

"It has been 20 years since Basell's Spheripol technology began to revolutionise the way polypropylene was produced," said de Vries. "There has been a lot of improvement but the basic manufacturing technology has remained the same, a continuous circulating loop encompassing a single polymerisation zone. The multi-zone circulating reactor process changes all that by applying catalytic cracker technology."

The new technology facilitates the improvement of products for traditional market applications such as BOPP film, packaging in general, fibres, consumer goods and the automotive industry as well as for new applications replacing other materials.

"And to think we are really only just getting started with Spherizone," said de Vries

Volker Trautz, Basell's President and Chief Executive Officer, told the gathered journalists, "A constant for Basell is our strong innovation pipeline. In addition to the new Spherizone technology there are other significant platforms that will contribute to future growth."

Three technology platforms highlighted by Trautz from Basell’s extensive technology portfolio were:

The advance technology Catalloy process using new catalyst systems to achieve product properties that range from very soft and flexible to tough and rigid.

The Advanced Cascade Process -- the latest generation of the PE Hostalen Slurry technology.

Metocene resins -- a Basell family of advanced, tailored resins produced with metallocene single-site catalysts that offer excellent transparency and stiffness.

In his remarks, Basell Chief Financial Officer Wolfgang Mende said, "Despite the difficulties we have faced in the market place and in addressing challenges such as severe over-capacity and depressed margins, the bottom line for Basell is this: This merger is proven successful. The merger has delivered ? and is continuing to deliver."

Basell develops, produces and markets polypropylene, polyethylene, advanced polyolefin materials and polyolefin catalysts, and also develops and licenses polyolefin processes. Basell's corporate centre is located in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands; the company has regional offices in Wilmington, Delaware. USA; Brussels, Belgium; Mainz, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Hong Kong, as well as manufacturing facilities and sales offices in the major markets around the globe. Basell’s Internet address is www.basell.com.

2003-10-23 ACW　　　　　　　　　　　　　　発表

Basell to license 'Spherizone' polypropylene technology
http://www.chemweekly.com/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=933&BigClassName=Companies&BigClassID=25&SmallClassID=43&SpecialID=0

Basell, the world's largest producer of polypropylene (PP), announced on Monday that its Spherizone PP process is now available for licensing on a global basis.

A joint venture between Germany's BASF and Anglo-Dutch group Shell, Basell commissioned the first commercial Spherizone process plant in Brindisi, Italy last year. In its first year of operation, the plant has replicated most existing PP grades and is now mapping the new products made possible with the new technology, said Basell.

Although it was unable to quantify the likely revenues from Spherizone or estimate the likely number of PP plants which might adopt the technology, Basell said it was very optimistic about the potential opportunities.

Werner Breuers, president of Basell’s technology business, claimed that Spherizone technology was the most significant breakthrough in PP process technology since the launch of the company's Spheripol process 20 years ago.

"In addition to expanded product capability, the Spherizone process offers the benefit of low capital and operating costs due to its newly patented, multi-zone circulating reactor (MZCR) system," he said.

A spokeswoman for Basell conceded today that Spherizone technology was more expensive to licence than Spheripol. However, she said that Spherizone offered a 30% reduction in energy costs in the polimerisation section and stressed the expanded product range and properties of PP produced with the new technology.

Kaspar Evertz, vice president of Basell’s licensing business, said the new reactor design can produce bi-modal products in a single reactor due to its ability to operate dual phases in a continuously circulating system. "The result is a polymer with extremely uniform properties throughout the reactor."

Basell said that polymer property advantages in rigid packaging applications demonstrated at the Brindisi plant included higher fluidity, better stiffness/impact balance and higher heat deflection temperatures. "Random copolymers exhibit better opticals, softness and low temperature impact resistance," said Evertz.

In addition to Spheripol and Spherizone technologies for PP production, Basell also licenses the following polyethylene (PE) processes:
・ Hostalen - low-pressure slurry process for the production of bimodal high density polyethylene (hdPE).
・ Lupotech T - high pressure tubular reactor process for the production of low density polythylene (ldPE) homopolymers and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)-copolymers.

10 Oct 2003 Basell　

Basell to license new Spherizone technology for polypropylene manufacturing
　　http://www.basell.com/newsDetails/0,2202,1%255F1156,00.html

The Spherizone process, a new manufacturing technology developed by Basell that significantly and uniquely expands the polypropylene property envelope, is now available for license on a global basis, it was announced today.

"Spherizone technology is the most significant breakthrough in polypropylene process technology since the launch of the Spheripol process 20 years ago," said Werner Breuers, president of Basell’s Technology Business. "In addition to expanded product capability, the Spherizone process offers the benefit of low capital and operating costs due to its newly patented, multi-zone circulating reactor system."

Basell started up the first commercial Spherizone process plant in Brindisi, Italy in 2002. In its first year of operation, the plant has replicated most existing polypropylene grades and is now mapping the new products made possible with the new technology.

"The new reactor design can produce bi-modal products in a single reactor due to its ability to operate dual phases in a continuously circulating system," said Kaspar Evertz, vice president of Basell’s Licensing Business. "The result is a polymer with extremely uniform properties throughout the reactor."

Polymer property advantages in rigid packaging applications demonstrated at the Brindisi plant include higher fluidity, better stiffness / impact balance and higher heat deflection temperatures. "Random copolymers exhibit better opticals, softness and low temperature impact resistance," said Evertz.

He added, "Over the past 20 years, the Spheripol process has been the most widely licensed technology ever developed for the production of polypropylene. Following this success, we are proud to include Spherizone technology in our portfolio of technologies available for license."

In addition to Spheripol and Spherizone technologies for polypropylene production, Basell also licenses the following polyethylene processes:

--Hostalen - low-pressure slurry process for the production of bimodal HDPE
--Lupotech T - high pressure tubular reactor process for the production of LDPE homopolymers and EVA-copolymers
--Spherilene / Lupotech G - gas phase process platform for the production of swing LLDPE/HDPE and HDPE/MDPE

In addition to licensing polyolefin technologies, Basell produces and commercialises advanced polyolefin catalyst systems. Basell also develops, produces and markets polypropylene, polyethylene and advanced polyolefin materials. Basell's corporate centre is located in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands; the company has regional offices in Elkton, Maryland, USA; Brussels, Belgium; Mainz, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Hong Kong, as well as manufacturing facilities and sales offices in the major markets around the world. The company’s Internet address is www.basell.com.