Market Flash

China's coal-fired power generation as a percentage of the total energy mix is on the rise for the second year, despite the push towards renewable capacity additions in the country, Citi analysts said Friday.

• Coal
• Renewable

The cost of sending crude oil from West Africa to China on VLCCs has dropped to a six-month low due to weak export demand and a rising number of VLCC vessels, sources said.

• Oil

For the first time, researchers have measured a new class of fire retardants in Arctic Ocean sediments, far from the compounds’ intended end uses in couch cushions and television sets (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00755).

• Arctic
• Sediment

Mount Holly, N.C.-based American & Efird (A&E) recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. “125 years of continuous operation is a significant accomplishment for A&E, our customers...

• American
• &
• Efird

Wichita, Kan.-based Invista has retained the services of Goldman Sachs & Co. to help the company explore strategic alternatives for its Apparel & Advanced Textiles business.

• Textile

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has kept its target price for cotton in Xinjiang region unchanged from last year’s price of 18,600 yuan ($2,965) a tonne.

• Cotton

Carolina Nonwovens, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Spinning Co. Inc,. recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of its new facility in Maiden, N.C.

• Textile

Duquesne, Pa.-based bedding producer American Textile Co. reports it will open a state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution facility in Tifton, Ga., later this year.

• American
• Textile

Nelipak Corp. has added Whitehall, Pa.-based medical thermoformer Computer Designs Inc. and its four sites to the Nelipak Healthcare Packaging operations.

• Medical
• Plastic

One of the biggest names in plastics processing is getting a new name.

• Berry
• Plastics
• Packaging

Pretium Packaging LLC is keeping its word. It was last summer when CEO Paul Kayser promised the rigid plastic container and closure maker was not done making deals.

• Plastic

Green Toys Inc. has made a name for itself by recycling millions and millions of used milk jugs into brightly colored children's toys.

• Toys
• Green
• Plastic

About two miles of polyethylene pipes are carrying raw sewage around a damaged drain interceptor in the Detroit suburb of Fraser, where a sinkhole the size of a football field opened up last Christmas Eve,

• Plastic
• Pipe

China's Hong Kong-listed plastics companies are reporting mixed results for 2016, with some helped by government infrastructure spending, while others were citing increased pressure to move to lower cost countries like Vietnam or watching for...

• China
• Plastic

Americhem Inc. subsidiary Infinity LTL Engineered Compounds has added ways to utilize injection moldable thermoplastic elastomers.

• TPE

Don't tell Pierre Boulet the automotive plastics sector is a mature market. He knows it's changing rapidly and offers plenty of opportunities for companies with the right strategy.

• Auto
• Plastic

Plasticity Forums will focus on plastic pollution, recycling, waste streams and related topics on April 21 in Dallas and May 9 in Anaheim, Calif. At least a dozen presentations are planned at each sustainability oriented event.

• Plastic

Dymotek Corp., a small custom molder focused on the demanding niche of liquid silicone molding, has a secret weapon: Its employees at two Connecticut factories, in Ellington and nearby Somers.

• Plastic

“Global powder coating market share is fragmented in nature due to the presence of several industry players including Akzonobel, BASF, Axalta, Nippon paints, Dupont, Sherwin Williams and Jotun.”

• Coating