Plastic export

Another threat to U.S. and European plastics exporters is the emergence of plastics producers in the Middle East. Middle Eastern plastics producers may be able to generate products such as polyethylene (PE) at lower cost due to a ready, local... 

Recycled plastics are used in a variety of applications, including automobiles, housewares, packaging, and construction. More information about uses is found in the sections on recycling of individual types of plastics. Recycled materials, including plastics, also are an important segment of world trade activities. For example, in 1995, recycled plastic exports from the United States alone amounted to 652.8 million lb, for a value of about 205 million. Most of these exports went to Hong Kong, and much of that material probably went on to China. The Far East is also an important market for other countries. 

In the past, Chinese plastics exports were mainly to generate badly needed foreign currency. In recent years, the domestic demand has grown at a speedy pace. Shortage problems in plastics supply are holding back Chinese exporters. China exports only small quantities of plastics each year and will not become a major plastics supplier to the world market in the near future. Plastics exports will continue to remain low through the new century. 

Adipic acid is a very large volume organic chemical. Worldwide production in 1986 reached 1.6 x 10 t (3.5 x 10 lb) (158) and in 1989 was estimated at more than 1.9 x 10 t (Table 7). It is one of the top fifty (159) chemicals produced in the United States in terms of volume, with 1989 production estimated at 745,000 t (160). Growth rate in demand in the United States for the period 1988—1993 is estimated at 2.5% per year based on 1987—1989 (160). Table 7 provides individual capacities for U.S. manufacturers. Western European capacity is essentially equivalent to that in the United States at 800,000 t/yr. Demand is highly cycHc (161), reflecting the automotive and housing markets especially. Prices usually foUow the variabiUty in cmde oil prices. Adipic acid for nylon takes about 60% of U.S. cyclohexane production the remainder goes to caprolactam for nylon-6, export, and miscellaneous uses (162). In 1989 about 88% of U.S. adipic acid production was used in nylon-6,6 (77% fiber and 11% resin), 3% in polyurethanes, 2.5% in plasticizers, 2.7% miscellaneous, and 4.5% exported (160). 

The demand for pipe-coating enamels tends to fluctuate, depending on the success of oil and gas exploration. In the United Kingdom plastic-coated pipes are used on shore. Most production is exported for use in the Middle and Far Eastern regions. 

DSM America produces caprolactam only for merchant sales, both domestic and foreign. BASF is a customer, foUowiag acquisition of Enka s United States fiber and plastics plants, and also a captive producer of caprolactam. AUied-Signal s production is primarily captive for nylon-6 fibers and plastics, but substantial amounts are supplied to the export market. 

Demand for cellulose acetate flake in the United States is projected to decline slightly from 1988 to 1993. Cigarette-filter tow for export is the only market projected to grow. Cellulose acetate for textile fibers is expected to decline, as will flake demand for plastics, with the growth of photographic films somewhat offsetting declining markets in other plastics end uses. 

The first phenomenon observed is the improved resistance of these materials to combustion, in a way that they may be classified as intrinsically self-extinguishing substrates. For instance, the LOI value for PTFEP is reported to be 48 [452], which is much higher than reported for classical organic plastics [283], while phosphazene fluoroelastomers have been considered as fire-retardant materials since the very beginning of their preparation and utilization [562]. Similarly to aryloxy- and arylamino- substituted POPs [389,390] (vide infra),it may be expected that the flame-resistance properties of phosphazene fluoroelastomers could be successively exported to stabihze organic macromolecules when blended with these materials. 

The value of the chemical industry is shown in Figure 1.1. In the UK over 450000 people are employed by the industry (including pharmaceuticals and plastics) and the industry is manufacturing s number one exporter. 

Abstract RISKCYCLE is an artificial word which addresses the risks associated with the global recycling streams. As part of materials like waste paper, plastic, and electronics, pollutants and chemical additives are transported abroad, e.g., they are exported to emerging and developing countries. Here these pollutants/additives can cause risks for humans and the environment especially if treatment/recycling is performed on a lower technical standard. The specific risks that can occur have been studied in an international EU-funded research program, which is the basis of this publication. 

Production, Import/Export, Use, Release, and Disposal. Because of the general confusion in the literature about the nomenclature for octylphthalate esters, historical information about the production and import/export of di- -octylphthalate is not readily available. These values generally must be estimated as a percentage of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate production or import/export. The compound is used principally as a plasticizer additive to plastics and PVC resins. It is also used as a dye carrier in plastics production and as a chemical intermediate (EPA 1993a HSDB 1995 Mannsville Chemical Products Corporation 1989 Sittig 1991). Limited information is available about releases of di-n-octylphthalate to environmental media. Even the TRI data, which comprise the most current information available, contain errors as a result of the nomenclature confusion (EPA 1993a Vista Chemical 1992). Data are available about the disposal and regulatory status of the compound (see Chapters 4 and 7). More information on the production and releases of di-ft-octylphthalate is needed to estimate potential exposure to the compound. 

To whom does the chemical industry sell all of its chemicals It is its own best customer. It is estimated that over 50% of industrial chemicals are sold within the Chemicals and Allied Products sector. To give a simple example, chlorine might be sold to another company to make vinyl chloride, which in turn is sold to someone else to make poly(vinyl chloride) plastic, which can be made by another company into a finished plastic product. Some chemicals are exported others are sold to the government for defense and to other industries, especially agriculture, petroleum refining, and paper products. 

Polymeric materials, along with several other chemical industrial products, contribute positively to the balance of trade (Table 1.12). In fact, plastics and resins show the greatest value increase of exports minus imports with over 12 billion net favoring exports. The polymer-intense materials numbers are higher than noted in Table 1.12 since fiber and rubber materials are absent as a separate entry. Even so, the figures demonstrate the positive role polymers play in our balance of trade situation. 

Table 9.12 lists the main customers of the three major segments of the CPI. The biggest customers of Industrial Chemicals are other Industrial Chemicals companies, which buy more than 20% of all the products, and the next biggest industrial customer is Plastics, which buy more than 15%. Export is a major source of sales at more than 16%. The various sectors of the CPI, such as Rubber, Soap, and Paper, are among the best customers of Industrial Chemicals. The federal and state governments buy 4.5%, but direct consumption by individuals is minimal at 1.0%. 

During the early 1980s the abnormally strong dollar made it difficult for American manufacturers to compete in world markets while making it easier for foreign manufacturers to export their products to the United States. Du Pont suffered the negative effects of import penetration in markets for many products including commodity chemicals, plastics, and fibers. It was necessary to idle plants that were fully competitive in scale and efficiency. 

Isophorone is a solvent for a large number of natural and synthetic polymers, resins, waxes, fats, and oils. Specifically, it is used as a solvent for concentrated vinyl chloride/acetate-based coating systems for metal cans, other metal paints, nitrocellulose finishes, printing inks for plastics, some herbicide and pesticide formulations, and adhesives for plastics, poly(vinyl) chloride and polystyrene materials (Papa and Sherman 1981). Isophorone also is an intermediate in the synthesis of 3, 5-xylenol, 3, 3, 5-trimethylcyclohexanol (Papa and Sherman 1981), and plant growth retardants (Haruta et al. 1974). Of the total production, 45-65% is used in vinyl coatings and inks, 15-25% in agricultural formulations, 15-30% in miscellaneous uses and exports, and 10% as a chemical intermediate (CMA 1981). 

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers. Production and use data are available. More information for PBDEs is needed on import/export, release, and disposal. Soil is expected to be the medium with significant contamination due to disposal of PBDE-containing plastics in landfills. Although it is known that PBDE-containing plastics are disposed in landfills, the amount that is incinerated is not known. 

The total sales of mirex by Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation, in the United States between 1959 and 1975, were around 1,528,000 kg (Kaiser, 1978). Among the total sales of mirex, 26% was for insecticidal use and 76% was for other uses, such as the incorporation of mirex into plastics to improve flame- and fire-retardant properties (Kaiser, 1978). Between 1961 and 1975, 400,000kg of mirex were used as pesticides, of which approximately 250,000 kg were sold in the south eastern United States for the control of native and imported fire ants (Solenopsis spp.) and most of the remainder was exported to Brazil for use in fire ant control (Eisler, 1985). 

Production, Import/Export, Use, and Disposal. Because barium compounds occur naturally and are widely used in oil well drilling muds, in steel, rubber and plastic products, glass and ceramics, chemical, and pyrotechnics industries, in insecticides, and as a smoke suppressant in diesel fuels (Bodek et al. 1988 EPA 1982 ILO 1983 Kirkpatrick 1985 Meister 1989 Stokinger 1981 ... 

The export and import values for chemical segments described in Table 2.4, chemical-fertilizer, chemical-organic, chemical-inorganic, and chemical-other, are detailed in Table 2.5. The magnitude of the individual items varies from year to year, but overall, the balance is favorable and these four segments of chemical manufacturing are usually positive values. It should be pointed out that various items (plastic materials, pharmaceuticals, etc.) that make up chemical manufacturing have been excluded, but this was done without bias. The four items used in Tables 2.4 and 2.5 are directly related to what has been traditionally known as the chemical industry. The less favorable Total Trade Balance of the United... 

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