The latest in a series of investments at its site in Sittard-Geleen / The Netherlands (see also Plasteurope.com of 26.05.2016), Saudi Arabian petrochemicals giant Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) will start work on a new pilot plant for the development of next-generation polypropylenes in December this year. Located at the headquarters of Sabic Europe (Geleen / The Netherlands; www.sabic-europe.com), the facility, which will use gas-phase polymerisation technology, is due to start up in late March 2017.

The plant will focus on developing grades with improved stiffness, impact, flow properties as well as other characteristics needed in a number of industries such as automotive, pipe, appliances and advanced packaging. Sabic said it intends to focus on developing PP impact grades, as well as random copolymers and homopolymers. In addition, the pilot plant will also carry out experiments on advanced catalysts. Lina Prada, Sabic's global PP Technology director, said the investment means the company “will have considerably more capacity to develop new PP materials for commercialisation in our current European assets in Geleen and in Gelsenkirchen.”