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future of U.S. railroads’ chemical transport looks strong

Railroads primarily deal with the movement of bulk chemicals. That category excludes “fine” chemicals or pharmaceutical products, although some chemicals like plastic pellets do get packaged for intermodal shipments.   Most chemical freight moves in either rail tank cars or in covered hopper cars. However, tank cars also move crude oil. And many covered hopper cars carry grain of various types. These car types vary considerably from commodity to commodity in design and purpose. If the car is moving a hazardous chemical product it will always display a commodity warning card, or placard. Here are examples of the hazardous placards How important is chemical freight to U.S. railroads? It’s about 8 percent of total U.S. rail freight carloads… and growing. As of early 2019, there are nearly 33,000 weekly railroad carloads of traffic moved in the U.S. That’s about 4,700 chemical carloads added to the rail network daily. During 2018, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) cited a yearly growth rate of 3.8 percent. That represents about 61,100 carloads.

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LyondellBasell & MSI Technology, LLC Collaborate on Innovative Consumer Packaging

LyondellBasell | February 02, 2024

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Chemical Management

LyondellBasell & MSI Technology, LLC Collaborate on Innovative Consumer Packaging

LyondellBasell | February 02, 2024

LyondellBasell and MSI Technology, LLC announced they have entered into an agreement for MSI Technology to serve the LyondellBasell Polybutene-1 (PB-1) resin line into consumer packaging applications for North America. MSI Technology is also the sales representative for the LyondellBasell Plexar product line. The expansion of the relationship is a strategic fit relative to the markets MSI Technology serves today. MSI Technology will use its technical sales approach combined with its current specialty product portfolio to enhance offerings to customers in consumer packaging. LyondellBasell PB-1 resins are commonly used in consumer packaging applications for easy-open packaging and film modification for seal initiation temperature providing Broad seal-peel temperature range Consistent and reproducible peel performance Adjustable peel force to end-use requirements Similar initiation and propagation peel force "Whitening" with "Smooth & Clean" peel surface Good seal integrity Easy processability Usable in blown film, cast film, extrusion coating and sheet extrusion "At LyondellBasell, we're passionate about creating solutions for everyday sustainable living," said Palmer Giddings, vice president Polymers at LyondellBasell. "Collaborating with MSI Technology on innovative packaging solutions is a major step forward in achieving that goal." "We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with LyondellBasell," said Brian McCaghy, president of MSI Technology. "The PB-1 resins align perfectly with our mission to provide specialty polymers and solutions to the packaging industry." The PB-1 resin line is part of MSI Technology's product offerings. The company also provides clients with access to dedicated sales and technical service specialists who provide guidance on technical resin selection to meet customer requirements. About LyondellBasell We are LyondellBasell – a leader in the global chemical industry creating solutions for everyday sustainable living. Through advanced technology and focused investments, we are enabling a circular and low carbon economy. Across all we do, we aim to unlock value for our customers, investors and society. As one of the world's largest producers of polymers and a leader in polyolefin technologies, we develop, manufacture and market high-quality and innovative products for applications ranging from sustainable transportation and food safety to clean water and quality healthcare. About MSI Technology, LLC MSI Technology specializes in the sales, marketing, and development of specialty polymers. Our product lines include: Plexar tie-layer adhesives (manufactured by LyondellBasell), SPS peelable sealants, and SpeciPurge purging compound. MSI Technology and its sister company, Soarus LLC, are located in Arlington Heights, IL. Soarus markets Soarnol™), ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Group) into North and Latin America. The two companies together provide sales and technical service for specialty polymers focused on the packaging market.

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