Basell Polyolefine GmbH and Braskem S.A. have signed a cooperation agreement for the development of polyethylene grades produced using Basell’s proprietary Spherilene gas-phase technology.

Under the agreement, joint development of new and improved Spherilene polyethylene resins will be carried out in Brazil at Braskem facilities and in Europe at Basell sites. Both parties will have the rights to use the jointly developed products.

Braskem is a licensee of Basell’s Spherilene process technology and has just completed an investment in a Spherilene pilot plant close to its Technology and Innovation Center in Triunfo.

“This program expands an earlier cooperation between our companies,” said Just Jansz, president of Basell’s Technology Business, who participated in a signing ceremony in São Paulo, Brazil.  “It will help sharpen our R&D focus in gas-phase polyethylene and further unlock the full potential of Spherilene technology.”

"This cooperation agreement reassures Braskem´s commitment to technological development and innovation, allowing us to operate all our production facilities within international excellence standards, creating value to our customers and the petrochemical value chain," said José Carlos Grubisich, CEO and President of Braskem.

Spherilene is a swing gas phase, modular process for the production of linear low density and high density polyethylene. The process can be operated with a single gas phase reactor for LLDPE production or with two reactors in cascade mode for production of bi-modal HDPE.  Worldwide, eight plants utilize the Spherilene process technology with a total annual capacity of 1.6 million tonnes.

“The Spherilene process is a unique technology that can produce the full range of polyethylene resins, from LLDPE to HDPE, with the same Ziegler catalyst family,” said Jansz.  “High operational flexibility, broad product capability and ease of operation differentiate the Spherilene process from other PE technologies.”

About Braskem

Braskem is the leading petrochemical company in Latin America. It is one of the three largest Brazilian-owned private sector industrial companies with business operations in basic petrochemicals, polyethylene, PP, and PVC.  Since 1999, it has operated a 300 KT per year Spherilene unit in Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, producing LLDPE and HDPE. With a turnover of US$ 5 billion, and export sales of US$ 1 billion to over 50 countries, Braskem is among the top ten export industries in Brazil.

About Basell

Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products, a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and a global leader in the development and licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.

For more information contact Michelle Harrell, Basell Corporate Communications, at
+1 410 996 1366, +1 302 438 6574 or michelle.harrell@basell.com