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As is the case with several other PE suppliers who have plans underway to bring on new PE capacity, Houston-based LyondellBasell has announced that it will build a 1.1-billion lb/yr HDPE plant on the U.S. Gulf Coast, with a 2019 startup date. The company has yet to identify the exact location. What is intriguing is that this will be the first commercial plant to utilize the company’s new proprietary Hyperzone PE technology, which reportedly will provide a differentiated slate of HDPE grades.

A cascade gas phase process based on LyondellBasell’s unique multizone circulating reactor technology, the Hyperzone PE technology is said to produce a wide range of high-performance multi-modal HDPE grades with enhanced properties—many of which reportedly may exceed industry benchmarks. Such properties are said to include improved stress crack resistance and an enhanced balance of stiffness and impact strength. In certain applications, Hyperzone PE resins reportedly allow processors to use resin per unit produced, resulting in improved resource efficiency and savings. End-use applications include pipe, bottles, containers, toys, film, healthcare articles, fuel tanks and industrial packaging.