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Description
Marcus Oil & Chemical, a division of HRD Corporation (a privately held corporation), was formed in 1987 for the sole purpose of producing linear, low molecular weight polyethylene waxes, with high melt points. The production facility, located in Houston, Texas, at 14549 Minetta Street, was retrofitted from a new existing plant for this express purpose, utilizing high density polyethylene wax from the Ziegler process.
Another application is coating which provides improved surface properties, including abrasion resistance. These coatings are based on paraffins, which have small amounts (10%) of an EVA, added to provide toughness and flexibility. A small amount (about 10% of Marcus 200) of higher melting and harder wax is also incorporated to provide better abrasion resistance.
A significant outcome of the development efforts were touted by HRD and Dow in a September 2003 presentation to the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) meeting in Chicago, Ill. The presentation highlighted a new product offering that was called a "paradigm shift" in the way adhesive producers make and market adhesives. The presentation also announced the 2004 start up of a Dow plant in Sarnia, Canada to produce up to 60 million pounds of the new product in addition to products that would meet the needs of HRD’s traditional customers for LMWPE.
HRD Corporation (HRD) of Houston, Texas, a producer of low molecular weight polyethylene will face off against The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) in a long running battle over a joint development and supply agreements involving plastics and waxes known as Low Molecular Weight Polyethylene (LMWPE). In 2002-2003, HRD and Dow entered agreements to jointly develop and produce LMWPE using Dow metallocene catalyst technology. HRD supplied product, process and market intelligence information and was to own certain Intellectual Property related to the use and products made from LMWPE.