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Clariant develops liquid colour technology for polyolefin blow moulding, unveils new UV stabilizer range
additives
FOR
ISSN 0306-3747 July 2012
POLYMERS
www.additivesforpolymers.com
Clariant develops liquid colour technology for polyolefin blow moulding, unveils new UV stabilizer range
C
lariant Masterbatches North America has developed a new liquid vehicle technology (LVT) that is claimed to overcome many of the problems previously associated with the use of liquid colour and additive concentrates in the extrusion blow moulding of high- and low-density polyethylene and polypropylene. Liquid masterbatches are often used as alternatives to solid concentrates in the extrusion blow moulding of containers made from other resins, such as PET, for the personal care and household products sectors. However, when it comes to the blow moulding of polyolefins, the use of liquid colour has been limited, until now, because many liquid-based carrier systems (including mineral oil) showed poor compatibility with these resins, according to Raymond Sloan, head of Liquid Color, Clariant Masterbatches North America. The company’s new LVT masterbatches use a liquid vehicle system that incorporates suspension aids and binders to allow for higher pigment loadings and (in most cases) lower usage rates, it says. Initial testing in monolayer containers is reported to support these claims, according to Clariant. Other benefits claimed for the new ‘highly compatible systems’ include better processing characteristics: additional components enhance flow such that the liquid colours practically eliminate ‘past challenges related to screw slippage’, which results in improved mixing and thus more
complete dispersion and less streaking, the company says. The reduced screw slippage also results in processing temperatures as much as 17°C (30°F) lower; less cooling is therefore required, it reports. According to Clariant, enhanced weld-line strength is another advantage stemming from the improved resin compatibility of the new liquid masterbatches. Where previous carriers had a tendency to rapidly bloom to the surface of extrusion blow moulded containers, interfering with seam re-welding, the new Clariant liquid products, in contrast, appear to actually assist in the formation of a strong seam, the company asserts. Finished containers have ‘easily passed industry standard top-load and drop tests’, it reports. In addition, the Clariant LVT products tend not to adhere to metal surfaces and can even act as a cleansing agent, removing deposits left behind by other colorants, according to the firm. Colour changes that might typically take several hours with solid pellet colorants can now be ‘completed in just minutes’ with the new liquid colours, Clariant claims. These ‘dramatically faster’ colour changes in turn result in greater productivity, which will allow plastics processors to spend ‘much less time producing scrap for regrind and more time producing actual saleable containers’, the company says. ‘So far, testing has been completed in several types of monolayer containers and we are confident that similar results can be achieved in multilayer applications involving Continued on page 2...
Contents MATERIALS Clariant develops liquid colour technology for polyolefin blow moulding, unveils new UV stabilizer range 1 Huntsman launches infrared reflecting pigments
2
Dow introduces new polyolefin elastomer for automotive TPOs
3
PolyOne presents new masterbatch solutions for textiles and healthcare applications…
3
…and for interior and exterior automotive parts
4
Cytec promotes stabilizer for rotomoulding industry
5
Sanitized offers sustainable antimicrobial innovations for bio-based & biodegradable products 6 PCC extends FlamaSol FR technology to polyethylene, launches web portal
7
COMPANY STRATEGIES Eastman completes 2-EH expansion, starts up plasticizer manufacturing plant in Texas
8
Albemarle to exit phosphorus FR business as prepares for polymeric production
8
BASF Plastic Additives invests in Asian antioxidants business
9
Arsenal Capital Partners acquires Plasticolors, creates Chromaflo Technologies
9
Huber strengthens fire retardant additive portfolio with Almatis acquisition
10
AGY expands S-2 Glass manufacturing capacity
10
FINANCIALS Cytec updates reporting structure, posts 1Q 2012 results
11
Ferro’s sales and income fall sharply in first quarter of 2012
11
EVENTS CALENDAR
12
ISSN 0306-3747/12 © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
MATERIALS
...Continued from page 1 both opaque colour and pearlescent effects’, Sloan says. ‘Although liquids have had only limited acceptance in these markets, we fully expect that our new technology [] will allow us to discover new opportunities in the extrusion blow moulding market’, he explains. Clariant is actively seeking processor partners to help test and prove LVT benefits in specific applications, Sloan adds. Clariant has offered liquid masterbatches for PET and other applications on a global scale for many years. In 2008, Clariant acquired US supplier of liquid masterbatches and dispensing technology Rite Systems, Inc, headquartered in West Chicago, IL. The LVT for extrusion blow moulding was developed there and has been thoroughly tested in North America. It is now being rolled out through three sites in South America and others in Europe and China. Clariant is one of the only companies able to offer colour and additive masterbatches in both solid and liquid form on a global scale both for PET and polyolefin polymers, notes Matthias Brommer, VP marketing & key account management for Clariant Masterbatches. ‘We are committed to giving our customers a choice of liquid and solid forms, making unbiased recommendations based only on what is best for their specific application’, he says. Clariant also recently unveiled its Hostavin NOW® technology, which includes a new range of high-performance UV-stabilizer solutions for agricultural films. According to the company, this ‘cutting-edge development’ is the latest addition to its range of ‘reliable and effective speciality polymer additives’ offering multiple high-performance effects for niche applications based on polyolefins and engineering plastics. Contact: Clariant International Ltd, Muttenz, Switzerland. Tel: +41 61 469 6742, Web: www.clariant.com or www.clariant.masterbatches.com
MATERIALS Huntsman launches infrared reflecting pigments
T
he Pigments division of Huntsman Corp has launched its Altiris® infrared (IR) reflecting pigment. The new pigment gives exterior coatings and polymer products in any colour
2
Additives for Polymers
the power to reflect solar energy, the company says. According to the firm, this ‘presents a significant opportunity to deliver energy efficiency combined with custom colour branding in the widest colour choice available’. Used in coatings, the Altiris pigment delivers ‘a unique set of benefits’ – superior tailored reflectance, from a single additive and in any colour customers need – according to Dr Rob Portsmouth, Huntsman’s business development director. The pigment can ‘dramatically increase’ solar reflection by more than 100% in some colour ranges and even in black, helping buildings, vehicles and ships that incorporate the new product in their coatings to better reflect the sun’s energy and thus keep interiors cooler and reduce the use of air-conditioning systems, Huntsman says. Altiris can also help increase a product’s lifespan as coatings that stay cooler suffer less from heat cycling stresses, which helps prevent delamination and peeling, the company reports. For polymer products in exterior applications, using the Altiris pigment to increase their IR reflectance can open up new markets as it makes them less prone to warping and degradation, Huntsman claims. This means polymer products can now be used in warmer regions of the world where they would have previously been unsuitable, while products such as vinyl siding can last longer and can be available in a wider range of colours, the company says. Weathering tests using Altiris pigments have shown ‘exceptional performance’ across a spectrum of colour formulations in the most durable systems, it reports. Strong performance by the Pigments division helped to boost Huntsman’s most recently reported results, for the first quarter of 2012. The division’s sales increased 16% year on year to US$424 million while EBITDA jumped 69% to $147 million. The sales growth was primarily due to higher average selling prices in all regions of the world on the back of higher raw material costs. This increase was partially offset by lower sales volumes due to lower global demand and continued customer destocking, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, Huntsman reports. The increase in adjusted EBITDA was largely due to higher contribution margins. For the company as a whole, quarterly sales improved 9% to $2.9 billion and net income more than doubled from $62 million in 1Q 2011 to $163 million this year. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 31% to $397 million compared to the first quarter last year. In other developments, Huntsman recently broke ground for a new Asia Pacific Technology Center (ATC) in Shanghai’s Minhang Economic & Technological Development Zone. The $40 million facility, which will be operational by mid-
July 2012
FOR
ISSN 0306-3747 July 2012
POLYMERS
www.additivesforpolymers.com
Clariant develops liquid colour technology for polyolefin blow moulding, unveils new UV stabilizer range
C
lariant Masterbatches North America has developed a new liquid vehicle technology (LVT) that is claimed to overcome many of the problems previously associated with the use of liquid colour and additive concentrates in the extrusion blow moulding of high- and low-density polyethylene and polypropylene. Liquid masterbatches are often used as alternatives to solid concentrates in the extrusion blow moulding of containers made from other resins, such as PET, for the personal care and household products sectors. However, when it comes to the blow moulding of polyolefins, the use of liquid colour has been limited, until now, because many liquid-based carrier systems (including mineral oil) showed poor compatibility with these resins, according to Raymond Sloan, head of Liquid Color, Clariant Masterbatches North America. The company’s new LVT masterbatches use a liquid vehicle system that incorporates suspension aids and binders to allow for higher pigment loadings and (in most cases) lower usage rates, it says. Initial testing in monolayer containers is reported to support these claims, according to Clariant. Other benefits claimed for the new ‘highly compatible systems’ include better processing characteristics: additional components enhance flow such that the liquid colours practically eliminate ‘past challenges related to screw slippage’, which results in improved mixing and thus more
complete dispersion and less streaking, the company says. The reduced screw slippage also results in processing temperatures as much as 17°C (30°F) lower; less cooling is therefore required, it reports. According to Clariant, enhanced weld-line strength is another advantage stemming from the improved resin compatibility of the new liquid masterbatches. Where previous carriers had a tendency to rapidly bloom to the surface of extrusion blow moulded containers, interfering with seam re-welding, the new Clariant liquid products, in contrast, appear to actually assist in the formation of a strong seam, the company asserts. Finished containers have ‘easily passed industry standard top-load and drop tests’, it reports. In addition, the Clariant LVT products tend not to adhere to metal surfaces and can even act as a cleansing agent, removing deposits left behind by other colorants, according to the firm. Colour changes that might typically take several hours with solid pellet colorants can now be ‘completed in just minutes’ with the new liquid colours, Clariant claims. These ‘dramatically faster’ colour changes in turn result in greater productivity, which will allow plastics processors to spend ‘much less time producing scrap for regrind and more time producing actual saleable containers’, the company says. ‘So far, testing has been completed in several types of monolayer containers and we are confident that similar results can be achieved in multilayer applications involving Continued on page 2...
Contents MATERIALS Clariant develops liquid colour technology for polyolefin blow moulding, unveils new UV stabilizer range 1 Huntsman launches infrared reflecting pigments
2
Dow introduces new polyolefin elastomer for automotive TPOs
3
PolyOne presents new masterbatch solutions for textiles and healthcare applications…
3
…and for interior and exterior automotive parts
4
Cytec promotes stabilizer for rotomoulding industry
5
Sanitized offers sustainable antimicrobial innovations for bio-based & biodegradable products 6 PCC extends FlamaSol FR technology to polyethylene, launches web portal
7
COMPANY STRATEGIES Eastman completes 2-EH expansion, starts up plasticizer manufacturing plant in Texas
8
Albemarle to exit phosphorus FR business as prepares for polymeric production
8
BASF Plastic Additives invests in Asian antioxidants business
9
Arsenal Capital Partners acquires Plasticolors, creates Chromaflo Technologies
9
Huber strengthens fire retardant additive portfolio with Almatis acquisition
10
AGY expands S-2 Glass manufacturing capacity
10
FINANCIALS Cytec updates reporting structure, posts 1Q 2012 results
11
Ferro’s sales and income fall sharply in first quarter of 2012
11
EVENTS CALENDAR
12
ISSN 0306-3747/12 © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
MATERIALS
...Continued from page 1 both opaque colour and pearlescent effects’, Sloan says. ‘Although liquids have had only limited acceptance in these markets, we fully expect that our new technology [] will allow us to discover new opportunities in the extrusion blow moulding market’, he explains. Clariant is actively seeking processor partners to help test and prove LVT benefits in specific applications, Sloan adds. Clariant has offered liquid masterbatches for PET and other applications on a global scale for many years. In 2008, Clariant acquired US supplier of liquid masterbatches and dispensing technology Rite Systems, Inc, headquartered in West Chicago, IL. The LVT for extrusion blow moulding was developed there and has been thoroughly tested in North America. It is now being rolled out through three sites in South America and others in Europe and China. Clariant is one of the only companies able to offer colour and additive masterbatches in both solid and liquid form on a global scale both for PET and polyolefin polymers, notes Matthias Brommer, VP marketing & key account management for Clariant Masterbatches. ‘We are committed to giving our customers a choice of liquid and solid forms, making unbiased recommendations based only on what is best for their specific application’, he says. Clariant also recently unveiled its Hostavin NOW® technology, which includes a new range of high-performance UV-stabilizer solutions for agricultural films. According to the company, this ‘cutting-edge development’ is the latest addition to its range of ‘reliable and effective speciality polymer additives’ offering multiple high-performance effects for niche applications based on polyolefins and engineering plastics. Contact: Clariant International Ltd, Muttenz, Switzerland. Tel: +41 61 469 6742, Web: www.clariant.com or www.clariant.masterbatches.com
MATERIALS Huntsman launches infrared reflecting pigments
T
he Pigments division of Huntsman Corp has launched its Altiris® infrared (IR) reflecting pigment. The new pigment gives exterior coatings and polymer products in any colour
2
Additives for Polymers
the power to reflect solar energy, the company says. According to the firm, this ‘presents a significant opportunity to deliver energy efficiency combined with custom colour branding in the widest colour choice available’. Used in coatings, the Altiris pigment delivers ‘a unique set of benefits’ – superior tailored reflectance, from a single additive and in any colour customers need – according to Dr Rob Portsmouth, Huntsman’s business development director. The pigment can ‘dramatically increase’ solar reflection by more than 100% in some colour ranges and even in black, helping buildings, vehicles and ships that incorporate the new product in their coatings to better reflect the sun’s energy and thus keep interiors cooler and reduce the use of air-conditioning systems, Huntsman says. Altiris can also help increase a product’s lifespan as coatings that stay cooler suffer less from heat cycling stresses, which helps prevent delamination and peeling, the company reports. For polymer products in exterior applications, using the Altiris pigment to increase their IR reflectance can open up new markets as it makes them less prone to warping and degradation, Huntsman claims. This means polymer products can now be used in warmer regions of the world where they would have previously been unsuitable, while products such as vinyl siding can last longer and can be available in a wider range of colours, the company says. Weathering tests using Altiris pigments have shown ‘exceptional performance’ across a spectrum of colour formulations in the most durable systems, it reports. Strong performance by the Pigments division helped to boost Huntsman’s most recently reported results, for the first quarter of 2012. The division’s sales increased 16% year on year to US$424 million while EBITDA jumped 69% to $147 million. The sales growth was primarily due to higher average selling prices in all regions of the world on the back of higher raw material costs. This increase was partially offset by lower sales volumes due to lower global demand and continued customer destocking, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, Huntsman reports. The increase in adjusted EBITDA was largely due to higher contribution margins. For the company as a whole, quarterly sales improved 9% to $2.9 billion and net income more than doubled from $62 million in 1Q 2011 to $163 million this year. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 31% to $397 million compared to the first quarter last year. In other developments, Huntsman recently broke ground for a new Asia Pacific Technology Center (ATC) in Shanghai’s Minhang Economic & Technological Development Zone. The $40 million facility, which will be operational by mid-
July 2012