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Cray Valley subsidiary uses vegetable-oil based product
Industry news
Cray Valley subsidiary uses vegetable-oil based product
In brief In March 2006 Australian pultruder Pacific Composites Pty Ltd was acquired by Exel Oyj of Finland. Pacific Composites’ trading name has now changed to Exel Composites. DSM Composite Resins (www.dsm.com) is planning more of its ‘Marine Days’ for boat builders in 2007. The workshops take place at the company’s Expertise Centre in Zwolle, the Netherlands. Topics covered include the demonstration of the Neomould rapid tooling system, the importance of correct gel-coat application and the vacuum infusion process. The Dieffenbacher Group (www.dieffenbacher.com) has opened a new sales and service office in Victoria, Australia. The new bureau, Dieffenbacher Australasia Pty Ltd, is managed by Lee Barker and Georg Rahm, the sales director of the Woodbased Panel Division for Asia/Australia. Axel Plastics Research Laboratories (www. axelplastics.com) is celebrating its 65th year as a supplier of mould releases and process aid additives to the plastics and rubber industries. The manufacturer, based in Woodside, New York, USA, is a family owned and operated business, founded in 1941 by Hungarian-born chemist Dr Rodolphe Aczél. The company now has a worldwide presence with a network of 40 stocking distributors serving over 55 countries.
6
REINFORCEDplastics
CHINA CLEAN Energy Inc, a Chinese producer of environmentally friendly speciality chemical products, is to supply Cray Valley Resins India Pvt Ltd with dimer acid. The supply contract is worth over US$500 000 and runs from December 2006 to March 2007. Dimer acid is a chemical used to produce resins, lubricants, coatings and corrosion-resistant agents. It is manufactured from the oil waste generated in the production of vegetable oils. China Clean Energy Inc believes that its vegetable
oil-based chemical products will be viewed as an increasingly attractive alternative to products made with petroleum-based chemicals as a result of rising oil prices as well as increased concern for protecting the environment. Cray Valley Resins India Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of resin manufacturer Cray Valley, part of energy company Total’s chemicals branch. China Clean Energy Inc; www.chinacleanenergyinc.com Cray Valley; www.crayvalley.com
US state funds nanoparticle improvement project THE NATIONAL Composite Center (NCC) is to receive funds from the state of Ohio, USA, to enhance the Quickstep moulding process. Material produced using the Quickstep process will be modified with nanoparticles to provide aerospace and automotive manufacturers with performance enhancements. The first application for the nano-enhanced material will be personal protection devices. The project is a collaboration of the NCC and University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) with Ashland Performance Materials, Owens Corning, Ohio State University and WebCore Technologies Inc. Quickstep uses fluid-filled, balanced pressure, heated floating mould technology for the curing, partial curing and joining of composite materials. The process can produce composite parts
February 2007
that are said to feature improved strength, stiffness, surface finish and appearance while achieving aerospace-grade void contents of less than 2%. “The use of nanoparticles will allow us to take the advantages already provided by Quickstep to the next level by improving shear strength and toughness in aerospace and automotive applications,” says Harry Couch, NCC technical consultant. The Quickstep moulding process was launched in October 2006 on the establishment of Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd’s North American Quickstep Center of Excellence at NCC’s Dayton Campus for Advanced Materials Technologies in Ohio. National Composite Center; www.compositecenter.org Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd; www.quickstep.com.au
EuCIA forms new European alliance AN ALLIANCE for composites has been formed by the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), the European Association of Unsaturated Polyester Resin Producers (Plastics Europe UPR Group) and the European Plastics Convertors (EuPC). The organisations will work together towards a stronger European representation for the composites industry. The Brussels-based alliance plans to expand the composites industry in Europe by: advocating and influencing decision making in Europe; market promotion and PR; and industry education and alignment. European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA); www.eucia.org
ZCL acquires Xerxes Corp ZCL COMPOSITES Inc, based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is to acquire Xerxes Corp following the signing of a share purchase agreement with shareholders of XAHC Inc. XAHC Inc is the sole shareholder of Xerxes, a US-based manufacturer of glass reinforced plastic tanks and other products for the chemical, petroleum, water and wastewater industries. The purchase price for XAHC is US$40.8 million subject to closing adjustments. The acquisition is expected to close around 28 February 2007. ZCL Composites Inc; www.zcl.com Xerxes Corp; www.xerxescorp.com
Cray Valley subsidiary uses vegetable-oil based product
In brief In March 2006 Australian pultruder Pacific Composites Pty Ltd was acquired by Exel Oyj of Finland. Pacific Composites’ trading name has now changed to Exel Composites. DSM Composite Resins (www.dsm.com) is planning more of its ‘Marine Days’ for boat builders in 2007. The workshops take place at the company’s Expertise Centre in Zwolle, the Netherlands. Topics covered include the demonstration of the Neomould rapid tooling system, the importance of correct gel-coat application and the vacuum infusion process. The Dieffenbacher Group (www.dieffenbacher.com) has opened a new sales and service office in Victoria, Australia. The new bureau, Dieffenbacher Australasia Pty Ltd, is managed by Lee Barker and Georg Rahm, the sales director of the Woodbased Panel Division for Asia/Australia. Axel Plastics Research Laboratories (www. axelplastics.com) is celebrating its 65th year as a supplier of mould releases and process aid additives to the plastics and rubber industries. The manufacturer, based in Woodside, New York, USA, is a family owned and operated business, founded in 1941 by Hungarian-born chemist Dr Rodolphe Aczél. The company now has a worldwide presence with a network of 40 stocking distributors serving over 55 countries.
6
REINFORCEDplastics
CHINA CLEAN Energy Inc, a Chinese producer of environmentally friendly speciality chemical products, is to supply Cray Valley Resins India Pvt Ltd with dimer acid. The supply contract is worth over US$500 000 and runs from December 2006 to March 2007. Dimer acid is a chemical used to produce resins, lubricants, coatings and corrosion-resistant agents. It is manufactured from the oil waste generated in the production of vegetable oils. China Clean Energy Inc believes that its vegetable
oil-based chemical products will be viewed as an increasingly attractive alternative to products made with petroleum-based chemicals as a result of rising oil prices as well as increased concern for protecting the environment. Cray Valley Resins India Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of resin manufacturer Cray Valley, part of energy company Total’s chemicals branch. China Clean Energy Inc; www.chinacleanenergyinc.com Cray Valley; www.crayvalley.com
US state funds nanoparticle improvement project THE NATIONAL Composite Center (NCC) is to receive funds from the state of Ohio, USA, to enhance the Quickstep moulding process. Material produced using the Quickstep process will be modified with nanoparticles to provide aerospace and automotive manufacturers with performance enhancements. The first application for the nano-enhanced material will be personal protection devices. The project is a collaboration of the NCC and University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) with Ashland Performance Materials, Owens Corning, Ohio State University and WebCore Technologies Inc. Quickstep uses fluid-filled, balanced pressure, heated floating mould technology for the curing, partial curing and joining of composite materials. The process can produce composite parts
February 2007
that are said to feature improved strength, stiffness, surface finish and appearance while achieving aerospace-grade void contents of less than 2%. “The use of nanoparticles will allow us to take the advantages already provided by Quickstep to the next level by improving shear strength and toughness in aerospace and automotive applications,” says Harry Couch, NCC technical consultant. The Quickstep moulding process was launched in October 2006 on the establishment of Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd’s North American Quickstep Center of Excellence at NCC’s Dayton Campus for Advanced Materials Technologies in Ohio. National Composite Center; www.compositecenter.org Quickstep Technologies Pty Ltd; www.quickstep.com.au
EuCIA forms new European alliance AN ALLIANCE for composites has been formed by the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), the European Association of Unsaturated Polyester Resin Producers (Plastics Europe UPR Group) and the European Plastics Convertors (EuPC). The organisations will work together towards a stronger European representation for the composites industry. The Brussels-based alliance plans to expand the composites industry in Europe by: advocating and influencing decision making in Europe; market promotion and PR; and industry education and alignment. European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA); www.eucia.org
ZCL acquires Xerxes Corp ZCL COMPOSITES Inc, based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is to acquire Xerxes Corp following the signing of a share purchase agreement with shareholders of XAHC Inc. XAHC Inc is the sole shareholder of Xerxes, a US-based manufacturer of glass reinforced plastic tanks and other products for the chemical, petroleum, water and wastewater industries. The purchase price for XAHC is US$40.8 million subject to closing adjustments. The acquisition is expected to close around 28 February 2007. ZCL Composites Inc; www.zcl.com Xerxes Corp; www.xerxescorp.com