Imerys – carbon black

Imerys – carbon black

FOCUS and/or compliance with increasingly stringent pollution control regulations. The most important new producer was Panzhihua Haifengxin Chemical I...

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FOCUS and/or compliance with increasingly stringent pollution control regulations. The most important new producer was Panzhihua Haifengxin Chemical Industry Co, with a 60,000 tonnes/y plant coming on-stream in April 2012. According to CIPCC, China produced 1.755 M tonnes of TiO2 in full-year 2011. This is a slightly lower figure than the 1.812 M tonnes cited by China Minor Metals Resource & Information (CMMRI) and by Research & Markets (the Chinese publisher, with overseas headquarters in Dublin). CMMRI reported that production had increased by just over 23% from 1.472 M tonnes in 2010. Original Source: TiO2 Worldwide Update, Feb 2013, 21 (1), 6 (Website: http://www.artikol.com) © Artikol 2012

CCM foresees more surplus capacity in China’s carbon black industry China is now the world’s largest carbon black producing and exporting country, with more than 60 plants and an overall capacity in excess of 4 M tonnes/y. In 2011, exports more than doubled to 488,000 tonnes, worth $600 M. Despite the fact that the industry is characterised by overcapacity, relatively low profit margins and intensive price competition, a number of Chinese producers are planning to increase their capacity still further. In its latest multi-client report on the Chinese carbon black industry, CCM International profiles 20 of the country’s leading producers, namely: Jiangxi Black Cat, Cabot China, Hebei Longxing Chemical, Shandong Huadong Rubber Material, Hebei Xinxing, Juwuba Carbon Black (part of the Hebei Daguangming group), Jiangsu Suzhou Baohua Carbon Black, Qujing Zhongyi Fine Chemical Industry, China Rubber, Shanxi Yuanzheng Chemical, Shandong Qingdao Degussa, Shanxi Taiyuan Gaobai Sanqiang, Shandong Naisite, Kunsheng Chemical Works (part of the Shanxi Taixing group), Shandong Baisida Chemical, Shandong Best Chemical, Shanxi Yongdong Chemical, Shanxi Heima Carbon Black, China Rubber (Anshan) Chemical Co and Shanxi Zhixin Carbon Black Co. This report also provides historical data on production,

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capacity, consumption, imports, exports and prices back to 2006 and forecasts forward to 2016. Original Source: ‘The Future of Carbon Black in China’ (3rd edition), 108 pp. Price (electronic *.PDF version): $6500 (single-user licence); $16,250 (corporate licence). Available from: CCM International Ltd, 17th Floor, Huihua Commercial & Trade Building, 80 Xianlie Zhong Road, Guangzhou 510070, China, tel: +86 20 3761 6606, website: http://www.cnchemicals.com © CCM International 2012

PLANTS Belgium: Timcal/Imerys – carbon black Timcal (a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Imerys group) plans to double its capacity for making speciality grades of carbon black from 6000 tonnes/y to 12,000 tonnes/y. The plant is located at Willebroek (10 km northwest of Mechelen) and it was originally built in 1982 by Erachem (part of the Eramet group, formerly known as Sté Le Nickel). The Willebroek plant was acquired by Imerys in September 2003. At the time of the acquisition, the Willebroek plant was generating annual sales revenues of around €15 M. The workforce currently numbers 35 people and this number will be increased more or less in line with the capacity expansion, which should be completed by the end of 2013. Timcal employs proprietary technology to produce its Ensaco grades of carbon black, which have low ash and sulfur contents. They are mainly used in making batteries, notably lithium-ion batteries, and in conductive polymers for antistatic packaging materials, transmission belts and automotive components. Imerys SA, 154 Rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris, France, tel: +33 (0)1 4955 6401, website: http://www.imerys.com (14 Feb 2013) © Imerys 2013

China: Lanxess – iron oxide pigments Lanxess AG plans to invest €55 M to build a new 25,000 tonnes/y red iron oxide pigments plant at the Ningbo Chemical Industry Park (150 km southeast of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province). Construction work will begin in 2Q 2013 and the plant should come on-stream in 1Q 2015. As well as the 7 hectares site which

Lanxess has acquired for this project, the company has reserved a second site of a similar area in the Chemical Industry Park, so as to facilitate further expansion. Lanxess cited several factors behind its choice of this location. Ningbo (on the southern side of the Hangzhou Bay estuary) is the country’s second largest industrial port and it has the largest capacity for storage and handling of liquid chemicals. Also, the Chemical Industry Park has excellent infrastructure and logistical links. When the new plant is up and running, it will employ about 150 people. Lanxess already produces yellow and black iron oxide pigments at Jinshan (Shanghai province, on the northern side of the Hangzhou Bay estuary). The 10,000 tonnes/y black iron oxide pigments plant here started-up in October 2010, alongside the existing 28,000 tonnes/y yellow iron oxide pigments plant. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2010, 4). Mr Joerg Hellwig (Head of the Inorganic Pigments business unit at Lanxess) said: “The new plant at Ningbo will employ the improved and highly sustainable Penniman process. With our advanced and innovative process, we are raising the bar for the production of iron oxide pigments worldwide especially in terms of water treatment, waste gas cleaning and energy consumption.” The yellowshade red pigments generated here will be sold under the Bayferrox brandname. Worldwide, Lanxess currently has capacity for producing more than 350,000 tonnes/y of iron oxide and chromium oxide pigments. A substantial proportion of this total is derived from the Krefeld-Uerdingen complex (25 km northwest of Dusseldorf, Germany). Altogether, the company operates plants at 48 different sites around the world and it employs 17,100 people. Within China, Lanxess has 10 separate manufacturing sites, employing around 1000 people. In fullyear 2011, operations in China contributed 10% of the Lanxess group’s total sales revenue of €8.8 bn. Original Source: Lanxess AG, 51369 Leverkusen, Germany, tel: +49 21430 33333, website: http://www.lanxess.com (28 Jan & 4 Feb 2013) © Lanxess 2013

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