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India: Granula and Som Shiva (Impex) – plastics masterbatch
FOCUS installed. New testing and quality control facilities plus additional compounding capacity will also be established at the One Clariant Campus in Shanghai. (See 'Focus on Pigments', Nov 2016, 4). A smaller high-temperature unit recently started-up in Singapore. Clariant already has a state-of-the-art laboratory at its Singapore site. New physical, chemical and weathering test equipment is due to be installed here during 1H 2017. Equipment for processing fluoropolymers is now operating successfully at Clariant's Lewiston, ME plant (60 km north of Portland) and new production lines for speciality hightemperature plastic compounds have been installed at the Holden, MA plant (90 km west of Boston). A new black masterbatch plant is scheduled to startup at Holden in 3Q 2017. Original Source: Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 26 Oct 2016 (Website: http://www.prw.com) © Crain Communications Inc 2016.
Germany: Heubach – bismuth vanadate Following news of Heubach's second line for making complex inorganic colour pigments, notable rutile yellows (See 'Focus on Pigments', Oct 2016, 6), the company has announced another significant expansion for its Langelsheim complex (80 km southeast of Hannover). The latest project entails doubling capacity for making bismuth vanadate pigments, marketed under the brandnames Vanadur and Vanadur Plus. The project should be completed before the end of 2017. Mr Johann Heubach (CEO of Heubach Holdings GmbH) commented: "We believe that increasing regulatory pressure on lead chromate pigments will drive growth in pigments that offer sustainable alternatives.'' Dr Thomas Sowade has described five such alternatives in presentations at the Nuremberg and Prague conferences (See 'Focus on Pigments', Jul 2015, 2-3 & Feb 2016, 2). Dr Reiner Martens (CEO of Heubach GmbH) noted that the company's latest Vanadur grades have improved alkaline stability and temperature resistance. He said: "We are confident that the superior characteristics of our new bismuth vanadate grades will drive strong demand in a relatively short time frame.'' Original Source: Heubach GmbH, 20 Nov 2016 (Heubachstrasse 7, 38685 Langelsheim, Germany, Website: http://www.heubachcolor.de) © Heubach 2016
February 2017
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PIGMENTS
India: Deepak Nitrite – optical brighteners In early October 2016, Deepak Nitrite was served with a closure notice in respect of one of its three manufacturing units at the Hyderabad optical brighteners plant. The unit makes diamino-stilbene disulfonic acid (DASDA) and the closure was ordered by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB). The company declared on 6 October: "We are taking all the necessary effective steps to correct the anomalies pointed out by the TSPCB. Our very best efforts are being made to get the closure notice revoked within a week or so. A week-long interruption in DASDA output will not have any major impact on our optical brighteners production because adequate inventories are available.'' On 31 October, Deepak Nitrite announced that the closure order had been lifted for at least three months. At the end of January, the TSPCB will again review operating conditions and the environmental status of the Hyderabad DASDA unit prior to issuing a permanent revocation of the closure order. Global supplies of DASDA have been fairly tight onwards from early 2015 due to the forced closure of a number of Chinese plants due to environmental reasons. Original Source: Business Standard, 7 Oct 2016, 21 (38) (Website: http://www. business-standard.com) © Business Standard Ltd 2014. Original Source: Deepak Nitrite Ltd, 6 Oct & 31 Oct 2016 (Aaditya-I, National Highway No 8, Chhani Road, Vadodara 390 024, Gujarat, India, Website: http://www. deepaknitrite.com) © Deepak Nitrite 2016
India: Granula and Som Shiva (Impex) – plastics masterbatch A joint venture created by Granula AG (headquartered at Merenschwad, Switzerland) and Som Shiva (Impex) Ltd (headquartered at Ahmedabad, India) is building a state-of-the-art plastics masterbatch plant on a site within a new industrial zone just outside Ahmedabad (Gujarat province). The operating company for the new plant will be Granula Masterbatches India Pvt Ltd (GMI) and it should be ready for production in April 2017. The partners are already considering future expansion. Mr Jürg Weibel (owner and director of Granula) said: "As masterbatch producers, we see enormous opportunities in the steps that India is taking to open up the domestic market and move towards higher quality products. We want to be part of that
change.'' The product portfolio of the new plant will be focused on the food packaging, medical, cosmetic and automotive industries in India. Granula was founded in 1961and it has two European masterbatch plants – at Merenschwad (25 km southwest of Zurich) and at Rudolstadt (130 km southwest of Nürnberg, Germany). Original Source: Plastics News, 28 Dec 2016, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com) © Crain Communications Inc 2016.
India: Kiran Global/Allied Silica – precipitated SiO2 Allied Silica, an affiliate of Kiran Global Chems Ltd (KGCL, headquartered in Chennai, India) commissioned a 24,000 tonnes/y precipitated silica plant in August 2016 and the plant is now running successfully. The plant is located on the Sipcot Industrial Estate on the southern outskirts of Cuddalore (180 km south of Chennai). Plans are in hand to more than double capacity before the end of 2017. Allied Silica will eventually have a portfolio of more than 40 grades, marketed under the AlliedSil brandname, for use in tyres, manufactured rubber goods (MRG), dental products, pesticides, paints, inks, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics and animal feeds. Indian demand for precipitated silica is rising at 8-9% per annum and India is already the sixth largest market in the world for precipitated silica. KGCL is best known as the world's second largest producer of sodium silicate. During 2015, the company raised $25 M via the private placement of equity shares with a consortium of investors based in New York. Moving into the precipitated silica sector was a natural diversification step for the company, which is now considering setting up precipitated silica plants in Abu Dhabi and Egypt. Original Source: Notch Consulting News, 11 Dec 2016 (PO Box 1243, Amherst, MA 010041243, USA, Website: http:// notchconsulting. wordpress.com) © Notch Consulting Group 2016
US: Chemours – TiO2 Chemours Co has awarded a contract to Air Products to build, own and operate a new air separation facility to serve its 375,000 tonnes/y chloride-route TiO2 pigments plant at New Johnsonville, TN (125 km west of Nashville). The facility will deliver oxygen, nitrogen and argon as key process inputs for the TiO2 plant. It will also provide compressed air and
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Germany: Heubach – bismuth vanadate Following news of Heubach's second line for making complex inorganic colour pigments, notable rutile yellows (See 'Focus on Pigments', Oct 2016, 6), the company has announced another significant expansion for its Langelsheim complex (80 km southeast of Hannover). The latest project entails doubling capacity for making bismuth vanadate pigments, marketed under the brandnames Vanadur and Vanadur Plus. The project should be completed before the end of 2017. Mr Johann Heubach (CEO of Heubach Holdings GmbH) commented: "We believe that increasing regulatory pressure on lead chromate pigments will drive growth in pigments that offer sustainable alternatives.'' Dr Thomas Sowade has described five such alternatives in presentations at the Nuremberg and Prague conferences (See 'Focus on Pigments', Jul 2015, 2-3 & Feb 2016, 2). Dr Reiner Martens (CEO of Heubach GmbH) noted that the company's latest Vanadur grades have improved alkaline stability and temperature resistance. He said: "We are confident that the superior characteristics of our new bismuth vanadate grades will drive strong demand in a relatively short time frame.'' Original Source: Heubach GmbH, 20 Nov 2016 (Heubachstrasse 7, 38685 Langelsheim, Germany, Website: http://www.heubachcolor.de) © Heubach 2016
February 2017
ON
PIGMENTS
India: Deepak Nitrite – optical brighteners In early October 2016, Deepak Nitrite was served with a closure notice in respect of one of its three manufacturing units at the Hyderabad optical brighteners plant. The unit makes diamino-stilbene disulfonic acid (DASDA) and the closure was ordered by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB). The company declared on 6 October: "We are taking all the necessary effective steps to correct the anomalies pointed out by the TSPCB. Our very best efforts are being made to get the closure notice revoked within a week or so. A week-long interruption in DASDA output will not have any major impact on our optical brighteners production because adequate inventories are available.'' On 31 October, Deepak Nitrite announced that the closure order had been lifted for at least three months. At the end of January, the TSPCB will again review operating conditions and the environmental status of the Hyderabad DASDA unit prior to issuing a permanent revocation of the closure order. Global supplies of DASDA have been fairly tight onwards from early 2015 due to the forced closure of a number of Chinese plants due to environmental reasons. Original Source: Business Standard, 7 Oct 2016, 21 (38) (Website: http://www. business-standard.com) © Business Standard Ltd 2014. Original Source: Deepak Nitrite Ltd, 6 Oct & 31 Oct 2016 (Aaditya-I, National Highway No 8, Chhani Road, Vadodara 390 024, Gujarat, India, Website: http://www. deepaknitrite.com) © Deepak Nitrite 2016
India: Granula and Som Shiva (Impex) – plastics masterbatch A joint venture created by Granula AG (headquartered at Merenschwad, Switzerland) and Som Shiva (Impex) Ltd (headquartered at Ahmedabad, India) is building a state-of-the-art plastics masterbatch plant on a site within a new industrial zone just outside Ahmedabad (Gujarat province). The operating company for the new plant will be Granula Masterbatches India Pvt Ltd (GMI) and it should be ready for production in April 2017. The partners are already considering future expansion. Mr Jürg Weibel (owner and director of Granula) said: "As masterbatch producers, we see enormous opportunities in the steps that India is taking to open up the domestic market and move towards higher quality products. We want to be part of that
change.'' The product portfolio of the new plant will be focused on the food packaging, medical, cosmetic and automotive industries in India. Granula was founded in 1961and it has two European masterbatch plants – at Merenschwad (25 km southwest of Zurich) and at Rudolstadt (130 km southwest of Nürnberg, Germany). Original Source: Plastics News, 28 Dec 2016, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com) © Crain Communications Inc 2016.
India: Kiran Global/Allied Silica – precipitated SiO2 Allied Silica, an affiliate of Kiran Global Chems Ltd (KGCL, headquartered in Chennai, India) commissioned a 24,000 tonnes/y precipitated silica plant in August 2016 and the plant is now running successfully. The plant is located on the Sipcot Industrial Estate on the southern outskirts of Cuddalore (180 km south of Chennai). Plans are in hand to more than double capacity before the end of 2017. Allied Silica will eventually have a portfolio of more than 40 grades, marketed under the AlliedSil brandname, for use in tyres, manufactured rubber goods (MRG), dental products, pesticides, paints, inks, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics and animal feeds. Indian demand for precipitated silica is rising at 8-9% per annum and India is already the sixth largest market in the world for precipitated silica. KGCL is best known as the world's second largest producer of sodium silicate. During 2015, the company raised $25 M via the private placement of equity shares with a consortium of investors based in New York. Moving into the precipitated silica sector was a natural diversification step for the company, which is now considering setting up precipitated silica plants in Abu Dhabi and Egypt. Original Source: Notch Consulting News, 11 Dec 2016 (PO Box 1243, Amherst, MA 010041243, USA, Website: http:// notchconsulting. wordpress.com) © Notch Consulting Group 2016
US: Chemours – TiO2 Chemours Co has awarded a contract to Air Products to build, own and operate a new air separation facility to serve its 375,000 tonnes/y chloride-route TiO2 pigments plant at New Johnsonville, TN (125 km west of Nashville). The facility will deliver oxygen, nitrogen and argon as key process inputs for the TiO2 plant. It will also provide compressed air and
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