- Email: [email protected]
Solvay launches Polish production of highly dispersible silica for tyres
STRATEGIES
of the Kemgard® flame retardant and smoke suppressant business from Sherwin-Williams in 2010 [ibid., October 2010]. ‘We look forward to working with companies who’ve expressed an interest in the Safire technology, along with introducing it to those who aren’t as familiar with it’, says Bertram. ‘Our plan is to develop a full complement of halogen-free products that meet the most-demanding fire retardant requirements our customers are facing’, he adds. Huber Engineered Materials, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, USA, has been supplying non-halogen flame retardants and smoke suppressants for more than 30 years. It produces alumina trihydrate (ATH), magnesium hydroxide (MDH) and engineered molybdate-based compounds and provides technical expertise for a variety of thermoplastic, thermoset plastic and rubber end-use applications, including fibre reinforced plastics, roofing, silicone rubber, wire and cable, coatings and carpet backing. Contact: Huber Engineered Materials, J.M. Huber Corp, Atlanta, GA, USA. Tel: +1 678 247 7300, Web: www.hubermaterials.com
Völpker acquires BASF’s montan wax business
G
erman wax producer Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH has acquired the montan wax business of BASF SE. The company is already a leading producer of montan waxes, which it sells under the Waradur brand name. BASF will in future focus on its polyethylene wax business. Extracted from bituminous lignite, montan waxes are among the hardest of natural waxes and find applications in numerous industries. They are used primarily in the plastics industry, particularly in compounds based on engineering plastics such as polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyurethane and styrene maleic anhydride. The molecular structure of montan waxes, which includes both polar and non-polar components, means that they can act as both internal lubricants (flow improvers) and external lubricants (mould release agents). These waxes can also be used as nucleating agents to accelerate crystallization, and as dispersing additives for pigments and fillers, Völpker says. The company reveals that the decision to expand its international market presence via the acquisition from BASF was based on the ‘versatility’ of montan waxes and their long-term availability and price stability.
August 2015
Since the acquisition, Völpker has continued to strengthen its worldwide presence through the formation of a partnership with WWRC (China) Holdings Ltd for the distribution of montan and other speciality waxes in China and Taiwan. The cooperation focuses on the region’s growing engineering plastics market, the companies say. ‘Asia has become one of the major and key markets in the plastics industry. We therefore endeavour to intensify partnerships in this dynamic region’, explains Völpker’s managing director Falko Preusser. Völpker Spezialprodukte was founded in 1900. Contact: Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH, Fabrikstraße 1, 39393 Völpke, Germany. Tel: +49 39402 9620, Fax: +49 39402 215, Web: www.voelpker.com
Solvay launches Polish production of highly dispersible silica for tyres
I
n Poland, Solvay Silica has held an opening ceremony to mark the launch of production of highly dispersible silica (HDS) at its new purpose-built, stateof-the-art plant in Włocławek [ADPO, July 2013]. The plant’s output will be used to address the strong and growing regional demand for energy-saving tyres, the company says. The use of HDS as a reinforcing agent for tyre rubber reduces a vehicle’s fuel consumption by as much as 7%, Solvay claims. With 85 000 tonnes of annual capacity dedicated to Solvay’s latest HDS technologies, the new facility will create more than 100 jobs in the Pomeranian region of Poland. The site will produce the company’s most advanced grades of HDS, including its Zeosil® Premium brand [ADPO, April 2008] and the recently introduced innovation Efficium® [ibid., April 2015], which is reported to help tyre makers raise productivity levels for both car and truck ‘green’ tyre compounds. From this plant, Solvay will supply customers in Central and Eastern Europe with its ‘latest breakthrough tyre solutions’, which ‘contribute to cleaner and more competitive mobility’, says An Nuyttens, president of Solvay’s Silica global business unit. Through its global market reach, innovation capabilities and increasing number of applications in passenger and truck tyres, Solvay is ‘best-placed to meet growth opportunities’ in improving their performance and in lowering CO2 emissions, according to Nuyttens.
Additives for Polymers
7
STRATEGIES
With the addition of Włocławek, the Solvay Silica business unit has a strong global footprint, with nine manufacturing sites close to customers across Europe, South America, North America and in Asia, as well as four R&I laboratories on as many continents. In South Korea, Solvay recently broke ground on a new >80 000 tonnes/year plant [ibid., June 2015] that will also produce Efficium and, once on stream, raise the company’s annual silica capacity by close to 50% between 2014 and 2016. The Silica business, which invented HDS in the 1990s, offers products for a range of applications in personal care, animal nutrition and high-performance membranes, in addition to rubber reinforcement. It had annual sales of €451 million in 2014. For the first quarter of 2015, Solvay posted net sales of €2.64 billion, up 6.4% compared with the same period in 2014. Net income was €158 million for the quarter, up from €106 million a year earlier, and REBITDA rose 12% to €502 million. For the three-month period, the company’s Advanced Materials segment reported a 22% year-on-year rise in sales to €801 million, with the Silica business accounting for 16% of that total with ‘sustained solid demand’. REBITDA at €203 million was up 19% year on year. Its Performance Chemicals segment saw sales rise 5% to €754 million and REBITDA increase 14% to €195 million, while the Functional Polymers segment reported sales of €387 million and REBITDA of €30 million, down 14% and 24% respectively on 1Q 2014 figures. Contact: Solvay SA, Brussels, Belgium. Tel: +32 2 2642111, Web: www.solvay.com
A Schulman to move European shared service centre to Poland
M
asterbatch and compound producer A. Schulman, Inc is planning to move its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) shared service centre from Londerzeel in Belgium to Poznan in Poland. Plans call for this phased relocation to be completed by May 2016. The company expects the cost of this action to be approximately €7 million over the next 12 months. The move is expected to generate annual savings of approximately €5 million by fiscal 2017, when fully implemented. The decision to relocate the shared service centre is in line with Schulman’s on-going cost control initiatives and strategy
8
Additives for Polymers
‘to prudently and proactively manage the business’ by better balancing market trends and macroeconomic conditions, explains Heinrich Lingnau, VP and general manager, EMEA. ‘This organizational realignment decision was made after several months of careful consultation and a close examination of all alternatives. This action will enable us to enhance service levels to our customers and improve our cost structure; however, we understand that this decision will impact our teams and we are working diligently to support the transition of associates directly affected by this strategic decision’, he says. Schulman reports that its operations in Poland are ‘strong and growing’. ‘This action will not only benefit the region but will help to further develop our team in the country and leverage our previous success’, comments Isabel Casimiro, finance director, EMEA. The company has also recently appointed Tony Daponte as its first masterbatch R&D director for the Asia Pacific region. In this capacity, he will collaborate with the existing application centres in the region and assist in the development of an R&D facility dedicated to harnessing the technical know-how in the Asia Pacific. Daponte has served as Schulman’s R&D director Masterbatch for the EMEA region since 2001, contributing to the on-going development of ‘innovative products and value-adding properties’. In 2012, he also became the managing director of the company’s facility in Bornem, Belgium. The new appointment is indicative of the company’s commitment to advancing its R&D capabilities and innovation potential in the Asia Pacific region, says Derek Bristow, Schulman’s senior VP and general manager of Asia Pacific. According to Schulman, product innovation is ‘a critical component’ of its organic growth strategy. Through its global R&D centres, the company is able to accelerate the development of customer-centric solutions that address specific needs anywhere in the world, it says. Schulman provides customized masterbatch solutions that serve a diverse range of niche markets, including agriculture, appliances, mobility, building and construction, electrical & electronics, sports, leisure & home, and packaging. Contact: A. Schulman, Inc, Akron, OH, USA. Tel: +1 330 666 3751, Web: www.aschulman.com
Chemours completes spin-off from DuPont
D
uPont has completed the separation of its Performance Chemicals segment through the
August 2015
of the Kemgard® flame retardant and smoke suppressant business from Sherwin-Williams in 2010 [ibid., October 2010]. ‘We look forward to working with companies who’ve expressed an interest in the Safire technology, along with introducing it to those who aren’t as familiar with it’, says Bertram. ‘Our plan is to develop a full complement of halogen-free products that meet the most-demanding fire retardant requirements our customers are facing’, he adds. Huber Engineered Materials, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, USA, has been supplying non-halogen flame retardants and smoke suppressants for more than 30 years. It produces alumina trihydrate (ATH), magnesium hydroxide (MDH) and engineered molybdate-based compounds and provides technical expertise for a variety of thermoplastic, thermoset plastic and rubber end-use applications, including fibre reinforced plastics, roofing, silicone rubber, wire and cable, coatings and carpet backing. Contact: Huber Engineered Materials, J.M. Huber Corp, Atlanta, GA, USA. Tel: +1 678 247 7300, Web: www.hubermaterials.com
Völpker acquires BASF’s montan wax business
G
erman wax producer Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH has acquired the montan wax business of BASF SE. The company is already a leading producer of montan waxes, which it sells under the Waradur brand name. BASF will in future focus on its polyethylene wax business. Extracted from bituminous lignite, montan waxes are among the hardest of natural waxes and find applications in numerous industries. They are used primarily in the plastics industry, particularly in compounds based on engineering plastics such as polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyurethane and styrene maleic anhydride. The molecular structure of montan waxes, which includes both polar and non-polar components, means that they can act as both internal lubricants (flow improvers) and external lubricants (mould release agents). These waxes can also be used as nucleating agents to accelerate crystallization, and as dispersing additives for pigments and fillers, Völpker says. The company reveals that the decision to expand its international market presence via the acquisition from BASF was based on the ‘versatility’ of montan waxes and their long-term availability and price stability.
August 2015
Since the acquisition, Völpker has continued to strengthen its worldwide presence through the formation of a partnership with WWRC (China) Holdings Ltd for the distribution of montan and other speciality waxes in China and Taiwan. The cooperation focuses on the region’s growing engineering plastics market, the companies say. ‘Asia has become one of the major and key markets in the plastics industry. We therefore endeavour to intensify partnerships in this dynamic region’, explains Völpker’s managing director Falko Preusser. Völpker Spezialprodukte was founded in 1900. Contact: Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH, Fabrikstraße 1, 39393 Völpke, Germany. Tel: +49 39402 9620, Fax: +49 39402 215, Web: www.voelpker.com
Solvay launches Polish production of highly dispersible silica for tyres
I
n Poland, Solvay Silica has held an opening ceremony to mark the launch of production of highly dispersible silica (HDS) at its new purpose-built, stateof-the-art plant in Włocławek [ADPO, July 2013]. The plant’s output will be used to address the strong and growing regional demand for energy-saving tyres, the company says. The use of HDS as a reinforcing agent for tyre rubber reduces a vehicle’s fuel consumption by as much as 7%, Solvay claims. With 85 000 tonnes of annual capacity dedicated to Solvay’s latest HDS technologies, the new facility will create more than 100 jobs in the Pomeranian region of Poland. The site will produce the company’s most advanced grades of HDS, including its Zeosil® Premium brand [ADPO, April 2008] and the recently introduced innovation Efficium® [ibid., April 2015], which is reported to help tyre makers raise productivity levels for both car and truck ‘green’ tyre compounds. From this plant, Solvay will supply customers in Central and Eastern Europe with its ‘latest breakthrough tyre solutions’, which ‘contribute to cleaner and more competitive mobility’, says An Nuyttens, president of Solvay’s Silica global business unit. Through its global market reach, innovation capabilities and increasing number of applications in passenger and truck tyres, Solvay is ‘best-placed to meet growth opportunities’ in improving their performance and in lowering CO2 emissions, according to Nuyttens.
Additives for Polymers
7
STRATEGIES
With the addition of Włocławek, the Solvay Silica business unit has a strong global footprint, with nine manufacturing sites close to customers across Europe, South America, North America and in Asia, as well as four R&I laboratories on as many continents. In South Korea, Solvay recently broke ground on a new >80 000 tonnes/year plant [ibid., June 2015] that will also produce Efficium and, once on stream, raise the company’s annual silica capacity by close to 50% between 2014 and 2016. The Silica business, which invented HDS in the 1990s, offers products for a range of applications in personal care, animal nutrition and high-performance membranes, in addition to rubber reinforcement. It had annual sales of €451 million in 2014. For the first quarter of 2015, Solvay posted net sales of €2.64 billion, up 6.4% compared with the same period in 2014. Net income was €158 million for the quarter, up from €106 million a year earlier, and REBITDA rose 12% to €502 million. For the three-month period, the company’s Advanced Materials segment reported a 22% year-on-year rise in sales to €801 million, with the Silica business accounting for 16% of that total with ‘sustained solid demand’. REBITDA at €203 million was up 19% year on year. Its Performance Chemicals segment saw sales rise 5% to €754 million and REBITDA increase 14% to €195 million, while the Functional Polymers segment reported sales of €387 million and REBITDA of €30 million, down 14% and 24% respectively on 1Q 2014 figures. Contact: Solvay SA, Brussels, Belgium. Tel: +32 2 2642111, Web: www.solvay.com
A Schulman to move European shared service centre to Poland
M
asterbatch and compound producer A. Schulman, Inc is planning to move its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) shared service centre from Londerzeel in Belgium to Poznan in Poland. Plans call for this phased relocation to be completed by May 2016. The company expects the cost of this action to be approximately €7 million over the next 12 months. The move is expected to generate annual savings of approximately €5 million by fiscal 2017, when fully implemented. The decision to relocate the shared service centre is in line with Schulman’s on-going cost control initiatives and strategy
8
Additives for Polymers
‘to prudently and proactively manage the business’ by better balancing market trends and macroeconomic conditions, explains Heinrich Lingnau, VP and general manager, EMEA. ‘This organizational realignment decision was made after several months of careful consultation and a close examination of all alternatives. This action will enable us to enhance service levels to our customers and improve our cost structure; however, we understand that this decision will impact our teams and we are working diligently to support the transition of associates directly affected by this strategic decision’, he says. Schulman reports that its operations in Poland are ‘strong and growing’. ‘This action will not only benefit the region but will help to further develop our team in the country and leverage our previous success’, comments Isabel Casimiro, finance director, EMEA. The company has also recently appointed Tony Daponte as its first masterbatch R&D director for the Asia Pacific region. In this capacity, he will collaborate with the existing application centres in the region and assist in the development of an R&D facility dedicated to harnessing the technical know-how in the Asia Pacific. Daponte has served as Schulman’s R&D director Masterbatch for the EMEA region since 2001, contributing to the on-going development of ‘innovative products and value-adding properties’. In 2012, he also became the managing director of the company’s facility in Bornem, Belgium. The new appointment is indicative of the company’s commitment to advancing its R&D capabilities and innovation potential in the Asia Pacific region, says Derek Bristow, Schulman’s senior VP and general manager of Asia Pacific. According to Schulman, product innovation is ‘a critical component’ of its organic growth strategy. Through its global R&D centres, the company is able to accelerate the development of customer-centric solutions that address specific needs anywhere in the world, it says. Schulman provides customized masterbatch solutions that serve a diverse range of niche markets, including agriculture, appliances, mobility, building and construction, electrical & electronics, sports, leisure & home, and packaging. Contact: A. Schulman, Inc, Akron, OH, USA. Tel: +1 330 666 3751, Web: www.aschulman.com
Chemours completes spin-off from DuPont
D
uPont has completed the separation of its Performance Chemicals segment through the
August 2015