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Sun's pearlescents to be sold by Jan Dekker
F O C US about to be floated off as a separate entity, named Tronox Inc. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Nov 2005, 6). Majemac has been Kerr-McGee’s distributor in Florida since 1980. Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), Oct 2005, 21 (10), 20
Nordmann Rassmann to sell for Sachtleben Sachtleben Chemie has appointed Nordmann Rassmann (of Hamburg) as a sales agent for its white pigments based on TiO2, zinc sulfide and lithopone, with respect to German customers in the plastics, rubber and elastomers sector. The arrangement also covers Sachtleben’s nanoparticulate grades of TiO2, which are used as ultraviolet absorbers in the plastic film and sheet sectors. Kautschuk und Gummi, Kunststoffe, Sep 2005, 58 (9), 414 (in German)
Omya’s purchase of Huber’s PCC assets scrutinised by EU anti-trust authority In March 2005, Omya (of Oftringen, Switzerland) announced that it had reached agreement with Huber Engineered Materials (HEM) to buy the latter’s precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) business, including 12 satellite units located on the same sites as customer paper mills in Brazil, Canada, Finland, Portugal, Russia and the US. The proposal was referred by the Finnish Competition Authority to the EU’s anti-trust authority. The Finnish authority estimated that acquisition would give Omya an 80-95% market share in calcium carbonate in Finland and a 70-85% market share in the European Economic Area. As a result of an initial 7-week investigation, which began on 5 August, the European Commission decided that a more detailed 4-month anti-trust examination would be required. It stated: “The Commission takes the view that there is a serious risk that effective competition will be impaired in these concentrated and complex markets and that a closer analysis is therefore necessary. This will focus on the possible creation of a dominant position or even of collective dominance amongst the players in the
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carbonates markets supplying the European paper industry”. The results of the detailed investigation should be released by 9 February 2006. Omya is already one of the world’s leading suppliers of GCC, with a total global capacity of 2.5-3.0 M tonnes/y. The company is currently expanding its GCC operation at Sylcauga, AL (in the US) and it recently increased its prominence in the Middle East and North Africa with a number of strategic acquisitions. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2005, 7 & Oct 2005, 4). Huber intends to maintain a presence in the GCC sector, at least for the time being. Last year, Huber bought a GCC plant at Quincy, IL from Omya, but it is now evaluating the feasibility of converting this plant to an alumina trihydrate (ATH) facility. Omya is a major distributor of Huber’s kaolin in European markets. Kaolin is shipped in dry bulk from Huber’s mines in Georgia (US) to two Omya-owned facilities in Germany, where the kaolin is converted into slurry for distribution throughout Europe. Several Finnish papermakers are key customers for this kaolin slurry. Omya already has a global PCC capacity of about 500,000 tonnes/y. Adding on the 12 satellite units from Huber would bring Omya’s total PCC capacity to 1.35 M tonnes/y. It would then be the European market leader in both PCC and GCC, as well as being a strong force in global kaolin markets. The other major multinational paper pigment suppliers – Imerys and Specialty Minerals Inc (SMI) – are reportedly troubled by the added influence that Omya would acquire as a result of integrating the Huber PCC business. Europe Information Environment, 30 Sep 2005, (686), II.2 (Europe Information Service sa, Avenue Ad Lacomble 66, B-1030, Brussels, Belgium, Website: http://www.eis.be) & Industrial Minerals, Nov 2005, (458), 11
Sun’s pearlescents to be sold by Jan Dekker Sun Chemicals has appointed Jan Dekker to sell its SunPearl and SunShine pearlescent pigments in the UK. SPC, Soap Perfumery and Cosmetics, Oct 2005, 78 (10), 5
LITIGATION Patent dispute settled on DuPont R-104 versus Kronos 2500 DuPont Titanium Technologies and Kronos Worldwide Inc have settled their dispute over TiO2 pigment patent infringements concerning DuPont’s R104 grade and Kronos 2500 grade. Both products were launched onto the market fairly recently, aimed at meeting the particular requirements of customers making polyolefin masterbatches. As part of the settlement and in recognition of the validity and value of each other’s patents, the parties have cross-licensed each other’s patents worldwide in this field. The agreement also covers the use of these TiO2 pigments by customers in their particular applications, thus removing the risk for customers that they might incur unforeseen liabilities if the Courts had adjudicated on the dispute in favour of one company’s patent over the other’s. Press Release from: DuPont Titanium Technologies, Wilmington, DE 19880-0036, USA, Contact: Mr Kevin J Leary (Global Offering Manager, Plastics), Tel: +1 302 992 5261 & Kronos Worldwide, Cranbury, NJ, USA, Contact: Mr H Joseph Maas (President, Sales & Marketing), Tel: +1 609 860 6200 (31 Oct 2005)
Compensatory – but not punitive – damages awarded against DuPont (DeLisle) About 2000 people have filed lawsuits against DuPont alleging that their health has been damaged by releases of dioxins and/or compounds of arsenic, chromium or nickel from the 350,000 tonnes/y chloride-route TiO2 pigment plant at De Lisle, Mississippi. The first case to be heard involved Mr Glen Strong as plaintiff. Mr Strong and his family have lived near the DeLisle plant ever since it opened in 1979. He was obliged to retire from his job as county sheriff in 1998, after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (blood cancer). He claims that a major contributory factor was his exposure to pollutants released from the DeLisle plant, including dioxins and/or compounds of arsenic, chromium and nickel. The pollutants are alleged to have been released into the soil, water and air, becoming
DECEMBER 2005
Nordmann Rassmann to sell for Sachtleben Sachtleben Chemie has appointed Nordmann Rassmann (of Hamburg) as a sales agent for its white pigments based on TiO2, zinc sulfide and lithopone, with respect to German customers in the plastics, rubber and elastomers sector. The arrangement also covers Sachtleben’s nanoparticulate grades of TiO2, which are used as ultraviolet absorbers in the plastic film and sheet sectors. Kautschuk und Gummi, Kunststoffe, Sep 2005, 58 (9), 414 (in German)
Omya’s purchase of Huber’s PCC assets scrutinised by EU anti-trust authority In March 2005, Omya (of Oftringen, Switzerland) announced that it had reached agreement with Huber Engineered Materials (HEM) to buy the latter’s precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) business, including 12 satellite units located on the same sites as customer paper mills in Brazil, Canada, Finland, Portugal, Russia and the US. The proposal was referred by the Finnish Competition Authority to the EU’s anti-trust authority. The Finnish authority estimated that acquisition would give Omya an 80-95% market share in calcium carbonate in Finland and a 70-85% market share in the European Economic Area. As a result of an initial 7-week investigation, which began on 5 August, the European Commission decided that a more detailed 4-month anti-trust examination would be required. It stated: “The Commission takes the view that there is a serious risk that effective competition will be impaired in these concentrated and complex markets and that a closer analysis is therefore necessary. This will focus on the possible creation of a dominant position or even of collective dominance amongst the players in the
6
O N
PIGMENTS
carbonates markets supplying the European paper industry”. The results of the detailed investigation should be released by 9 February 2006. Omya is already one of the world’s leading suppliers of GCC, with a total global capacity of 2.5-3.0 M tonnes/y. The company is currently expanding its GCC operation at Sylcauga, AL (in the US) and it recently increased its prominence in the Middle East and North Africa with a number of strategic acquisitions. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2005, 7 & Oct 2005, 4). Huber intends to maintain a presence in the GCC sector, at least for the time being. Last year, Huber bought a GCC plant at Quincy, IL from Omya, but it is now evaluating the feasibility of converting this plant to an alumina trihydrate (ATH) facility. Omya is a major distributor of Huber’s kaolin in European markets. Kaolin is shipped in dry bulk from Huber’s mines in Georgia (US) to two Omya-owned facilities in Germany, where the kaolin is converted into slurry for distribution throughout Europe. Several Finnish papermakers are key customers for this kaolin slurry. Omya already has a global PCC capacity of about 500,000 tonnes/y. Adding on the 12 satellite units from Huber would bring Omya’s total PCC capacity to 1.35 M tonnes/y. It would then be the European market leader in both PCC and GCC, as well as being a strong force in global kaolin markets. The other major multinational paper pigment suppliers – Imerys and Specialty Minerals Inc (SMI) – are reportedly troubled by the added influence that Omya would acquire as a result of integrating the Huber PCC business. Europe Information Environment, 30 Sep 2005, (686), II.2 (Europe Information Service sa, Avenue Ad Lacomble 66, B-1030, Brussels, Belgium, Website: http://www.eis.be) & Industrial Minerals, Nov 2005, (458), 11
Sun’s pearlescents to be sold by Jan Dekker Sun Chemicals has appointed Jan Dekker to sell its SunPearl and SunShine pearlescent pigments in the UK. SPC, Soap Perfumery and Cosmetics, Oct 2005, 78 (10), 5
LITIGATION Patent dispute settled on DuPont R-104 versus Kronos 2500 DuPont Titanium Technologies and Kronos Worldwide Inc have settled their dispute over TiO2 pigment patent infringements concerning DuPont’s R104 grade and Kronos 2500 grade. Both products were launched onto the market fairly recently, aimed at meeting the particular requirements of customers making polyolefin masterbatches. As part of the settlement and in recognition of the validity and value of each other’s patents, the parties have cross-licensed each other’s patents worldwide in this field. The agreement also covers the use of these TiO2 pigments by customers in their particular applications, thus removing the risk for customers that they might incur unforeseen liabilities if the Courts had adjudicated on the dispute in favour of one company’s patent over the other’s. Press Release from: DuPont Titanium Technologies, Wilmington, DE 19880-0036, USA, Contact: Mr Kevin J Leary (Global Offering Manager, Plastics), Tel: +1 302 992 5261 & Kronos Worldwide, Cranbury, NJ, USA, Contact: Mr H Joseph Maas (President, Sales & Marketing), Tel: +1 609 860 6200 (31 Oct 2005)
Compensatory – but not punitive – damages awarded against DuPont (DeLisle) About 2000 people have filed lawsuits against DuPont alleging that their health has been damaged by releases of dioxins and/or compounds of arsenic, chromium or nickel from the 350,000 tonnes/y chloride-route TiO2 pigment plant at De Lisle, Mississippi. The first case to be heard involved Mr Glen Strong as plaintiff. Mr Strong and his family have lived near the DeLisle plant ever since it opened in 1979. He was obliged to retire from his job as county sheriff in 1998, after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (blood cancer). He claims that a major contributory factor was his exposure to pollutants released from the DeLisle plant, including dioxins and/or compounds of arsenic, chromium and nickel. The pollutants are alleged to have been released into the soil, water and air, becoming
DECEMBER 2005