- Email: [email protected]
US: Albemarle – ATH
FOCUS have developed a new method for making DPP pigments, described as “red/green technology”, environmentfriendly and cost-effective. MCA recently signed a joint venture agreement with First Color Co (a South Korean pigments manufacturer) to establish a new DPP pigments plant in South Korea. No details have been released on the scale or target on-stream date for this project. In due course, the two companies hope to extend their partnership to cover the production and marketing of other high-performance organic pigments. Farbe und Lack, Jun 2005, 111 (6), 19 (in German)
Taiwan: Clariant – masterbatch Clariant has inaugurated a new manufacturing facility for black plastics masterbatch at Taoyuan. The facility is equipped with an extrusion line, producing high-quality nylon and polyester masterbatches that are used for making synthetic textile fibres. Also at the Taoyuan site, Clariant makes coloured masterbatch and various products for white semidull and full-dull fibres. The company also makes masterbatches for injection-moulded engineering resins here. The new line for black masterbatch is situated in a separate building in order to sustain consistent operations and avoid product contamination. Plastics and Rubber Asia, Jun 2005, 20 (134), 6
Taiwan: JSR – liquid crystals Following a ceremony marking the laying of the first cornerstone, JSR Micro Taiwan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Synthetic Rubber Corp (JSR), began construction work on its new factory for making liquid crystals in June. The location has been identified as Yunlin Foowei (not as reported in ‘Focus on Pigments’, May 2005, 5). The factory will produce the colour pigment dispersed resists incorporated in LCD screens. Press release from: JSR Corp, Japan. Website: http://www.jsr.co.jp (1 Jun 2005)
UK: Clariant – masterbatch Clariant Masterbatches has centralised all its UK activities at Wigan. Production at the Watford site
6
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PIGMENTS
ceased at the end of July 2004, though for a while the company retained a warehouse and customer service office at the Watford site. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2004, 6). Clariant vacated its Watford premises at the end of June 2005 and the five remaining employees were offered transfers to Wigan. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 8 Apr 2005, 3
US: Albemarle – ATH Albemarle plans to convert a former zeolite plant at Pasadena (Texas) into a 25,000 tonnes/y fine precipitated alumina trihydrate (ATH) plant. The project should be completed next year and it will lift Albemarle’s ATH capacity by 20%. Chemical and Engineering News, 13 Jun 2005, 83 (24), 10-11 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)
US: Degussa – fumed silica Degussa has started-up a new fumed silica dispersions plant at Mobile, AL. Initially, this plant will make waterbased dispersions of fumed silica. It can also be readily adapted for the production of dispersions of fumed alumina, fumed titania and fumed mixed metal oxides. Chemical Week, 8 Jun 2005, 167 (19)
US: O’Neil – plastics colorants O’Neil Color & Compounding has added 9000 tonnes/y of plastics compounding capacity by installing new production lines at its New Jersey and Tennessee plants. The new investment will support the company’s determination to increase sales of colour concentrates and speciality TPE compounds. Plastics Additives and Compounding, May/Jun 2005, 7 (3), 8
Vietnam: Avireco & Viet-My & Lidisaco – TiO2 pigment, using Altair process The Vietnamese Government has officially approved the Avireco joint venture project designed to convert indigenous ilmenite into TiO2 pigment, employing the Altair hydrochloride process. Avireco is a US-based company, jointly owned by US and Vietnamese interests, which already mines ilmenite for sale to domestic
and export customers. Avireco has a 50% stake in the pigment joint venture. Viet-My Co (a locally owned company) has a 40% stake. Lidisaco (part of the Government’s Mineral Resources Department) has a 10% stake. The plant will have an initial capacity for making 10,000 tonnes/y of TiO2 pigment and it will be located in the southern province of Binh Thuan. Construction is scheduled to begin in 3Q 2005, with pigment production due to commence in 3Q 2006. Industrial Minerals, Jun 2005, (453) & TiO2 Worldwide Update, May/Jun 2005, 13 (3), 23
COMPANIES Aceto identifies Chemicals & Colorants as a core business Aceto Corp plans to concentrate on its three core segments – Health Sciences, Agrochemicals and Chemicals & Colorants. The company is a global leader in the distribution and marketing of various biopharmaceuticals, chemicallyderived pharmaceuticals and speciality chemicals, which are used as raw materials in the agricultural, healthcare and paint and ink sectors. Its business in Landfill Odorend, Aceto’s patent-pending landfill odour control product, will be incorporated into the Chemicals & Colorants segment. Trials have confirmed that using Landfill Odorend can reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions by 85%. To underline its strategy of concentrating on core businesses, Aceto plans to sell off its Institutional Sanitary Supplies, which makes cleaning solutions, fragrances and deodorants for the commercial and industrial sector. ISS contributed $5.7 M to the Aceto group’s total sales revenue of $76.5 M for the year to end-June 2004. Press Release from: Aceto Corp, One Hollow Lane, Lake Success, NY 11042, USA, Website: http://www.aceto.com (2 Jun 2005)
BASF & Sakai to collaborate on TiO2 for cosmetics BASF and Sakai Chemical have announced plans to collaborate in a global alliance on the development of a new range of ultrafine grades of
JULY 2005
Taiwan: Clariant – masterbatch Clariant has inaugurated a new manufacturing facility for black plastics masterbatch at Taoyuan. The facility is equipped with an extrusion line, producing high-quality nylon and polyester masterbatches that are used for making synthetic textile fibres. Also at the Taoyuan site, Clariant makes coloured masterbatch and various products for white semidull and full-dull fibres. The company also makes masterbatches for injection-moulded engineering resins here. The new line for black masterbatch is situated in a separate building in order to sustain consistent operations and avoid product contamination. Plastics and Rubber Asia, Jun 2005, 20 (134), 6
Taiwan: JSR – liquid crystals Following a ceremony marking the laying of the first cornerstone, JSR Micro Taiwan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Synthetic Rubber Corp (JSR), began construction work on its new factory for making liquid crystals in June. The location has been identified as Yunlin Foowei (not as reported in ‘Focus on Pigments’, May 2005, 5). The factory will produce the colour pigment dispersed resists incorporated in LCD screens. Press release from: JSR Corp, Japan. Website: http://www.jsr.co.jp (1 Jun 2005)
UK: Clariant – masterbatch Clariant Masterbatches has centralised all its UK activities at Wigan. Production at the Watford site
6
ON
PIGMENTS
ceased at the end of July 2004, though for a while the company retained a warehouse and customer service office at the Watford site. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2004, 6). Clariant vacated its Watford premises at the end of June 2005 and the five remaining employees were offered transfers to Wigan. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 8 Apr 2005, 3
US: Albemarle – ATH Albemarle plans to convert a former zeolite plant at Pasadena (Texas) into a 25,000 tonnes/y fine precipitated alumina trihydrate (ATH) plant. The project should be completed next year and it will lift Albemarle’s ATH capacity by 20%. Chemical and Engineering News, 13 Jun 2005, 83 (24), 10-11 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)
US: Degussa – fumed silica Degussa has started-up a new fumed silica dispersions plant at Mobile, AL. Initially, this plant will make waterbased dispersions of fumed silica. It can also be readily adapted for the production of dispersions of fumed alumina, fumed titania and fumed mixed metal oxides. Chemical Week, 8 Jun 2005, 167 (19)
US: O’Neil – plastics colorants O’Neil Color & Compounding has added 9000 tonnes/y of plastics compounding capacity by installing new production lines at its New Jersey and Tennessee plants. The new investment will support the company’s determination to increase sales of colour concentrates and speciality TPE compounds. Plastics Additives and Compounding, May/Jun 2005, 7 (3), 8
Vietnam: Avireco & Viet-My & Lidisaco – TiO2 pigment, using Altair process The Vietnamese Government has officially approved the Avireco joint venture project designed to convert indigenous ilmenite into TiO2 pigment, employing the Altair hydrochloride process. Avireco is a US-based company, jointly owned by US and Vietnamese interests, which already mines ilmenite for sale to domestic
and export customers. Avireco has a 50% stake in the pigment joint venture. Viet-My Co (a locally owned company) has a 40% stake. Lidisaco (part of the Government’s Mineral Resources Department) has a 10% stake. The plant will have an initial capacity for making 10,000 tonnes/y of TiO2 pigment and it will be located in the southern province of Binh Thuan. Construction is scheduled to begin in 3Q 2005, with pigment production due to commence in 3Q 2006. Industrial Minerals, Jun 2005, (453) & TiO2 Worldwide Update, May/Jun 2005, 13 (3), 23
COMPANIES Aceto identifies Chemicals & Colorants as a core business Aceto Corp plans to concentrate on its three core segments – Health Sciences, Agrochemicals and Chemicals & Colorants. The company is a global leader in the distribution and marketing of various biopharmaceuticals, chemicallyderived pharmaceuticals and speciality chemicals, which are used as raw materials in the agricultural, healthcare and paint and ink sectors. Its business in Landfill Odorend, Aceto’s patent-pending landfill odour control product, will be incorporated into the Chemicals & Colorants segment. Trials have confirmed that using Landfill Odorend can reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions by 85%. To underline its strategy of concentrating on core businesses, Aceto plans to sell off its Institutional Sanitary Supplies, which makes cleaning solutions, fragrances and deodorants for the commercial and industrial sector. ISS contributed $5.7 M to the Aceto group’s total sales revenue of $76.5 M for the year to end-June 2004. Press Release from: Aceto Corp, One Hollow Lane, Lake Success, NY 11042, USA, Website: http://www.aceto.com (2 Jun 2005)
BASF & Sakai to collaborate on TiO2 for cosmetics BASF and Sakai Chemical have announced plans to collaborate in a global alliance on the development of a new range of ultrafine grades of
JULY 2005