- Email: [email protected]
Albemarle to expand production of mineral flame retardants
Additives for Polymers
coupling technology involving an ethylene copolymer with anhydride functionality incorporated in its polymer backbone. This latest advance is reported to allow much higher levels of anhydride to be incorporated than in earlier grades, creating more sites for chemical links between cellulose fibres and the polymer matrix, which in turn enables a small amount of Fusabond W PC-576D to produce significant improvements in the composite’s performance. Contact: DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers, PO Box 80026, Wilmington, DE 19880-0026, USA; tel: +1-302-992-5225; fax: 1-302-992-3495; URL: www.dupont.com/ industrial-polymers/
GE offers dry silane coupling agent for mineral fillers GE Advanced Materials’ Silicones division has developed a dry silane coupling agent for hydrated mineral fillers. The company claims that Silquest FR-522 MB substantially eliminates the reduction of mechanical properties in filled plastics previously associated with high loadings of hydrated minerals. The new product is a dry silane masterbatch based on Silquest FR-522 on porous polymers carriers, the company says. It is described as a multicomponent coupling agent for halogen-free flame retardant, filled polyolefin and elastomeric compounds. Silquest FR-522 MB allows the use of halogen-free polymers, including polyolefin alloys, containing up to 70 wt% of hydrated mineral fillers. It may be used in compounds containing high levels of aluminium hydrate or magnesium hydroxide to provide a number of benefits, GE says. These include good flame retardancy and electrical properties. It is also possible to use untreated hydrated fillers. Improved mechanical properties are also possible, such as higher impact resistance, heat deformation resistance, tensile strength, elongation, flexural strength and environmental stress crack resistance. In addition, the dispersion of fillers is substantially improved and the bond formed between filler and resin is chemically resistant. During burning dripping is reported to be low or absent, and the product is said to be easy to handle. There is
4
July 2005
reduced die drool during cable extrusion and reduced moisture retention during storage. The main application areas for Silquest FR-522 MB are halogen-free flame retardant insulation and jacketing for wires and cables, and in extruded profiles and calendered sheets. It is also suitable for extruded electrical conduits. Contact: GE Advanced Materials, Pittsfield, MA, USA; tel: +1-413-448-6926; URL: www.geadvancedmaterials.com
COMPANY STRATEGIES Albemarle to expand production of mineral flame retardants Albemarle Corp will expand production capacities for its mineral-based flame retardants Martinal® fine precipitated aluminium trihydrate (ATH) and Magnifin® high-purity magnesium hydroxide in the USA and Austria, respectively. As part of this expansion, Albemarle will transform a former zeolite plant at its Pasadena, TX site into a production unit for fine precipitated ATH. Scheduled for completion in 2006, the plant’s projected annual capacity is set at 25 000 tonnes. This additional capacity boosts Albemarle’s global fine precipitated ATH production by more than 20% and will serve the needs of Albemarle’s existing customer base in North America. Martinal ATH is used as a flame retardant in wire and cable and various other plastics and rubber applications because of its recyclability and smoke-suppressant properties. To meet growing global demand for high-purity magnesium hydroxide flame retardants, MAGNIFIN Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co KG (MAGNIFIN) – the joint venture between Albemarle’s Martinswerk GmbH subsidiary and the RHI Group – has begun a process to double capacity at its Breitenau, Austria site from its start-up capacity of 10 000 tonnes per year. The expansion will take place in two stages, also to be completed in 2006. Specially formulated, coated and uncoated Magnifin magnesium hydroxide powders are used in a wide range of polymer
July 2005
applications, especially thermoplastic materials and elastomers requiring high processing temperatures – in excess of 200°C. Typical applications include energy and LAN data cables, automotive wire and cable, engineering thermoplastics (connectors), and construction foils. MAGNIFIN Magnesiaprodukte, founded in 1990, is a leading manufacturer of magnesium hydroxide, offering more than 20 different flame retardant fillers. All flame retardants are sold exclusively via Albemarle. Contact: Albemarle Corp, 451 Florida Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801-1765, USA; tel: +1225-388-7402; fax: +1-225-388-7848; URL: www.albemarle.com or www.magnifin.com
Alleghany sells World Minerals to Imerys USA Alleghany Corp has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of its worldwide industrial minerals business, World Minerals Inc, to Imerys USA, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Imerys, SA. Under the terms of the transaction, Alleghany will receive a purchase price of US$230 million in cash, subject to adjustment at closing for certain items that are expected to result in a net purchase price of approximately $215 million. Alleghany anticipates that the transaction will result in a modest after-tax gain. Subject to the customary closing conditions, including antitrust approvals, the transaction was expected to close by mid-July. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, World Minerals is principally engaged in the mining, production and sale of two industrial minerals, diatomite and perlite, which possess unusually light density, chemical inertness, high surface area and intricate structure. While the largest application area for these products is in filtration media for the beverage industry, they also have a range of other applications, including modification of the physical and optical properties of polymeric materials. The company’s products for polymers include ActivBlock™ anti-block agents for polyolefins. World Minerals operates 23 plants in North America, Latin America, Europe and China. It had sales of $285.4 million in 2004, up 7.2% on the
Additives for Polymers
previous year, and had nearly 1600 employees at the end of that year. Imerys, headquartered in Paris, France, is active in 41 countries with close to 260 industrial and commercial sites. The group achieved 2.9 billion sales in 2004. Contact: Alleghany Corp, New York, NY 10152, USA; tel: +1-212-752-1356; fax: +1212-759-8149; URL: www.alleghany.com Imerys SA, 154/156, rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris, France; tel: +33-1-4955-6300; fax: +33-1-4955-6301; URL: www.imerys.com
Pricing changes continue for bromine- and phosphorusbased flame retardants Albemarle Corp, Great Lakes Chemical Corp and Supresta have all raised their prices for selected flame retardants, with a focus on products used in construction applications. Albemarle has increased prices worldwide for Saytex® flame retardants used in construction and furnishing applications. Prices for the Saytex RB-79 family of products (brominated diols) have been increased by US$0.12/lb globally, while prices for Saytex HP 900 (hexabromocyclododecane; HBCD) and Saytex BCL 462 (dibromoethyldibromocyclohexane) are up by 5%. Prices for all Antiblaze® flame retardants (chloroalkyl phosphates, phosphates, and phosphonates) have been raised throughout the Americas by US$0.12/lb. These product lines help prevent fire in rigid foams used in insulation; flexible foams in furnishings; cellulosic products such as oriented strand board; and various paper products and other packaging materials. The company has also increased the minimum price of elemental bromine worldwide to US$2000 per tonne as demand for the raw material continues to outpace supply. At Great Lakes, prices for its Firemaster® 550/Firemaster 552 series (proprietary phosphorus- and bromine-based blend), tetrabromophthalic anhydride (PHT4) and tetrabromophthalic anhydride derivatives have been increased globally by up to US$0.15/lb. Like Albemarle, the company has raised the worldwide price for HBCD flame retardants by up to 5%. The
5
coupling technology involving an ethylene copolymer with anhydride functionality incorporated in its polymer backbone. This latest advance is reported to allow much higher levels of anhydride to be incorporated than in earlier grades, creating more sites for chemical links between cellulose fibres and the polymer matrix, which in turn enables a small amount of Fusabond W PC-576D to produce significant improvements in the composite’s performance. Contact: DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers, PO Box 80026, Wilmington, DE 19880-0026, USA; tel: +1-302-992-5225; fax: 1-302-992-3495; URL: www.dupont.com/ industrial-polymers/
GE offers dry silane coupling agent for mineral fillers GE Advanced Materials’ Silicones division has developed a dry silane coupling agent for hydrated mineral fillers. The company claims that Silquest FR-522 MB substantially eliminates the reduction of mechanical properties in filled plastics previously associated with high loadings of hydrated minerals. The new product is a dry silane masterbatch based on Silquest FR-522 on porous polymers carriers, the company says. It is described as a multicomponent coupling agent for halogen-free flame retardant, filled polyolefin and elastomeric compounds. Silquest FR-522 MB allows the use of halogen-free polymers, including polyolefin alloys, containing up to 70 wt% of hydrated mineral fillers. It may be used in compounds containing high levels of aluminium hydrate or magnesium hydroxide to provide a number of benefits, GE says. These include good flame retardancy and electrical properties. It is also possible to use untreated hydrated fillers. Improved mechanical properties are also possible, such as higher impact resistance, heat deformation resistance, tensile strength, elongation, flexural strength and environmental stress crack resistance. In addition, the dispersion of fillers is substantially improved and the bond formed between filler and resin is chemically resistant. During burning dripping is reported to be low or absent, and the product is said to be easy to handle. There is
4
July 2005
reduced die drool during cable extrusion and reduced moisture retention during storage. The main application areas for Silquest FR-522 MB are halogen-free flame retardant insulation and jacketing for wires and cables, and in extruded profiles and calendered sheets. It is also suitable for extruded electrical conduits. Contact: GE Advanced Materials, Pittsfield, MA, USA; tel: +1-413-448-6926; URL: www.geadvancedmaterials.com
COMPANY STRATEGIES Albemarle to expand production of mineral flame retardants Albemarle Corp will expand production capacities for its mineral-based flame retardants Martinal® fine precipitated aluminium trihydrate (ATH) and Magnifin® high-purity magnesium hydroxide in the USA and Austria, respectively. As part of this expansion, Albemarle will transform a former zeolite plant at its Pasadena, TX site into a production unit for fine precipitated ATH. Scheduled for completion in 2006, the plant’s projected annual capacity is set at 25 000 tonnes. This additional capacity boosts Albemarle’s global fine precipitated ATH production by more than 20% and will serve the needs of Albemarle’s existing customer base in North America. Martinal ATH is used as a flame retardant in wire and cable and various other plastics and rubber applications because of its recyclability and smoke-suppressant properties. To meet growing global demand for high-purity magnesium hydroxide flame retardants, MAGNIFIN Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co KG (MAGNIFIN) – the joint venture between Albemarle’s Martinswerk GmbH subsidiary and the RHI Group – has begun a process to double capacity at its Breitenau, Austria site from its start-up capacity of 10 000 tonnes per year. The expansion will take place in two stages, also to be completed in 2006. Specially formulated, coated and uncoated Magnifin magnesium hydroxide powders are used in a wide range of polymer
July 2005
applications, especially thermoplastic materials and elastomers requiring high processing temperatures – in excess of 200°C. Typical applications include energy and LAN data cables, automotive wire and cable, engineering thermoplastics (connectors), and construction foils. MAGNIFIN Magnesiaprodukte, founded in 1990, is a leading manufacturer of magnesium hydroxide, offering more than 20 different flame retardant fillers. All flame retardants are sold exclusively via Albemarle. Contact: Albemarle Corp, 451 Florida Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801-1765, USA; tel: +1225-388-7402; fax: +1-225-388-7848; URL: www.albemarle.com or www.magnifin.com
Alleghany sells World Minerals to Imerys USA Alleghany Corp has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of its worldwide industrial minerals business, World Minerals Inc, to Imerys USA, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Imerys, SA. Under the terms of the transaction, Alleghany will receive a purchase price of US$230 million in cash, subject to adjustment at closing for certain items that are expected to result in a net purchase price of approximately $215 million. Alleghany anticipates that the transaction will result in a modest after-tax gain. Subject to the customary closing conditions, including antitrust approvals, the transaction was expected to close by mid-July. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, World Minerals is principally engaged in the mining, production and sale of two industrial minerals, diatomite and perlite, which possess unusually light density, chemical inertness, high surface area and intricate structure. While the largest application area for these products is in filtration media for the beverage industry, they also have a range of other applications, including modification of the physical and optical properties of polymeric materials. The company’s products for polymers include ActivBlock™ anti-block agents for polyolefins. World Minerals operates 23 plants in North America, Latin America, Europe and China. It had sales of $285.4 million in 2004, up 7.2% on the
Additives for Polymers
previous year, and had nearly 1600 employees at the end of that year. Imerys, headquartered in Paris, France, is active in 41 countries with close to 260 industrial and commercial sites. The group achieved 2.9 billion sales in 2004. Contact: Alleghany Corp, New York, NY 10152, USA; tel: +1-212-752-1356; fax: +1212-759-8149; URL: www.alleghany.com Imerys SA, 154/156, rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris, France; tel: +33-1-4955-6300; fax: +33-1-4955-6301; URL: www.imerys.com
Pricing changes continue for bromine- and phosphorusbased flame retardants Albemarle Corp, Great Lakes Chemical Corp and Supresta have all raised their prices for selected flame retardants, with a focus on products used in construction applications. Albemarle has increased prices worldwide for Saytex® flame retardants used in construction and furnishing applications. Prices for the Saytex RB-79 family of products (brominated diols) have been increased by US$0.12/lb globally, while prices for Saytex HP 900 (hexabromocyclododecane; HBCD) and Saytex BCL 462 (dibromoethyldibromocyclohexane) are up by 5%. Prices for all Antiblaze® flame retardants (chloroalkyl phosphates, phosphates, and phosphonates) have been raised throughout the Americas by US$0.12/lb. These product lines help prevent fire in rigid foams used in insulation; flexible foams in furnishings; cellulosic products such as oriented strand board; and various paper products and other packaging materials. The company has also increased the minimum price of elemental bromine worldwide to US$2000 per tonne as demand for the raw material continues to outpace supply. At Great Lakes, prices for its Firemaster® 550/Firemaster 552 series (proprietary phosphorus- and bromine-based blend), tetrabromophthalic anhydride (PHT4) and tetrabromophthalic anhydride derivatives have been increased globally by up to US$0.15/lb. Like Albemarle, the company has raised the worldwide price for HBCD flame retardants by up to 5%. The
5