- Email: [email protected]
Albis buys Addmaster's Biomaster technology for antimicrobial masterbatches
FOCUS India & Indonesia: Clariant – pigments & pigment preparations Clariant’s new pigment preparations unit at Tangerang (30 km west of Jakarta, Indonesia) is expected to come on-stream in September 2013, doubling capacity at this site. Clariant is also finalising the feasibility study for expanding by 50% its azo pigments and pigment preparations plants at Roha (120 km south of Mumbai and 120 km west of Pune, India) Clariant’s marketing and sales organisation in China, India and Indonesia will be doubled during 2013, with the company planning to invest SFR 8 M to enhance its position in these three countries. The addition of Regional Product Managers for both azo pigments and pigment preparations will strengthen this support. Mr Marco Cenisio (Senior Vice President & General Manager Business Unit Pigments) commented: “These initial steps are the first in a broader strategy to invest and develop our capabilities in China, India and Indonesia in order to better serve our customers and to provide them with the high quality products and superior technical support they need to be successful in growing their businesses. We expect to make further announcements regarding our additional plans for the region soon.” Original Source: Clariant International Ltd, Rothaustrasse 61, 4132 Muttenz 1, Switzerland, website: http://www.clariant.com (23 Apr 2013) © Clariant 2013
India: Heubach & Toyo Ink – azo pigments Heubach Colour Pvt Ltd, the whollyowned Indian subsidiary within the Heubach group (headquartered at Langelsheim, Germany), has signed an agreement with Toyo Ink (of Japan) to establish a joint venture, which will build a 2000 tonnes/y azo pigments plant at Heubach’s Ankleshwar complex (90 km south of Vadodara/ Baroda, Gujarat). The plant is scheduled to come on-stream in May 2014. Heubach opened its Ankleshwar complex in 1995 and it now produces a wide variety of pigments here, including classic red, blue, yellow and green pigments, as well as diketo-
6
ON
PIGMENTS
pyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP) and quinacridone. The alliance with Heubach should strengthen Toyo Ink’s sales of pigments in India and in other Asian markets. Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 5 Mar 2013, 150 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com/) © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2013
Thailand: Huntsman – reactive dyes The Textile Effects division of Huntsman Corp held a ceremony on 30 January to officially inaugurate the company’s new speciality synthesis unit at its Mahachai complex, near Samut Sakhon (35 km southwest of Bangkok). The new unit is designed to manufacture reactive dyes, notably products based on Huntsman’s proprietary fluorotriazine (CF-3) chemistry. Mr Paul Hulme (President, Textile Effects) said: “This synthesis unit is the only one in its class in terms of scale and quality of output, which underpins our drive to be a leader in technological innovation in our industry.” The new unit, plus upgrades of other facilities, absorbed $12.5 M worth of capital investment. Five years ago, Huntsman spent $5 M on the Mahachai complex, in order to make it a global centre for the manufacture of wool dyes. Original Source: Chemical Business (India), Feb 2013, 27 (2), 71 (Website: http://www.printsjournals.com/) © Prints India 2013
United Arab Emirates: Takreer – carbon black Kilburn Engineering (of Thane, India) has been awarded a $7.1 M contract by Samsung Engineering for the supply of pelletising and drying units for the two-line carbon black plant under construction at Ruwais (230 km west along the coast from Abu Dhabi city-centre). The plant is one of several new plants being built at the Ruwais refinery and petrochemicals complex of Takreer (aka Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co). According to Samsung, the carbon black plant will have a capacity of 30,000 tonnes/y and it should be operational by the end of 2015. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Sep 2012, 4). Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 16 Apr 2013, 144 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com/) © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2013
COMPANIES Albis buys Addmaster’s Biomaster technology for antimicrobial masterbatches Albis Plastic GmbH (of Hamburg) has signed a technical cooperation agreement with Addmaster (of Stafford, UK), whereby Albis will manufacture and market additive masterbatches and plastic compounds, employing Addmaster’s silver-based Biomaster technology for minimising the growth and spread of micro-organisms. The goal of the application is to equip plastics, without having to coat them, for hygienecritical areas. Albis is one of the top ten masterbatch suppliers in Europe, with plants at Hamburg, Zülpich (50 km southwest of Cologne) and Knutsford (30 km southwest of Manchester). Original Source: European Plastics News, 22 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.europeanplasticsnews.com/) © Crain Communications Inc 2013
BASF to shed 500 jobs in its Performance Products segment BASF has announced a programme for restructuring its Performance Products segment between now and 2015, which will entail the loss of 350 jobs in the Basel region of Switzerland and the loss of a further 150 jobs at other sites around the world. The company stated: “In some market segments, increasing standardisation and the entry of new competitors have changed the business environment significantly. This especially applies to the markets for plastic additives and pigments as well as for water, leather and textile chemicals.” In the Pigments & Resins business unit, European product and quality management and product safety will be pooled in Ludwigshafen. Global product management will in future be led from Hong Kong. In the Plastic Additives business, a more marketoriented approach will be introduced. Supporting functions, such as technology and strategy management will be consolidated in Ludwigshafen. This means that research activities in Basel will be scaled back and there will be less need for administrative services currently provided by the JUNE 2013
India: Heubach & Toyo Ink – azo pigments Heubach Colour Pvt Ltd, the whollyowned Indian subsidiary within the Heubach group (headquartered at Langelsheim, Germany), has signed an agreement with Toyo Ink (of Japan) to establish a joint venture, which will build a 2000 tonnes/y azo pigments plant at Heubach’s Ankleshwar complex (90 km south of Vadodara/ Baroda, Gujarat). The plant is scheduled to come on-stream in May 2014. Heubach opened its Ankleshwar complex in 1995 and it now produces a wide variety of pigments here, including classic red, blue, yellow and green pigments, as well as diketo-
6
ON
PIGMENTS
pyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP) and quinacridone. The alliance with Heubach should strengthen Toyo Ink’s sales of pigments in India and in other Asian markets. Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 5 Mar 2013, 150 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com/) © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2013
Thailand: Huntsman – reactive dyes The Textile Effects division of Huntsman Corp held a ceremony on 30 January to officially inaugurate the company’s new speciality synthesis unit at its Mahachai complex, near Samut Sakhon (35 km southwest of Bangkok). The new unit is designed to manufacture reactive dyes, notably products based on Huntsman’s proprietary fluorotriazine (CF-3) chemistry. Mr Paul Hulme (President, Textile Effects) said: “This synthesis unit is the only one in its class in terms of scale and quality of output, which underpins our drive to be a leader in technological innovation in our industry.” The new unit, plus upgrades of other facilities, absorbed $12.5 M worth of capital investment. Five years ago, Huntsman spent $5 M on the Mahachai complex, in order to make it a global centre for the manufacture of wool dyes. Original Source: Chemical Business (India), Feb 2013, 27 (2), 71 (Website: http://www.printsjournals.com/) © Prints India 2013
United Arab Emirates: Takreer – carbon black Kilburn Engineering (of Thane, India) has been awarded a $7.1 M contract by Samsung Engineering for the supply of pelletising and drying units for the two-line carbon black plant under construction at Ruwais (230 km west along the coast from Abu Dhabi city-centre). The plant is one of several new plants being built at the Ruwais refinery and petrochemicals complex of Takreer (aka Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Co). According to Samsung, the carbon black plant will have a capacity of 30,000 tonnes/y and it should be operational by the end of 2015. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Sep 2012, 4). Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 16 Apr 2013, 144 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com/) © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2013
COMPANIES Albis buys Addmaster’s Biomaster technology for antimicrobial masterbatches Albis Plastic GmbH (of Hamburg) has signed a technical cooperation agreement with Addmaster (of Stafford, UK), whereby Albis will manufacture and market additive masterbatches and plastic compounds, employing Addmaster’s silver-based Biomaster technology for minimising the growth and spread of micro-organisms. The goal of the application is to equip plastics, without having to coat them, for hygienecritical areas. Albis is one of the top ten masterbatch suppliers in Europe, with plants at Hamburg, Zülpich (50 km southwest of Cologne) and Knutsford (30 km southwest of Manchester). Original Source: European Plastics News, 22 Mar 2013, (Website: http://www.europeanplasticsnews.com/) © Crain Communications Inc 2013
BASF to shed 500 jobs in its Performance Products segment BASF has announced a programme for restructuring its Performance Products segment between now and 2015, which will entail the loss of 350 jobs in the Basel region of Switzerland and the loss of a further 150 jobs at other sites around the world. The company stated: “In some market segments, increasing standardisation and the entry of new competitors have changed the business environment significantly. This especially applies to the markets for plastic additives and pigments as well as for water, leather and textile chemicals.” In the Pigments & Resins business unit, European product and quality management and product safety will be pooled in Ludwigshafen. Global product management will in future be led from Hong Kong. In the Plastic Additives business, a more marketoriented approach will be introduced. Supporting functions, such as technology and strategy management will be consolidated in Ludwigshafen. This means that research activities in Basel will be scaled back and there will be less need for administrative services currently provided by the JUNE 2013