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Brazil: Cromex – plastics masterbatch
FOCUS previous record for colorant exports out of Brazil. During the first eight months of 2004, its exports were 30% higher than in the corresponding period of 2003. Major recipients of exports from Clariant’s Brazilian operations were the United States, Switzerland, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey. Gazeta Mercantil, 21 Oct 2004, (Website: http://www.gazeta.com.br)
Brazil: Cromex – plastics masterbatch According to ‘EPN’, Cromex – the leading Brazilian masterbatch producer – can now produce over 75,000 tonnes/y of colour concentrates. If this is correct, it indicates very rapid growth over the past ten years. The previous news on Cromex noted plans to lift its capacity from 9600 tonnes/y to 13,200 tonnes/y. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 1996, 3). The company offers black, white, colour and additive masterbatches and has developed a database of more than 15,000 different colour formulations. European Plastics News, Oct 2004, 31 (9), 30
ON
PIGMENTS
China: DIC – organic pigments, ink intermediates, textile colorants & paint resins Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC, of Tokyo) currently has three projects underway in China. At Nantong (Jiangsu province), the company early last year opened plants for making 2500 tonnes/y of organic pigments and 4500 tonnes/y of intermediates for use in the manufacture of printing inks. Debottlenecking of these facilities is planned, so that by 2010 Nantong will be contributing ¥6 bn per annum to DIC’s worldwide sales. At Zhangjiagang (also in Jiangsu province), DIC plans to commission a textile colorants facility next year. This will be part of a major chemical complex, which will also include plants for making electroconductive and magnetic resin compounds, urethane resins and paint resins. By 2008 Zhangjiagang should be contributing ¥8 bn per annum to DIC’s worldwide sales. At Zhongshan (Guangdong province), DIC brought on-stream a new addition to its paint resins plant. Further expansion here is planned. Japan Chemical Week, 14 Oct 2004, 45 (2290), 12
Brazil: Degussa – carbon black Degussa’s carbon black plant at Paulinia (about 120 km northwest of Sao Paulo) came on-stream towards the end of 2003, with an initial capacity of 50,000 tonnes/y. Continued rapid growth in Latin American demand for carbon black is prompting Degussa to consider adding a further 30,000-50,000 tonnes/y of capacity here. European Rubber Journal, Nov 2004, 186 (11), 13
Brazil: Engelhard & Monte Pascoal – kaolin Mineracao de Caulim Monte Pascoal began producing kaolin at Monte Pascoal in 1993. Now, in partnership with Engelhard, the company plans to spend $3 M on doubling the size of its kaolin mining and processing facilities over the next three years. Target production for the year 2008 is 96,000 tonnes/y. Gazeta Mercantil, 22 Oct 2004 (Website: http://www.gazeta.com.br)
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China: Hansen – natural food colorants Christian Hansen A/S is nearing commissioning of a new plant for making natural food colorants plant at Tianjin. About 10 people will be employed here. Hansen has been selling natural food colorants in the Chinese market since the mid-1990s and its annual sales to this market are in excess of $150 M. According to Hansen, Chinese customers are averse to synthetic food ingredients. They typically want high-quality healthy food products, locally produced with natural ingredients. For example, at its new Tianjin plant, Hansen is producing red pigments derived from grapes as an additive for fruit juices. As well as offering high tinting strength, these pigments provide all the health benefits of red wine, without the side-effects of alcohol. Investment in the Tianjin plant amounted to about $1 M and the company has made it clear that the ongoing success of this project should augur well for larger investments in
the future. Hansen is also planning to promote sales of probiotic bacterial cultures within the Chinese food industry. Dagbladet Borsen, 18 Oct 2004, 109 (201 FodevareSundhed Supplement), 8 (in Danish)
China: Okuno – inorganic glass pigments Okuno Chemical Industries (of Japan) and an unidentified local company recently completed the first stage of building a new joint venture chemical complex in Zhejiang province. The first stage entailed the commissioning of a 30,000 tonnes/y plant for making food additives. In later years, Okuno will install a 10,000 tonnes/y plant for making inorganic pigments for colouring glass. Japan Chemical Week, 7 Oct 2004, 45 (2289), 2
France: Holliday Pigments – ultramarine Holliday Pigments (part of the Yule Catto group) has officially inaugurated a flue gas desulfurisation facility at its Comines ultramarine plant in northern France. A similar flue gas desulfurisation facility was installed a few years ago at Holliday’s other major ultramarine plant at Hull in northeast England. The desulfurisation facilities employ a twostage catalytic conversion process, with platinum and vanadium pentoxide catalysts, and the sulfur oxides are converted to high-quality sulfuric acid at 96% concentration. As a result of installing the desulfurisation facilities, Holliday has reduced sulfur oxide emissions (intrinsic in the ultramarine manufacturing process) by more than 99.5%. Press release from: Holliday Pigments Ltd, c/o Citigate SMARTS, Blackfriars House, The Parsonage, Deansgate, Manchester, UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 829 0740 (7 Oct 2004)
Germany: Albemarle – ATH Albemarle will step up its capacity for making alumina trihydrate (ATH) at Bergheim by 10,000 tonnes/y. ATH is widely used as a white pigment and flame retardant in the wire and cable, coatings, plastics and decorative laminate sectors. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 22 Oct 2004, 2
NOVEMBER 2004
Brazil: Cromex – plastics masterbatch According to ‘EPN’, Cromex – the leading Brazilian masterbatch producer – can now produce over 75,000 tonnes/y of colour concentrates. If this is correct, it indicates very rapid growth over the past ten years. The previous news on Cromex noted plans to lift its capacity from 9600 tonnes/y to 13,200 tonnes/y. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 1996, 3). The company offers black, white, colour and additive masterbatches and has developed a database of more than 15,000 different colour formulations. European Plastics News, Oct 2004, 31 (9), 30
ON
PIGMENTS
China: DIC – organic pigments, ink intermediates, textile colorants & paint resins Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC, of Tokyo) currently has three projects underway in China. At Nantong (Jiangsu province), the company early last year opened plants for making 2500 tonnes/y of organic pigments and 4500 tonnes/y of intermediates for use in the manufacture of printing inks. Debottlenecking of these facilities is planned, so that by 2010 Nantong will be contributing ¥6 bn per annum to DIC’s worldwide sales. At Zhangjiagang (also in Jiangsu province), DIC plans to commission a textile colorants facility next year. This will be part of a major chemical complex, which will also include plants for making electroconductive and magnetic resin compounds, urethane resins and paint resins. By 2008 Zhangjiagang should be contributing ¥8 bn per annum to DIC’s worldwide sales. At Zhongshan (Guangdong province), DIC brought on-stream a new addition to its paint resins plant. Further expansion here is planned. Japan Chemical Week, 14 Oct 2004, 45 (2290), 12
Brazil: Degussa – carbon black Degussa’s carbon black plant at Paulinia (about 120 km northwest of Sao Paulo) came on-stream towards the end of 2003, with an initial capacity of 50,000 tonnes/y. Continued rapid growth in Latin American demand for carbon black is prompting Degussa to consider adding a further 30,000-50,000 tonnes/y of capacity here. European Rubber Journal, Nov 2004, 186 (11), 13
Brazil: Engelhard & Monte Pascoal – kaolin Mineracao de Caulim Monte Pascoal began producing kaolin at Monte Pascoal in 1993. Now, in partnership with Engelhard, the company plans to spend $3 M on doubling the size of its kaolin mining and processing facilities over the next three years. Target production for the year 2008 is 96,000 tonnes/y. Gazeta Mercantil, 22 Oct 2004 (Website: http://www.gazeta.com.br)
4
China: Hansen – natural food colorants Christian Hansen A/S is nearing commissioning of a new plant for making natural food colorants plant at Tianjin. About 10 people will be employed here. Hansen has been selling natural food colorants in the Chinese market since the mid-1990s and its annual sales to this market are in excess of $150 M. According to Hansen, Chinese customers are averse to synthetic food ingredients. They typically want high-quality healthy food products, locally produced with natural ingredients. For example, at its new Tianjin plant, Hansen is producing red pigments derived from grapes as an additive for fruit juices. As well as offering high tinting strength, these pigments provide all the health benefits of red wine, without the side-effects of alcohol. Investment in the Tianjin plant amounted to about $1 M and the company has made it clear that the ongoing success of this project should augur well for larger investments in
the future. Hansen is also planning to promote sales of probiotic bacterial cultures within the Chinese food industry. Dagbladet Borsen, 18 Oct 2004, 109 (201 FodevareSundhed Supplement), 8 (in Danish)
China: Okuno – inorganic glass pigments Okuno Chemical Industries (of Japan) and an unidentified local company recently completed the first stage of building a new joint venture chemical complex in Zhejiang province. The first stage entailed the commissioning of a 30,000 tonnes/y plant for making food additives. In later years, Okuno will install a 10,000 tonnes/y plant for making inorganic pigments for colouring glass. Japan Chemical Week, 7 Oct 2004, 45 (2289), 2
France: Holliday Pigments – ultramarine Holliday Pigments (part of the Yule Catto group) has officially inaugurated a flue gas desulfurisation facility at its Comines ultramarine plant in northern France. A similar flue gas desulfurisation facility was installed a few years ago at Holliday’s other major ultramarine plant at Hull in northeast England. The desulfurisation facilities employ a twostage catalytic conversion process, with platinum and vanadium pentoxide catalysts, and the sulfur oxides are converted to high-quality sulfuric acid at 96% concentration. As a result of installing the desulfurisation facilities, Holliday has reduced sulfur oxide emissions (intrinsic in the ultramarine manufacturing process) by more than 99.5%. Press release from: Holliday Pigments Ltd, c/o Citigate SMARTS, Blackfriars House, The Parsonage, Deansgate, Manchester, UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 829 0740 (7 Oct 2004)
Germany: Albemarle – ATH Albemarle will step up its capacity for making alumina trihydrate (ATH) at Bergheim by 10,000 tonnes/y. ATH is widely used as a white pigment and flame retardant in the wire and cable, coatings, plastics and decorative laminate sectors. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 22 Oct 2004, 2
NOVEMBER 2004