- Email: [email protected]
BYK gains new production location
STRATEGIES
....continued from front page In December, the newly constituted 12-member supervisory board of BASF SE, comprising six shareholder representatives and six employee representatives, appointed members of the new board of executive directors with Dr Jürgen Hambrecht appointed as chairman. The transformed company has also established a new European works council (BASF Europa Betriebsrat) consisting of 23 members from 12 European countries. The headquarters and chief administrative offices of BASF SE will remain in Ludwigshafen. Contact: BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Tel: +49 621 60 0, Web: www.basf.com
PolyOne opens French design centre, introduces permanent antistatic compound
P
olymer materials firm PolyOne Corp has opened a second European colour design centre in Cergy, near Paris in France. The Cergy facility will specialize in serving the European packaging market, and features state-of-the-art equipment developed to replicate actual manufacturing conditions.
PolyOne’s two European colour design centres have complementary capabilities. The first, opened in Assesse, Belgium, in April 2007, includes PET processing capabilities and offers pre-form injection and blow moulding prototyping. The Cergy facility will help validate the compatibility of additives and colour solutions primarily for polyolefins, the company says. The new centre has both a bi-layer blow moulding line and a multi-layer cast film line. According to Christoph Palm, PolyOne general manager of Color and Additives in Europe, ‘Through the resources of our new design centre, we help our customers understand both colour and polymer technology in an environment that stimulates creativity and innovation’. By prototyping on production-like machines, packaging designers and converters will have the capability to develop unique products more quickly and efficiently than before, he says.
6
Additives for Polymers
In other news, PolyOne Corp has launched new OnCap™ compounds featuring permanent antistatic characteristics. Fully compatible with polyolefins, the new compounds are said to be ideally suited for use in co-extrusion applications. Antistatics prevent the build-up of a high electrostatic charge on the surface of the end product. Antistatic properties provide both aesthetic benefits (reduced dust contamination) and security benefits (reduced risk of static-induced electrical discharge). Antistatic agents migrate to the surface of the end product, reducing surface resistivity and dissipating electric charge densities. PolyOne says the new OnCap compounds provide excellent permanent properties with little bleeding and excellent processability and miscibility with polyolefins. They also offer ease of use, as they can be used directly at the machine without any need for mixing. Customers also benefit from the excellent homogeneity of the antistatic agent in the compound, while the problems of delamination sometimes observed in co-extruded multilayer films are avoided, the company claims. In addition to its ready-to-use grades, PolyOne can also develop compounds formulated specifically for customer needs and applications. Suitable applications include fibres, multilayer films, pipes, raffia tapes, sheet extrusion, stretch film, and wire and cable. The company also recently announced a ‘No Surprises Pledge’, assuring customers of its commitment to safe, environmentally sound solutions. The pledge states that the materials PolyOne produces contain only ingredients that conform to accepted legal and regulatory compliance guidelines, and that the company will use sustainable practices in formulating and manufacturing its materials to enhance long-term product viability and foster environmental stewardship. PolyOne also pledges ‘to meet or exceed its self-imposed rigorous quality and safety management standards’ as well as the material safety data reporting requirements in effect in its customers’ countries or regions. Contact: PolyOne Corp, Avon Lake, OH, USA. Tel: +1 440 930 1000, Web: www.polyone.com
BYK gains new production location
A
dditives specialist BYK-Chemie GmbH, headquartered in Wesel, has gained a new production location in Germany. From the beginning
March 2008
STRATEGIES
of January, BYK has taken over the Kempen plant, grounds and staff formerly employed by fellow Altana subsidiary Elantas Beck of Hamburg.
The Kempen location was founded by Dr Horst Wiedeking in 1955 under the name Chemische Fabrik Mühlheim, and has been owned by the Altana group since 1988. BYK says it will initially use the plant for the manufacture of primary and intermediate products required for making additives. It also plans to expand the Kempen facility gradually, eventually manufacturing additives as well as preliminary products there. ‘The thinking behind this takeover is to secure long-term availability of several primary products that are crucially important for our own products’, explains Dr Roland Peter, division manager of BYK Additives & Instruments. Preliminary results from parent company Altana AG for full year 2007 indicate a 9% increase in annual sales to 445 million for BYK Additives & Instruments; this amounts to 32% of the company’s total. Sales of Eckart Effect Pigments climbed 7% to 363 million. Contact: BYK-Chemie GmbH, Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 0, Web: www.byk.com
Techmer PM opens new technical centre, applies nanoclay technology to polyamide films
T
ennessee-based supplier of colorants and additives Techmer PM has announced the completion of a new state-of-the-art technical centre as an addition to its existing laboratory.
Covering 2000 square feet (186 m2), the new facility is fitted with some of the most sophisticated scientific equipment for testing and analysing plastics, including films, fibre and mouldings, the company says. ‘Every possible instrument to expedite problem solving, as well as tools needed for research and product development, is available in the new centre’, says Abe Mor, Techmer PM’s VP of Technology. The wet chemistry analysis is located in a separate room to prevent any contamination, and weatherometer equipment is also enclosed in a protected environment. The larger area is designated for controlled temperature and humidity testing, and is expected to
March 2008
obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, says Mor. With the possibility of new government regulations imposing additional tests, the company says it took pains to ensure that its new laboratory was designed with versatility and long-term growth in mind. Techmer PM also recently reported what it described as a ‘breakthrough’ in using nanoclay particles to boost the properties of polyamide films. Major increases in physical properties were achieved in nylon 6 films with the addition of nanoclay at loadings as low as 2%, Mor says. Scant details of Techmer’s technology were revealed but it appears to involve control of the alignment of the exfoliated clay platelets, in addition to preventing clumping. With 2% nanoclay loading, the tensile strength of a 2-mil (0.05 mm) polyamide film increased 46% to 10 195 psi (70.3 MPa), and elongation increased by 38%, Mor says. This was achieved with only a 1.2% drop in the film’s clarity and a 2.2% drop in optical transmission, while haze decreased from 22% to 19%. With a 5% nanoclay loading, the 2-mil nylon 6 test film exhibited a 38% rise in tensile strength and 25% increase in elongation. Clarity declined from 82% to 53%, while haze increased to 33%. However, the higher nanoclay levels are expected to substantially improve the barrier properties of polyamide films, so the trade-off in optical properties may appeal to many customers, Mor believes. Techmer is now quantifying the performance of nanoclay films in terms of oxygen and water-vapour permeability and chemical resistance. Contact: Techmer PM, Clinton, USA. Tel: +1 865 457 6700, Web: www.techmerpm.com
Companies continue attempts to recoup costs through additive price increases
A
ntioxidants, plasticizers and titanium dioxide pigments are among the products affected by additional price rises in recent weeks. All listed changes are subject to the terms of existing contracts.
Cristal Global (www.cristalarabia.com and www. millenniumchem.com) has introduced price increases
Additives for Polymers
7
....continued from front page In December, the newly constituted 12-member supervisory board of BASF SE, comprising six shareholder representatives and six employee representatives, appointed members of the new board of executive directors with Dr Jürgen Hambrecht appointed as chairman. The transformed company has also established a new European works council (BASF Europa Betriebsrat) consisting of 23 members from 12 European countries. The headquarters and chief administrative offices of BASF SE will remain in Ludwigshafen. Contact: BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Tel: +49 621 60 0, Web: www.basf.com
PolyOne opens French design centre, introduces permanent antistatic compound
P
olymer materials firm PolyOne Corp has opened a second European colour design centre in Cergy, near Paris in France. The Cergy facility will specialize in serving the European packaging market, and features state-of-the-art equipment developed to replicate actual manufacturing conditions.
PolyOne’s two European colour design centres have complementary capabilities. The first, opened in Assesse, Belgium, in April 2007, includes PET processing capabilities and offers pre-form injection and blow moulding prototyping. The Cergy facility will help validate the compatibility of additives and colour solutions primarily for polyolefins, the company says. The new centre has both a bi-layer blow moulding line and a multi-layer cast film line. According to Christoph Palm, PolyOne general manager of Color and Additives in Europe, ‘Through the resources of our new design centre, we help our customers understand both colour and polymer technology in an environment that stimulates creativity and innovation’. By prototyping on production-like machines, packaging designers and converters will have the capability to develop unique products more quickly and efficiently than before, he says.
6
Additives for Polymers
In other news, PolyOne Corp has launched new OnCap™ compounds featuring permanent antistatic characteristics. Fully compatible with polyolefins, the new compounds are said to be ideally suited for use in co-extrusion applications. Antistatics prevent the build-up of a high electrostatic charge on the surface of the end product. Antistatic properties provide both aesthetic benefits (reduced dust contamination) and security benefits (reduced risk of static-induced electrical discharge). Antistatic agents migrate to the surface of the end product, reducing surface resistivity and dissipating electric charge densities. PolyOne says the new OnCap compounds provide excellent permanent properties with little bleeding and excellent processability and miscibility with polyolefins. They also offer ease of use, as they can be used directly at the machine without any need for mixing. Customers also benefit from the excellent homogeneity of the antistatic agent in the compound, while the problems of delamination sometimes observed in co-extruded multilayer films are avoided, the company claims. In addition to its ready-to-use grades, PolyOne can also develop compounds formulated specifically for customer needs and applications. Suitable applications include fibres, multilayer films, pipes, raffia tapes, sheet extrusion, stretch film, and wire and cable. The company also recently announced a ‘No Surprises Pledge’, assuring customers of its commitment to safe, environmentally sound solutions. The pledge states that the materials PolyOne produces contain only ingredients that conform to accepted legal and regulatory compliance guidelines, and that the company will use sustainable practices in formulating and manufacturing its materials to enhance long-term product viability and foster environmental stewardship. PolyOne also pledges ‘to meet or exceed its self-imposed rigorous quality and safety management standards’ as well as the material safety data reporting requirements in effect in its customers’ countries or regions. Contact: PolyOne Corp, Avon Lake, OH, USA. Tel: +1 440 930 1000, Web: www.polyone.com
BYK gains new production location
A
dditives specialist BYK-Chemie GmbH, headquartered in Wesel, has gained a new production location in Germany. From the beginning
March 2008
STRATEGIES
of January, BYK has taken over the Kempen plant, grounds and staff formerly employed by fellow Altana subsidiary Elantas Beck of Hamburg.
The Kempen location was founded by Dr Horst Wiedeking in 1955 under the name Chemische Fabrik Mühlheim, and has been owned by the Altana group since 1988. BYK says it will initially use the plant for the manufacture of primary and intermediate products required for making additives. It also plans to expand the Kempen facility gradually, eventually manufacturing additives as well as preliminary products there. ‘The thinking behind this takeover is to secure long-term availability of several primary products that are crucially important for our own products’, explains Dr Roland Peter, division manager of BYK Additives & Instruments. Preliminary results from parent company Altana AG for full year 2007 indicate a 9% increase in annual sales to 445 million for BYK Additives & Instruments; this amounts to 32% of the company’s total. Sales of Eckart Effect Pigments climbed 7% to 363 million. Contact: BYK-Chemie GmbH, Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 0, Web: www.byk.com
Techmer PM opens new technical centre, applies nanoclay technology to polyamide films
T
ennessee-based supplier of colorants and additives Techmer PM has announced the completion of a new state-of-the-art technical centre as an addition to its existing laboratory.
Covering 2000 square feet (186 m2), the new facility is fitted with some of the most sophisticated scientific equipment for testing and analysing plastics, including films, fibre and mouldings, the company says. ‘Every possible instrument to expedite problem solving, as well as tools needed for research and product development, is available in the new centre’, says Abe Mor, Techmer PM’s VP of Technology. The wet chemistry analysis is located in a separate room to prevent any contamination, and weatherometer equipment is also enclosed in a protected environment. The larger area is designated for controlled temperature and humidity testing, and is expected to
March 2008
obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, says Mor. With the possibility of new government regulations imposing additional tests, the company says it took pains to ensure that its new laboratory was designed with versatility and long-term growth in mind. Techmer PM also recently reported what it described as a ‘breakthrough’ in using nanoclay particles to boost the properties of polyamide films. Major increases in physical properties were achieved in nylon 6 films with the addition of nanoclay at loadings as low as 2%, Mor says. Scant details of Techmer’s technology were revealed but it appears to involve control of the alignment of the exfoliated clay platelets, in addition to preventing clumping. With 2% nanoclay loading, the tensile strength of a 2-mil (0.05 mm) polyamide film increased 46% to 10 195 psi (70.3 MPa), and elongation increased by 38%, Mor says. This was achieved with only a 1.2% drop in the film’s clarity and a 2.2% drop in optical transmission, while haze decreased from 22% to 19%. With a 5% nanoclay loading, the 2-mil nylon 6 test film exhibited a 38% rise in tensile strength and 25% increase in elongation. Clarity declined from 82% to 53%, while haze increased to 33%. However, the higher nanoclay levels are expected to substantially improve the barrier properties of polyamide films, so the trade-off in optical properties may appeal to many customers, Mor believes. Techmer is now quantifying the performance of nanoclay films in terms of oxygen and water-vapour permeability and chemical resistance. Contact: Techmer PM, Clinton, USA. Tel: +1 865 457 6700, Web: www.techmerpm.com
Companies continue attempts to recoup costs through additive price increases
A
ntioxidants, plasticizers and titanium dioxide pigments are among the products affected by additional price rises in recent weeks. All listed changes are subject to the terms of existing contracts.
Cristal Global (www.cristalarabia.com and www. millenniumchem.com) has introduced price increases
Additives for Polymers
7