China

FOCUS Increase sought for duty on optical whiteners imported into Russia AO Pigment (of the Tambov region) is the country’s only producer of optical brighteners in powder form and it sells significant quantities to the Russian paper industry. In order to maintain price levels and product quality standards, AO Pigment has requested the Moscow Government to consider authorising an increase in import duties on optical brighteners brought in from abroad. The current level of duty in imported optical whiteners is 5%. The proposed level for 2005 would be 15% or at least €2 per kilo. Kommersant, 5 Mar 2004, (40), 16 (in Russian)

PLANTS Australia: Imerys – kaolin Imerys Australia produces about 50,000 tonnes/y of kaolin from the Pittong and Lal Lal mines, near Ballarat in Victoria. The Pittong deposit is a primary kaolinised granite deposit, where feldspar has been altered to create high-grade kaolin. The Lal Lal deposit consists of primary weathered granodiorite. This deposit was previously worked by Jupiter Mining until its purchase by English China Clays (now part of the Imerys group). Imerys also has title to a third area with kaolin potential, yet to be evaluated. Asian Ceramics, Mar 2004, 43

Brazil: Imerys – GCC, PCC & talc Imerys do Brasil is nearing completion of a 15% expansion of its ultrafine ground calcium carbonate (GCC) capacity at Bras Cubas, near Sao Paulo. Total GCC capacity here will be nearly 165,000 tonnes/y. During the second half of last year, Imerys reduced its Brazilian workforce by 215, shut down its Suzano precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant and divested a talc processing facility. Industrial Minerals, Mar 2004, (438), 7

Canada: Cancarb – carbon black Cancarb has become the first North American carbon black producer to hold all three certificates ISO-9001,

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ISO-14001 and OHSAS-18001 for its quality control, environmental and health safety management systems. Cancarb operates a 30,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant at Medicine Hat, Alberta. Press release from: Cancarb Ltd, PO Box 310, Medicine Hat, AB, Canada, T1A 7G1, Website: http://www.cancarb.com (16 Mar 2004)

China: Guangdong Jiawei Chemicals – nanoparticulate CaCO3 Guangdong Jiawei Chemicals Industrial Co Ltd already operates a two-line plant at Enping City, with a total capacity of 90,000 tonnes/y of nanoparticulate calcium carbonate. The company has now embarked on the construction of a second plant, which will consist of four production lines, giving a total capacity of 120,000 tonnes/y. Yuan 290 M is being invested in the second plant, which is being built at Luoding (Guangdong province). May 2005 is the scheduled on-stream date. With a total capacity of 210,000 tonnes/y, Jiawei Chemicals will be the largest producer of nanoparticulate calcium carbonate in the world. China Chemical Reporter, 16 Mar 2004, 15 (8), 11

China: Qinyang Weixiang – nanoparticulate CaCO3 Over the next six years, Qingyang Weixiang Nanometer Materials Co Ltd plans to build a superfine calcium carbonate plant at Qinyang, the first phase of which is due for completion at the end of 2004. According to this report, Yuan 620 M will be invested in this project, creating a plant with a total capacity of 500,000 tonnes/y. These figures have almost certainly been exaggerated by a factor of 10100. China Chemical Reporter, 6 Mar 2004, 15 (7), 11

China: Shanghai Yipin – pigments Shanghai Yipin International Pigments Co Ltd (part of the Shanghai Coatings group) is poised to begin selling pigments directly to Japanese paintmakers. ‘JCW’ reports that Shanghai Yipin currently produces up to 40,000 tonnes/y of pigments, but fails to identify which types of pigment. Japan Chemical Week, 4 Mar 2004, 45 (2260), 3

China: Tokai Carbon & Sumitomo – carbon black Tokai Carbon first announced plans to establish a new carbon black plant in China last September (see ‘Focus on Pigments’, Oct 2004, 3). The project is now taking shape – the 40,000 tonnes/y plant at Tianjin will be run as an 80:20 joint venture between Tokai Carbon and the Sumitomo group. Initial investment will be of the order of Yen 2 bn and the plant should come on-stream in Spring 2006. As warranted by the evolution of demand, Tokai intends to step up capacity at Tianjin, ultimately to 100,000 tonnes/y. It will be geared up to make speciality grades for inks and other applications, as well as normal rubber grades. Asian Chemical News, 22 Mar 2004, 10 (438), 9

China: Xinjiang Sanwei – nanoparticulate CaCO3 Xinjiang Sanwei Superfine Materials Co Ltd is spending a total of Yuan 38 M to build a 50,000 tonnes/y nanoparticulate calcium carbonate facility at Xinjiang. The first phase of this project, giving a capacity of 30,000 tonnes/y, has recently been completed and the second phase will be completed during 2005. This seems to be a very ambitious project, given that the total size of the Chinese market for nanoparticulate calcium carbonate is currently only about 60,000 tonnes/y, though it is projected to reach 80,000 tonnes/y by 2005. The most important end-use sectors are: plastics, inks, special papers, paints and rubber. China Chemical Reporter, 6 Mar 2004, 15 (7), 12

Czech Republic: Precheza – TiO2 Precheza increased its TiO2 pigment production at Prerov from 34,000 tonnes in 2002 to 40,000 tonnes last year. This meant that the plant was running at close to 100% capacity utilisation. At the end of the year, declared nameplate capacity was 41,000 tonnes/y. The company reported gross profit at CZK 235.7 M in 2003, up 19% on the previous year. Overall sales revenue increased by 2.7% to CZK 1.79 bn, with TiO2 pigment contributing 80% of the total. Over the five years 1999-2003, Precheza has invested CZK 1.29 bn,

MAY 2004