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China: Guizhou Huaneng – carbon black
F O C U S by Gharda Chemicals. Accordingly, the USDC abandoned the review procedure. Federal Register, 3 May 2006, 71 (85), 26109 & 9 May 2006, 71 (89), 26926-26927 (Website: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html)
PLANTS China: Chongqing Titanium & PanGang – TiO2 pigment & feedstock In mid-2003, Panzhihua Iron & Steel Co (aka PanGang) declared that it had completed a tripartite merger, joining its own TiO2 pigment and feedstock operations with those of Jinzhou Ferroalloys and Chongqing YuGang. At that time, the TiO2 plants involved had capacities of: 12,000 tonnes/y (Panzhihua); 10,000 tonnes/y (Jinzhou sulfate-route); 5000 tonnes/y (Jinzhou chloride-route); and 18,000 tonnes/y (Chongqing). Various projects for expanding these plants were mooted. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2003, 3). Recently, the PanGang group announced an internal restructuring, whereby the Chongqing-based enterprise will take financial and management control of the TiO2 assets at Panzhihua. According to ‘IM’, Chonqing Titanium will take over responsibility for PanGang Titanium’s 20,000 tonnes/y anatase TiO2 pigment plant and a mining operation generating 250,000 tonnes/y of ilmenite. Industrial Minerals, May 2006, (464), 17
China: Guizhou Huaneng – carbon black Guizhou Huaneng Carbon Black Co Ltd has recently commissioned a new 15,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant at Huaneng. The plant incorporates wet granulation facilities and it cost RMB 35.7 M to build.
ON
PIGMENTS
company has doubled its sales in the Chinese market over the past two years, meeting burgeoning demand from customers in the semiconductor, automotive, business equipment and electronics handling sectors. RTP Co has its own sales engineers in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin, as well as a main distributor – NCMGZ (headquartered in Guangzhou). Asian Plastics News, Apr 2006, 7 & Plastics and Rubber Asia, Apr 2006, 21 (141), 4
China: Shaanxi Hancheng Mining Devpt & Jiangxi Kaimenzi – carbon black Shaanxi Hancheng Mining Development Co Ltd and the Jiangxi Kaimenzi Group are collaborating on two projects, each of which will represent 100,000 tonnes/y of new carbon black capacity. Their single-line carbon black plant at the Chemical Industry Park of the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone should be completed by the end of this year. The partners will then turn their attention towards establishing another 100,000 tonnes/y plant at Hancheng (Shaanxi province). China Chemical Reporter, 6 Jan 2006, 17 (1), 16-17
France: Albemarle & Millennium – TiO2 & TiCl4 Albemarle has confirmed plans to shut down its Thann chemical complex in eastern France at the end of this year, causing 271 redundancies. The complex includes a 90,000 tonnes/y mercury-cell chloralkali plant, as well as facilities for making potassium carbonate and various bromine derivatives. Albemarle has traditionally supplied chlorine to the neighbouring Millennium complex for the manufacture of up to 22,000 tonnes/y of titanium tetrachloride, which is then converted to titanium chemicals and nanoparticulate TiO2.
This is a key element in the $173 M programme to raise TiO2 pigment capacity at Sankaramangalam from 40,000 tonnes/y to 100,000 tonnes/y. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2006, 5). Chemical Weekly, 4 Apr 2006, 51 (33), 120
Japan & Singapore: Denki Kagaku – fused silica Denki Kagaku Kogyo is adding a new production line for fused silica at its Omuta (Japan) plant, which should be in operation by September 2006. Capacity is also being stepped up at the company’s Singapore plant. Hence, by the end of the year, Denki Kagaku’s capacity for spherical fused silica fillers will be 16,000 tonnes/y in Japan and 13,000 tonnes/y in Singapore. Japan Chemical Week, 27 Apr/4 May 2006, 47 (2365), 12
Japan: Merck – pearlescents & liquid crystals Merck has announced a major investment programme to expand its capacity for making liquid crystal display (LCD) materials at Atsugi before the end of this year. The company is also pressing ahead with plans to install new research and development facilities at Atsugi and on the same site as its pearlescent pigments plant in Onahama. Japan Chemical Week, 13 Apr 2006, 47 (2363), 3
Malaysia: Cabot – carbon black Cabot’s carbon black plant at Port Dickson now has a nameplate capacity of 80,000 tonnes/y and 85% of its output is sold to domestic customers. The company is planning to increase exports to around 30,000 tonnes/y at the same time as retaining its major market share in Malaysia.
Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 9 May 2006, (339), 5 (in French)
Chemical Week, 12/19 Apr 2006, 168 (13), 32 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
India: KMML – synrutile & TiO2
Netherlands: Tronox – TiO2
Kerala Minerals & Metals Ltd (KMML) recently awarded a $36 M contract to Outokumpu Technology (of Finland) for the design and engineering of a 130,000 tonnes/y synrutile plant, due for completion by the end of 2008.
The only TiO2 pigment plant in the Netherlands is operated by Tronox (formerly Kerr-McGee). About 260 Tronox employees work here, plus 50 contract workers. TiO2 pigment capacity is reported as 72,000
China Chemical Reporter, 6 Jan 2006, 17 (1), 16-17
China: RTP – plastics masterbatch RTP Co has established a colour laboratory on the same site as its production unit at Suzhou, where it makes masterbatches and precoloured plastic compounds. The
MAY 2006
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PLANTS China: Chongqing Titanium & PanGang – TiO2 pigment & feedstock In mid-2003, Panzhihua Iron & Steel Co (aka PanGang) declared that it had completed a tripartite merger, joining its own TiO2 pigment and feedstock operations with those of Jinzhou Ferroalloys and Chongqing YuGang. At that time, the TiO2 plants involved had capacities of: 12,000 tonnes/y (Panzhihua); 10,000 tonnes/y (Jinzhou sulfate-route); 5000 tonnes/y (Jinzhou chloride-route); and 18,000 tonnes/y (Chongqing). Various projects for expanding these plants were mooted. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2003, 3). Recently, the PanGang group announced an internal restructuring, whereby the Chongqing-based enterprise will take financial and management control of the TiO2 assets at Panzhihua. According to ‘IM’, Chonqing Titanium will take over responsibility for PanGang Titanium’s 20,000 tonnes/y anatase TiO2 pigment plant and a mining operation generating 250,000 tonnes/y of ilmenite. Industrial Minerals, May 2006, (464), 17
China: Guizhou Huaneng – carbon black Guizhou Huaneng Carbon Black Co Ltd has recently commissioned a new 15,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant at Huaneng. The plant incorporates wet granulation facilities and it cost RMB 35.7 M to build.
ON
PIGMENTS
company has doubled its sales in the Chinese market over the past two years, meeting burgeoning demand from customers in the semiconductor, automotive, business equipment and electronics handling sectors. RTP Co has its own sales engineers in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin, as well as a main distributor – NCMGZ (headquartered in Guangzhou). Asian Plastics News, Apr 2006, 7 & Plastics and Rubber Asia, Apr 2006, 21 (141), 4
China: Shaanxi Hancheng Mining Devpt & Jiangxi Kaimenzi – carbon black Shaanxi Hancheng Mining Development Co Ltd and the Jiangxi Kaimenzi Group are collaborating on two projects, each of which will represent 100,000 tonnes/y of new carbon black capacity. Their single-line carbon black plant at the Chemical Industry Park of the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone should be completed by the end of this year. The partners will then turn their attention towards establishing another 100,000 tonnes/y plant at Hancheng (Shaanxi province). China Chemical Reporter, 6 Jan 2006, 17 (1), 16-17
France: Albemarle & Millennium – TiO2 & TiCl4 Albemarle has confirmed plans to shut down its Thann chemical complex in eastern France at the end of this year, causing 271 redundancies. The complex includes a 90,000 tonnes/y mercury-cell chloralkali plant, as well as facilities for making potassium carbonate and various bromine derivatives. Albemarle has traditionally supplied chlorine to the neighbouring Millennium complex for the manufacture of up to 22,000 tonnes/y of titanium tetrachloride, which is then converted to titanium chemicals and nanoparticulate TiO2.
This is a key element in the $173 M programme to raise TiO2 pigment capacity at Sankaramangalam from 40,000 tonnes/y to 100,000 tonnes/y. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2006, 5). Chemical Weekly, 4 Apr 2006, 51 (33), 120
Japan & Singapore: Denki Kagaku – fused silica Denki Kagaku Kogyo is adding a new production line for fused silica at its Omuta (Japan) plant, which should be in operation by September 2006. Capacity is also being stepped up at the company’s Singapore plant. Hence, by the end of the year, Denki Kagaku’s capacity for spherical fused silica fillers will be 16,000 tonnes/y in Japan and 13,000 tonnes/y in Singapore. Japan Chemical Week, 27 Apr/4 May 2006, 47 (2365), 12
Japan: Merck – pearlescents & liquid crystals Merck has announced a major investment programme to expand its capacity for making liquid crystal display (LCD) materials at Atsugi before the end of this year. The company is also pressing ahead with plans to install new research and development facilities at Atsugi and on the same site as its pearlescent pigments plant in Onahama. Japan Chemical Week, 13 Apr 2006, 47 (2363), 3
Malaysia: Cabot – carbon black Cabot’s carbon black plant at Port Dickson now has a nameplate capacity of 80,000 tonnes/y and 85% of its output is sold to domestic customers. The company is planning to increase exports to around 30,000 tonnes/y at the same time as retaining its major market share in Malaysia.
Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 9 May 2006, (339), 5 (in French)
Chemical Week, 12/19 Apr 2006, 168 (13), 32 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
India: KMML – synrutile & TiO2
Netherlands: Tronox – TiO2
Kerala Minerals & Metals Ltd (KMML) recently awarded a $36 M contract to Outokumpu Technology (of Finland) for the design and engineering of a 130,000 tonnes/y synrutile plant, due for completion by the end of 2008.
The only TiO2 pigment plant in the Netherlands is operated by Tronox (formerly Kerr-McGee). About 260 Tronox employees work here, plus 50 contract workers. TiO2 pigment capacity is reported as 72,000
China Chemical Reporter, 6 Jan 2006, 17 (1), 16-17
China: RTP – plastics masterbatch RTP Co has established a colour laboratory on the same site as its production unit at Suzhou, where it makes masterbatches and precoloured plastic compounds. The
MAY 2006
3