Degussa forms joint venture to manufacture rubber silanes in China

Degussa forms joint venture to manufacture rubber silanes in China

January 2006 Contact: Synthesia, Aliachem as, Semtin 103, 532 17 Pardubice, Czech Republic; tel: +420466-823-600; fax: +420-466-822-911; URL: www.syn...

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January 2006

Contact: Synthesia, Aliachem as, Semtin 103, 532 17 Pardubice, Czech Republic; tel: +420466-823-600; fax: +420-466-822-911; URL: www.synthesia.cz

COMPANY STRATEGIES Arkema increases US processing capacity for tin heat stabilizers In the USA, Arkema Inc has increased production capacity for methyl tin heat stabilizers at its Carrollton, KY, facility in response to significant growth in demand for these additives. The company says the increase has been achieved by enhancing its process and maximizing production from the available processing equipment. According to Mark Heldt, Arkema’s business manager for stabilizers, the optimization was prompted in particular by the growth in Chinese demand for these products, though the company has seen market growth for methyl-based stabilizers in all parts of the world, he says. The debottlenecking affects Thermolite® heat stabilizers, grades 190, 161 and 174. These stabilizers are used in the processing of PVC window profiles, vinyl siding and siding substrates, injection-moulded pipe fittings, and various types of packaging. Arkema’s Additives division produces a broad range of additives for PVC, including tin stabilizers, acrylic modifiers, processing aids and MBS modifiers. Contact: Arkema Inc, 2000 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103-3222, USA; tel: +1215-419-7000; URL: www.arkema-inc.com

Degussa forms joint venture to manufacture rubber silanes in China Germany’s Degussa AG and Rizhao Lanxing Chemical Industry Co, Ltd, based in LanshanRizhao in China’s Shandong Province, have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture for the manufacture of sulphur-functional silanes for rubber applications. This agreement

Additives for Polymers

represents a successful conclusion to the negotiations that followed a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in July 2005. Degussa will own a 50% share in the new JV, and Lanxing 40%. A financial investor will assume the remaining 10%. The new company will begin operating under the name Degussa Lanxing (Rizhao) Chemical Industrial Co, Ltd, following approval by the responsible bodies, and having obtained all licences from the Chinese authorities. The company is scheduled to produce sulphur-functional silanes in liquid form and as a blend with carbon black. The silanes are used as coupling agents with silica to manufacture high-quality rubber compounds for use in tyres, technical rubber articles and sports shoes. Degussa is a worldwide leading manufacturer of silanes for rubber applications while Lanxing has been a well-established local manufacturer on the Chinese market since 1998. The joint venture facility in China will supply customers from the rubber and tyre industries in the Asia Pacific region who need the silanes to manufacture products that meet international standards, says Robert Wissner, head of Degussa’s Advanced Fillers & Pigments business unit. “By building a production plant in Asia we are supplementing our production facilities in Europe and the USA, and further expanding our position as world market leader,” Wissner adds. In other news from Degussa, the company’s Coatings & Colorants business unit has streamlined its Vestowax synthetic wax range in response to “changing customer and market requirements”. The H 100 and H 1050 grades will no longer be produced or marketed from 31 December 2005. The company says its H 200 and H 2050 grades provide customers with two products of equivalent property profile in the relevant application fields. Vestowax is used mainly as an additive in plastics processing, printing inks, coatings and technical emulsions, and also finds application in hot melts. Contact: Degussa AG, Karl-Arnold-Platz 1a, D40474 Düsseldorf, Germany; tel: +49-21165041-0; fax: +49-211-65041-555; URL: www.degussa.de

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