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Domal and Wittol merge activities
F O C US has been agreed by Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku and BASF Japan. Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku will manufacture and market in Japan BASF’s Lutensol non-ionic surfactant. Japan Chemical Week, 27 Feb 2003, 44 (2210), 2
ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS Phosphates Singapore firm buys Rhodia’s stake in A&W Australia Rhodia’s 50% stake in its Albright & Wilson Australia Ltd (AWAL) joint venture has been acquired by Universal Interchemical (UIC) for an undisclosed amount. UIC, part of Indonesian group PT Unggul Indah Cahaya Tbk, is now AWAL’s sole owner. With sales of A$23 M/y AWAL produces phosphoric acid and phosphates at Yarraville (Melbourne) and surfactants at Wetherill Park (Sydney). AWAL was set up in 1939. Chemical Week, 26 Feb 2003, 165 (8), 6 & Chimie Hebdo, 3 Mar 2003, (204), 10 (in French)
Kazakhstan phosphate producer buys Thermphos Thermphos International has been acquired by a group of private investors from Kazakhstan led by N Galmor the owner of Kazphosphate LLC, a producer of phosphate rock and phosphorus derivatives. €300 M/y Thermphos is a leading producer of phosphorus derivatives and employs 900 in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Argentina and China. It is now Europe’s sole producer of elemental phosphorus, with capacity of 80,000 tonnes/y at Vlissingen, the Netherlands. It also has a large STPP business. Thermphos has overall phosphoric acid capacity of 150 000 tonnes/y. In 2002 it acquired Atofina’s phosphorus chloride, phosphorus anhydride and polyphosphoric acids operations. Kazphosphate owns phosphate mines in Kazakhstan and has four elemental phosphorus production furnaces with overall capacity of 80,000-100,000 tonnes/y. APRIL 2003
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S U R FAC TA N T S
It also makes fertilizers, detergents and STPP and employs 8000. Kazphosphate currently has sales of $50 M/y. Thermphos technology and expertise will be used to expand the production and sales of Kazphosphate. Chemical Week, 19 Feb 2003, 165 (7), 16 & Chemical Market Reporter, 17 Feb 2003, (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Chimie Hebdo, 24 Feb 2003, (203), 11 (in French)
facility will be on stream in 2003. Consumption by glass producers accounts for approximately 41% of the global market and the detergent sector for 16%. Industrial Minerals, Mar 2003, (426), 41-42,45-46
APPLICATIONS
China to ban use of phosphate detergents
Household
The use of phosphate detergents has already been prohibited in several Chinese cities, after studies show that roughly 50% of phosphorus found in domestic waste water comes from cleaning compounds such as detergents. The country hopes to completely ban the substance by 2005.
P&G assesses US detergents expansion Procter & Gamble has started to study the feasibility of expanding its detergent plant in Pineville, LA, USA, with an investment of $125 M. It currently makes powder detergents and is planning to add liquid detergents, starting up in mid 2005.
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb 2003, 40 (2), 24
European Chemical News, 3 Mar 2003, 78 (2042), 27
Enzymes
Domal and Wittol merge activities
Novozymes posts lower sales in detergents
East German household chemicals manufacturers Domal GmbH in Stadtilm and Wittol Chemie GmbH in Lutherstadt Wittenberg merged into the new company Domal-Wittol Wasch- und Reinigungsmittel GmbH. The companies have a combined workforce of 140 and achieved a turnover of €45 M in 2002 with an export rate of around 20%. Domal manufactures liquid washing detergents and achieved a 20% rise in turnover to €38 M in 2002.
Novozymes A/S recorded a 4% fall in sales to the detergents sector in 2002 to DKR 2 bn. Total group sales rose 7% to DKR 5.6 bn and operating profits rose 5% to DKR 947 M. The fall in the sales of detergent enzymes was due to lower exchange rates and cost-cutting by larger customers. Chemical Market Reporter, 10 Feb 2003 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Per-oxygen compounds Borates: Capacity crunch time Turkey has borates reserves of approximately 150 M tonnes, which accounts for approximately 32% of the total global reserve base and possibly 40% of the global market share. Major producers include Rio Tinto Borax and Eti Holding AS, who have a combined global market share of approximately 80%. Rio Tinto Borax produces more than 1 M tonnes/y of refined borates and supplies more than 50% of the global demand. The firm intends to spend $2.6 M to build a new boric acid facility near its Campo Quijano site in Salta, Argentina. The
Chemische Rundschau, 11 Feb 2003, 56 (3), 11 (in German)
Great Lakes expands consumer products portfolio with acquisition of Lime-O-Sol Great Lakes Chemical Corp’s BioLab Inc subsidiary has acquired the LimeO-Sol Co, including its brand of speciality household cleaning products marketed under the trade name The Works. Based on 2002 results, the Lime-O-Sol acquisition will add in excess of $40 M/y in revenues, and is expected to be accretive to earnings in 2003. Press release from: Great Lakes Chemical Corp, PO Box 2200, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA, Tel: +1 765 497 6218, Website: http://www.greatlakeschem.com (28 Feb 2003)
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ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS Phosphates Singapore firm buys Rhodia’s stake in A&W Australia Rhodia’s 50% stake in its Albright & Wilson Australia Ltd (AWAL) joint venture has been acquired by Universal Interchemical (UIC) for an undisclosed amount. UIC, part of Indonesian group PT Unggul Indah Cahaya Tbk, is now AWAL’s sole owner. With sales of A$23 M/y AWAL produces phosphoric acid and phosphates at Yarraville (Melbourne) and surfactants at Wetherill Park (Sydney). AWAL was set up in 1939. Chemical Week, 26 Feb 2003, 165 (8), 6 & Chimie Hebdo, 3 Mar 2003, (204), 10 (in French)
Kazakhstan phosphate producer buys Thermphos Thermphos International has been acquired by a group of private investors from Kazakhstan led by N Galmor the owner of Kazphosphate LLC, a producer of phosphate rock and phosphorus derivatives. €300 M/y Thermphos is a leading producer of phosphorus derivatives and employs 900 in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Argentina and China. It is now Europe’s sole producer of elemental phosphorus, with capacity of 80,000 tonnes/y at Vlissingen, the Netherlands. It also has a large STPP business. Thermphos has overall phosphoric acid capacity of 150 000 tonnes/y. In 2002 it acquired Atofina’s phosphorus chloride, phosphorus anhydride and polyphosphoric acids operations. Kazphosphate owns phosphate mines in Kazakhstan and has four elemental phosphorus production furnaces with overall capacity of 80,000-100,000 tonnes/y. APRIL 2003
O N
S U R FAC TA N T S
It also makes fertilizers, detergents and STPP and employs 8000. Kazphosphate currently has sales of $50 M/y. Thermphos technology and expertise will be used to expand the production and sales of Kazphosphate. Chemical Week, 19 Feb 2003, 165 (7), 16 & Chemical Market Reporter, 17 Feb 2003, (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Chimie Hebdo, 24 Feb 2003, (203), 11 (in French)
facility will be on stream in 2003. Consumption by glass producers accounts for approximately 41% of the global market and the detergent sector for 16%. Industrial Minerals, Mar 2003, (426), 41-42,45-46
APPLICATIONS
China to ban use of phosphate detergents
Household
The use of phosphate detergents has already been prohibited in several Chinese cities, after studies show that roughly 50% of phosphorus found in domestic waste water comes from cleaning compounds such as detergents. The country hopes to completely ban the substance by 2005.
P&G assesses US detergents expansion Procter & Gamble has started to study the feasibility of expanding its detergent plant in Pineville, LA, USA, with an investment of $125 M. It currently makes powder detergents and is planning to add liquid detergents, starting up in mid 2005.
HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb 2003, 40 (2), 24
European Chemical News, 3 Mar 2003, 78 (2042), 27
Enzymes
Domal and Wittol merge activities
Novozymes posts lower sales in detergents
East German household chemicals manufacturers Domal GmbH in Stadtilm and Wittol Chemie GmbH in Lutherstadt Wittenberg merged into the new company Domal-Wittol Wasch- und Reinigungsmittel GmbH. The companies have a combined workforce of 140 and achieved a turnover of €45 M in 2002 with an export rate of around 20%. Domal manufactures liquid washing detergents and achieved a 20% rise in turnover to €38 M in 2002.
Novozymes A/S recorded a 4% fall in sales to the detergents sector in 2002 to DKR 2 bn. Total group sales rose 7% to DKR 5.6 bn and operating profits rose 5% to DKR 947 M. The fall in the sales of detergent enzymes was due to lower exchange rates and cost-cutting by larger customers. Chemical Market Reporter, 10 Feb 2003 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Per-oxygen compounds Borates: Capacity crunch time Turkey has borates reserves of approximately 150 M tonnes, which accounts for approximately 32% of the total global reserve base and possibly 40% of the global market share. Major producers include Rio Tinto Borax and Eti Holding AS, who have a combined global market share of approximately 80%. Rio Tinto Borax produces more than 1 M tonnes/y of refined borates and supplies more than 50% of the global demand. The firm intends to spend $2.6 M to build a new boric acid facility near its Campo Quijano site in Salta, Argentina. The
Chemische Rundschau, 11 Feb 2003, 56 (3), 11 (in German)
Great Lakes expands consumer products portfolio with acquisition of Lime-O-Sol Great Lakes Chemical Corp’s BioLab Inc subsidiary has acquired the LimeO-Sol Co, including its brand of speciality household cleaning products marketed under the trade name The Works. Based on 2002 results, the Lime-O-Sol acquisition will add in excess of $40 M/y in revenues, and is expected to be accretive to earnings in 2003. Press release from: Great Lakes Chemical Corp, PO Box 2200, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA, Tel: +1 765 497 6218, Website: http://www.greatlakeschem.com (28 Feb 2003)
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