- Email: [email protected]
Fibre reinforced plastics in West Europe
December 1995
Additives for Polymers
will work closely with customers to ensure that, at least, they will know exactly what supplies they can get, and when. In a market review in the SMC Chemicals magazine World View, the company comments that some suppliers throttled back their plants at the beginning of the recession (20% of Japanese capacity was taken out, for example) and some plants have yet to return to normal production levels. However, it is misleading to look just at the overall capacity figures, which often overstate the actual delivery position and do not differentiate between various types of TiO,. Plants using the chloride process, for example, supply 54% of world capacity and demand on these has outstripped supplies, although sulphate-process rutile was more readily available. Present world capacity for TiO, is estimated at a little over 4 million tonnes/year, with DuPont the largest producer and SCM ranked No 3. The plastics industry consumes about 20% of production. Worldwide, TiO, supply is closely balanced in North America and growing tighter in Asia/Pacific. In Europe, supplies have also tightened, and are expected to continue for the next 12 months. Briefing journalists in Frankfi_n-t recently, Borst said that SCM was studying a plan to increase capacity at the plants in the UK and Australia to 150 000 tonnes/year. In Europe the overall market grew 8% in 1994, with coatings up 4% and plastics up by 11%. SCM Chemicals-Europe forecasts that supply will be tight through 1996 as well. The situation is clear for price increases. Present capacity utilisation in the industry is 89%, said Borst - two points above the ‘critical’ level of 87% at which prices begin to increase, An additional 230 000 tonnes of capacity is due on stream worldwide during 1996, equal to an industry increase of 5.9%, but the forecast 3.6% rise in demand would
01995
Elsevier
Science Ltd
leave capacity utilisation exactly at the 87% point. Contact: SCM Chemicals Europe, PO Box 26, Grimsby, South Humberside, DN37 8DP, UK. Tel: +44- I469-5 7iOOO; Fax: +44-I469-57I234.
Columbian plans 25% carbon black increase A 25% increase in worldwide capacity for carbon black over the next three years has been announced by Columbian Chemicals. Jim Cadema, president and chief executive officer, announced that expansion and debottlenecking projects at plants in the USA and Canada will increase Columbian’s capacity in N America by about 100 000 tonnes/year, while a fi.nther 80 000 tonnes will come from similar actions at plants in Western and Eastern Europe and in the Philippines. The expansions are scheduled to be in place during 1998. Cadema noted that the plans would be welcome news to major users such as plastics and rubber, where carbon black supply has been tight. In N America, for example, black has been sold out for the past two years, needing reliance on imports. Contact: Columbian Chemicals Co, I600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30339, USA. Tel: + I-404-951-5700.
Fibre reinforced plastics in West Europe Fibre Reinforced Plastics: The West European Perspective is a report prepared by the Financial Times in London, UK, which examines in-depth the potential developments for fibre reinforced plastics in Western Europe from 1994 to 2001. It is claimed to be the first to provide a comprehensive and thorough appraisal of the FRP industry detailing specific applications across the automotive, computer, construction, aerospace, industrial and agricultural sectors. Fibre Reinforced Plastics analyses the products, the processes
7
December 1995
Additives iix Polymers
and the overall potential which identify this industry as one of the most significant of the next century. Its contents are relevant to the following: resin producers; fibre producers; plastics compounders; FRP fabricators; enduse industries; equipment manufacturers; designers and engineers; recyclers; materials companies; analysts and consultants.
The report, priced at f130 (UK), &330 (Europe), g340 (other countries) is available porn: Customer Services, FT Newsletters h Management Reports, Pearson Professional Ltd, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, WIP 9LL, UK. Tel: +44-I 7I-896- 2498. Fax: +44-l 7I-8962276.
COMPANY
NEWS
Cookson to sell US additives to Ferro As forecast in Additives for Polymers, October 1995, page 8, the Cookson Group has agreed in principle to sell its US additives subsidiary, Synthetic Products Company (Synpro) to Ferro Corporation, USA, making the latter one of the largest producers of polymer additives, in a world market estimated at $14 billion. The price is $94 million, payable in cash, on completion. The deal does not include Synpro’s lead stabilizer and negative expander businesses, located in Philadelphia, but Cookson is planning to quit lead stabilizers also. Synpro, based in Cleveland, chemical additives mainly for rubber industries. Operating was $9.3 million on sales of lion. Net assets at 30 June million and goodwill relating amounts to $24 million.
Ohio, produces the plastics and profit in 1994 over $100 mil1995 were $46 to the disposal
For Ferro, president and chief executive officer Albert C. Bersticker said the acquisition
8
was the largest ever made by the company, doubling the size of its polymer additives business. The Synpro deal will make Ferro one of the world’s largest producers of additives, with operations in the USA, Portugal, Japan and Australia. It will particularly reinforce it in serving three key sectors: PVC, polyolefins and styrenics and will help accelerate commercialization of new technology which Ferro is developing for replacement of heavy metal and W stabilization.
Contact: Richard Oster, Group Chief Executive or Stephen Howard, Joint Group Managing Director, Cookson Group plc, London EC 2, UK. Tel: t 44-171-606-4400; James Friederichsen, vice president specialty chemicals, Ferro Corporation, 1000 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114-1183, USA. Tel: +I-216-641-8580.
Witco becomes leader in silicones Witco Corporation has become the world’s leading producer of speciality silicones with acquisition of OSi Specialties Holdings Co and its 100% subsidiary, OSi Specialties Inc in a deal which values OSi’s equity at $486 million. Sales of OSi Specialties in 1995 are expected to total some $450 million. Witco chairman and chief executive officer William R. Toiler comments that the two companies have uniquely complementary product mixes, which will facilitate growth in the core business segments of urethanes, resins and surfactants as well as silicones. As with the 1992 acquisition of Schering, the move also strengthens Witco’s global position, especially in Europe, Pacific Rim and South America. OSi Specialties manufactures a full range of silicone surfactants, amine catalysts, organofunctional silanes and speciality fluids.
Contact: C. R. Soderlind, senior vicepresident, Witco Corp., One American Lane, Greenwich, CT 0683 I-2559, USA. Tel: +I-203-552-2224.
01995
Elsevier Science Ltd
Additives for Polymers
will work closely with customers to ensure that, at least, they will know exactly what supplies they can get, and when. In a market review in the SMC Chemicals magazine World View, the company comments that some suppliers throttled back their plants at the beginning of the recession (20% of Japanese capacity was taken out, for example) and some plants have yet to return to normal production levels. However, it is misleading to look just at the overall capacity figures, which often overstate the actual delivery position and do not differentiate between various types of TiO,. Plants using the chloride process, for example, supply 54% of world capacity and demand on these has outstripped supplies, although sulphate-process rutile was more readily available. Present world capacity for TiO, is estimated at a little over 4 million tonnes/year, with DuPont the largest producer and SCM ranked No 3. The plastics industry consumes about 20% of production. Worldwide, TiO, supply is closely balanced in North America and growing tighter in Asia/Pacific. In Europe, supplies have also tightened, and are expected to continue for the next 12 months. Briefing journalists in Frankfi_n-t recently, Borst said that SCM was studying a plan to increase capacity at the plants in the UK and Australia to 150 000 tonnes/year. In Europe the overall market grew 8% in 1994, with coatings up 4% and plastics up by 11%. SCM Chemicals-Europe forecasts that supply will be tight through 1996 as well. The situation is clear for price increases. Present capacity utilisation in the industry is 89%, said Borst - two points above the ‘critical’ level of 87% at which prices begin to increase, An additional 230 000 tonnes of capacity is due on stream worldwide during 1996, equal to an industry increase of 5.9%, but the forecast 3.6% rise in demand would
01995
Elsevier
Science Ltd
leave capacity utilisation exactly at the 87% point. Contact: SCM Chemicals Europe, PO Box 26, Grimsby, South Humberside, DN37 8DP, UK. Tel: +44- I469-5 7iOOO; Fax: +44-I469-57I234.
Columbian plans 25% carbon black increase A 25% increase in worldwide capacity for carbon black over the next three years has been announced by Columbian Chemicals. Jim Cadema, president and chief executive officer, announced that expansion and debottlenecking projects at plants in the USA and Canada will increase Columbian’s capacity in N America by about 100 000 tonnes/year, while a fi.nther 80 000 tonnes will come from similar actions at plants in Western and Eastern Europe and in the Philippines. The expansions are scheduled to be in place during 1998. Cadema noted that the plans would be welcome news to major users such as plastics and rubber, where carbon black supply has been tight. In N America, for example, black has been sold out for the past two years, needing reliance on imports. Contact: Columbian Chemicals Co, I600 Parkwood Circle, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30339, USA. Tel: + I-404-951-5700.
Fibre reinforced plastics in West Europe Fibre Reinforced Plastics: The West European Perspective is a report prepared by the Financial Times in London, UK, which examines in-depth the potential developments for fibre reinforced plastics in Western Europe from 1994 to 2001. It is claimed to be the first to provide a comprehensive and thorough appraisal of the FRP industry detailing specific applications across the automotive, computer, construction, aerospace, industrial and agricultural sectors. Fibre Reinforced Plastics analyses the products, the processes
7
December 1995
Additives iix Polymers
and the overall potential which identify this industry as one of the most significant of the next century. Its contents are relevant to the following: resin producers; fibre producers; plastics compounders; FRP fabricators; enduse industries; equipment manufacturers; designers and engineers; recyclers; materials companies; analysts and consultants.
The report, priced at f130 (UK), &330 (Europe), g340 (other countries) is available porn: Customer Services, FT Newsletters h Management Reports, Pearson Professional Ltd, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, WIP 9LL, UK. Tel: +44-I 7I-896- 2498. Fax: +44-l 7I-8962276.
COMPANY
NEWS
Cookson to sell US additives to Ferro As forecast in Additives for Polymers, October 1995, page 8, the Cookson Group has agreed in principle to sell its US additives subsidiary, Synthetic Products Company (Synpro) to Ferro Corporation, USA, making the latter one of the largest producers of polymer additives, in a world market estimated at $14 billion. The price is $94 million, payable in cash, on completion. The deal does not include Synpro’s lead stabilizer and negative expander businesses, located in Philadelphia, but Cookson is planning to quit lead stabilizers also. Synpro, based in Cleveland, chemical additives mainly for rubber industries. Operating was $9.3 million on sales of lion. Net assets at 30 June million and goodwill relating amounts to $24 million.
Ohio, produces the plastics and profit in 1994 over $100 mil1995 were $46 to the disposal
For Ferro, president and chief executive officer Albert C. Bersticker said the acquisition
8
was the largest ever made by the company, doubling the size of its polymer additives business. The Synpro deal will make Ferro one of the world’s largest producers of additives, with operations in the USA, Portugal, Japan and Australia. It will particularly reinforce it in serving three key sectors: PVC, polyolefins and styrenics and will help accelerate commercialization of new technology which Ferro is developing for replacement of heavy metal and W stabilization.
Contact: Richard Oster, Group Chief Executive or Stephen Howard, Joint Group Managing Director, Cookson Group plc, London EC 2, UK. Tel: t 44-171-606-4400; James Friederichsen, vice president specialty chemicals, Ferro Corporation, 1000 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114-1183, USA. Tel: +I-216-641-8580.
Witco becomes leader in silicones Witco Corporation has become the world’s leading producer of speciality silicones with acquisition of OSi Specialties Holdings Co and its 100% subsidiary, OSi Specialties Inc in a deal which values OSi’s equity at $486 million. Sales of OSi Specialties in 1995 are expected to total some $450 million. Witco chairman and chief executive officer William R. Toiler comments that the two companies have uniquely complementary product mixes, which will facilitate growth in the core business segments of urethanes, resins and surfactants as well as silicones. As with the 1992 acquisition of Schering, the move also strengthens Witco’s global position, especially in Europe, Pacific Rim and South America. OSi Specialties manufactures a full range of silicone surfactants, amine catalysts, organofunctional silanes and speciality fluids.
Contact: C. R. Soderlind, senior vicepresident, Witco Corp., One American Lane, Greenwich, CT 0683 I-2559, USA. Tel: +I-203-552-2224.
01995
Elsevier Science Ltd