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Full speed ahead for US chemicals industry
FOCUS topping protective coatings. The US construction chemical industry has an estimated value of $7.7 bn, according to Freedonia. Meanwhile, BASF has started up its first concrete admixtures factory in Russia. The plant is located at the firm’s existing site in the Podolsk District of the Moscow Region. The Russian concrete admixtures market stands at about €140 M/y. BASF’s Construction Chemicals division recently inaugurated its new Construction Center in Toronto, ON, Canada. The facility will cater to customers in the greater Toronto area and the Canadian marketplace. Other related developments are presented. Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012, 17 (12), 40-41 (Website: http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © Rodman Publishing 2012
AkzoNobel inaugurates R&D centre in India AkzoNobel has officially opened the India Analytical Centre (IAC) at its International Research Center in Bangalore. The Bangalore R&D centre will tap the firm’s global and local resources to offer analytical services to coatings businesses in India. The IAC will also be equipped to assess and certify raw materials, intermediates and products in the country. Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012, 17 (12), 43-44 (Website: http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © Rodman Publishing 2012
Developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry This is a mainly technical article about developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry, including materials, equipment and waste. The wood weatherboarding market in France has grown by more than 80% since 2006. The building industry produces 40 M tonnes of waste, 66% of inert waste, 28% of normal 6
ON
POWDER
industrial waste, 5% of hazardous industrial waste and 1% of waste packaging. Treatment costs €2 bn/y, which is 3% of the building sector turnover. Prospa, France, has a turnover of €10.6 M with 53 employees. Its production capacity is 5000 tonnes/y with a production level of 3425 tonnes/y. It uses 500 raw materials and 1200 formulations to make paints and coatings, with customers such as PSA and Magneto Wheels. The market for industrial paints has decreased by about 15% and for automobile coatings, under the bonnet, by 30%. Original Source: Double Liaison, Dec 2012, (590), 8-14 (Website: http://www.idexpo.com) (in French) © Le Groupe ETAI 2012
Full speed ahead for US chemicals industry In 2012 the focus of the world chemicals industry was on N America. This reflected a slight downturn in growth in Asia, particularly China (although growth in the region was still strong) and stagnation in the European economy. The US chemicals industry took off thanks to the revolution in shale gas which simultaneously cut energy prices and increased the potential of energy resources. The reduction in natural gas prices is encouraging the development of new projects and the relocation of operations. For example, Methanex is abandoning some methanol operations in Chile and transferring production to Louisiana. Dow and ExxonMobil both have major projects planned and Sasol expects to invest $5-7 bn in an integrated complex. According to data from IHS Chemical, operating rates at crackers in N America went from 80% capacity in 2009 to 89.9% in 2011 (compared with operating rates of 77.3% and 81.4% respectively in W Europe). In terms of increases to capacity, N America may come close to 75% of recent performances in the Middle East
C O AT I N G S and China. IHS predicts that N America capacities will increase from 33.4 M to 39.1 M tonnes/y by 2017. Meanwhile downstream petrochemicals companies undertook some of the largest acquisitions in the sector during 2012. Westlake failed in its $1.3 bn raid on Georgia Gulf but PPG acquired Akzo Nobel’s N American decorative paints business for $1.05 bn and sold its commodity chemicals to Georgia Gulf for $2.1 bn. Eastman bought Solutia for $4.7 bn and DuPont sold its performance coatings division to Carlyle for almost $5 bn. However, the US chemicals industry is living a paradox. The US is concerned about the national debt and the financial cliff, and the chemicals industry has announced vast restructuring programmes. Dow is to shed 3300 jobs, DuPont 1500 and PPG 2000. Meanwhile in Europe, Arkema has withdrawn a €70 M project in Pierre-Benite, France and the threat of closure hangs over 2 of Kemira’s 3 factories in France. Metabolic Explorer has decided to cut the size of its workforce. At the same time, there are encouraging signs in France. Versalis may invest €80 M in its butadiene unit in Mardyck and Toray is investing €100 M+ in polyacrylonitrile production in Lacq. The Lacq Cluster Chimie project is planning €154 M investments. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 14 Jan 2013, (618), 1 (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (in French) © ETAI Information 2013
Valspar awarded contract to supply coating for HongkongZhuhai-Macao Bridge On 14 Jan 2013 the Valspar Corporation announced that it had been selected as the major supplier of concrete reinforcing steel coatings for the HongkongZhuhai-Macao bridge in China. When completed in 2016, the length of the bridge will span nearly 50 km (30 miles) and is expected to be the world’s MARCH 2013
AkzoNobel inaugurates R&D centre in India AkzoNobel has officially opened the India Analytical Centre (IAC) at its International Research Center in Bangalore. The Bangalore R&D centre will tap the firm’s global and local resources to offer analytical services to coatings businesses in India. The IAC will also be equipped to assess and certify raw materials, intermediates and products in the country. Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012, 17 (12), 43-44 (Website: http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © Rodman Publishing 2012
Developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry This is a mainly technical article about developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry, including materials, equipment and waste. The wood weatherboarding market in France has grown by more than 80% since 2006. The building industry produces 40 M tonnes of waste, 66% of inert waste, 28% of normal 6
ON
POWDER
industrial waste, 5% of hazardous industrial waste and 1% of waste packaging. Treatment costs €2 bn/y, which is 3% of the building sector turnover. Prospa, France, has a turnover of €10.6 M with 53 employees. Its production capacity is 5000 tonnes/y with a production level of 3425 tonnes/y. It uses 500 raw materials and 1200 formulations to make paints and coatings, with customers such as PSA and Magneto Wheels. The market for industrial paints has decreased by about 15% and for automobile coatings, under the bonnet, by 30%. Original Source: Double Liaison, Dec 2012, (590), 8-14 (Website: http://www.idexpo.com) (in French) © Le Groupe ETAI 2012
Full speed ahead for US chemicals industry In 2012 the focus of the world chemicals industry was on N America. This reflected a slight downturn in growth in Asia, particularly China (although growth in the region was still strong) and stagnation in the European economy. The US chemicals industry took off thanks to the revolution in shale gas which simultaneously cut energy prices and increased the potential of energy resources. The reduction in natural gas prices is encouraging the development of new projects and the relocation of operations. For example, Methanex is abandoning some methanol operations in Chile and transferring production to Louisiana. Dow and ExxonMobil both have major projects planned and Sasol expects to invest $5-7 bn in an integrated complex. According to data from IHS Chemical, operating rates at crackers in N America went from 80% capacity in 2009 to 89.9% in 2011 (compared with operating rates of 77.3% and 81.4% respectively in W Europe). In terms of increases to capacity, N America may come close to 75% of recent performances in the Middle East
C O AT I N G S and China. IHS predicts that N America capacities will increase from 33.4 M to 39.1 M tonnes/y by 2017. Meanwhile downstream petrochemicals companies undertook some of the largest acquisitions in the sector during 2012. Westlake failed in its $1.3 bn raid on Georgia Gulf but PPG acquired Akzo Nobel’s N American decorative paints business for $1.05 bn and sold its commodity chemicals to Georgia Gulf for $2.1 bn. Eastman bought Solutia for $4.7 bn and DuPont sold its performance coatings division to Carlyle for almost $5 bn. However, the US chemicals industry is living a paradox. The US is concerned about the national debt and the financial cliff, and the chemicals industry has announced vast restructuring programmes. Dow is to shed 3300 jobs, DuPont 1500 and PPG 2000. Meanwhile in Europe, Arkema has withdrawn a €70 M project in Pierre-Benite, France and the threat of closure hangs over 2 of Kemira’s 3 factories in France. Metabolic Explorer has decided to cut the size of its workforce. At the same time, there are encouraging signs in France. Versalis may invest €80 M in its butadiene unit in Mardyck and Toray is investing €100 M+ in polyacrylonitrile production in Lacq. The Lacq Cluster Chimie project is planning €154 M investments. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 14 Jan 2013, (618), 1 (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (in French) © ETAI Information 2013
Valspar awarded contract to supply coating for HongkongZhuhai-Macao Bridge On 14 Jan 2013 the Valspar Corporation announced that it had been selected as the major supplier of concrete reinforcing steel coatings for the HongkongZhuhai-Macao bridge in China. When completed in 2016, the length of the bridge will span nearly 50 km (30 miles) and is expected to be the world’s MARCH 2013