Germany

F O C US jointly develop the Xingan kaolin deposit in the province of Nei Monggol (aka Inner Mongolia). Budgeted investment in the first phase is Yuan 300 M and initial capacity is 150,000-200,000 tonnes/y. In the second phase, RMB Yuan 420 M will be invested, doubling capacity to 400,000 tonnes/y. China Chemical Reporter, 6 Nov 2003, 14 (31), 9

China: Zhangjiagang & Dainippon Ink & Chemical – organic pigments Zhangjiagang DIC Chemical Co is investing $29.1 M in the first phase of a project to establish synthetic resin and pigments plants in the Yangzijiang International Chemical Industry Park in Jiangsu province. Dainippon Ink & Chemical (DIC, of Tokyo) is a major shareholder in the company and it will provide technology for the venture. The pigments plant will have a capacity of 10,000 tonnes/y and should come onstream in July 2004. No details have been released on the type of pigments, but they are probably classic organics – azo and phthalo pigments. China Chemical Reporter, 6 Jan 2004, 15 (1), 11

Finland: Kemira – gypsum pigments Kemira has started up a second line at its gypsum pigment plant at Siilinjärvi, raising capacity there to 150,000 tonnes/y. This is substantially greater than the 100,000 tonnes/y indicated in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2003, 5. The crude gypsum raw material is derived as a by-product from the company’s phosphoric acid manufacturing operations. Kemira News, Jan 2004, (1), 5 (Kemira Oyj, PO Box 330, 00101 Helsinki, Finland; Website http://www.kemira.com)

France: Color Chemie – printing inks & colorants for packaging Color Chemie (of Germany) plans to set up a new plant at FreymingMerlebach (in Lorraine) for the manufacture of printing inks and colorants. €1.4 M has been budgeted for this project, which should be

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completed in February 2004. About 25 people will be employed at the new plant, which will be oriented towards meeting the requirements of customers in the packaging sector in France and North Africa. Chimie Hebdo, 8 Dec 2003, (237), 8 (in French)

France: Millennium – TiO2 Millennium Chemicals has been experiencing problems with effluent disposal from its sulfate-route TiO2 pigment plant at Le Havre. The company had taken over the plant from Rhône-Poulenc at the end of 1997. As a result of Rhône-Poulenc’s anti-pollution programme in 1993, the plant had reduced its discharge of waste to the sea and the Seine Estuary by 80%. The plant was permitted to continue – temporarily – marine dumping procedures for the residual 20% of pigment plant wastes. Soon after Millennium took over, it proposed a solution to the wastes problem, entailing an investment of €35 M, partly financed with the help of a loan from the Seine-Maritime water authority. A special waste storage facility was established at Hode, connected to the pigment plant by a 17 km pipeline. Vivendi was the project engineer and the installation was completed in mid-2002. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jun 2001, 4). But it soon became apparent that microfissures were developing in the pipeline and it was declared unusable! So far, Millennium and Vivendi have been unable to agree on how to remedy the problem and who should pay for the remedy. Meanwhile, Millennium has formally applied to the Seine-Maritime regional authority for an extension to the marine dumping permit. According to this news-item, Millennium’s plant at Le Havre can produce up to 100,000 tonnes/y of TiO2 pigment and generates 5 tonnes of iron sulfate waste per tonne of TiO2 pigment produced. However, Millennium declared earlier this year that it would be closing down some of the older sections of the plant, reducing nameplate capacity here to 75,000 tonnes/y. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, May 2003, 4). Europe Environment, 7 Nov 2003, (644), II.3 (Europe Information Service sa, Avenue Ad Lacomble 66, B1030, Bruxelles, Belgium, Website: http://www.eis.be)

Germany: BASF – Paliocrom effect pigments BASF is spending €4 M to increase its capacity at Ludwigshafen for manufacturing Paliocrom special effect pigments by 30%. BASF states that its Paliocrom Gold, Paliocrom Orange and Paliocrom Red pigments are proving to be especially popular among manufacturers of automotive and industrial paints. Sales of Paliocrom pigments have been increasing at over 5% per annum, which is well above the market average for special effect pigments. On the other hand, BASF reports declining sales for pigment dispersions, particularly in the paper and carpet industries. It recently announced the closure of two pigment dispersion units, resulting in the loss of 120 jobs. Chimie Hebdo, 1 Dec 2003, (236), 16 (in French)

Germany: Degussa – carbon black Degussa plans to close two of the production lines at its 150,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant at Kalscheuren, near Cologne. This follows the closure in 2002 of two production lines at Degussa’s Ambès plant in France. When announcing the recent closure – just as in the case of the Ambès plant – Degussa cited the high costs of manufacturing carbon black in Western Europe, coupled with intensive competition from lowpriced material from Egyptian and Russian suppliers. Meanwhile, Degussa itself has already secured a foothold in Eastern Europe, with the acquisition of control of the Jaslo plant in Poland. Also, Degussa opened a new 55,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant in Brazil last year and later this year it hopes to complete a 20,000 tonnes/y expansion at its Qingdao plant in China, raising capacity there to 70,000 tonnes/y. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2003, 3 & Oct 2003, 3). Chemische Rundschau, 2 Dec 2003, 56 (23), 8 & Kautschuk und Gummi, Kunststoffe, Dec 2003, 56 (12), 632 (in German)

Germany: Degussa – nanoparticulate zinc oxide Degussa has commenced production of nanoparticulate zinc oxide at its

JANUARY 2004