- Email: [email protected]
India: Imerys & Ballarpur – GCC
F O C US industry applications. Target sales revenue for Shandong Suntiox is Yen 800 M for the year to end-March 2006 and Yen 2 bn for the year to endMarch 2008. Japan Chemical Week, 8 Apr 2004, 45 (2265), 12
China: Zhenjiang – TiO2 Zhenjiang Inter-China Chemical Group is planning to add four new production lines at its TiO2 pigment plant at Zhenjiang (in Jiangsu province), raising total capacity here from 20,000 tonnes/y to 100,000 tonnes/y by 2006. Presumably the plant referred to here is the same 20,000 tonnes/y plant at Zhenjiang previously described as being run by Zhenjiang Titanium White Works. Last year, this company was reported to be commencing trial operations at a new TiO2 plant at a separate, but unidentified, location. (See ‘Focus pn Pigments’, Aug 2003, 3). Industrial Minerals, Apr 2004, (439), 33
China & Poland: Schulman – plastics colorants & masterbatches Schulman is poised to open two new masterbatch production facilities, one in China and one in Poland, just two years after the company began work on these projects. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Sep 2002, 3). About $3.5 M was committed to investment in the Polish plant, located near Warsaw, designed to make up to 1360 tonnes/y of plastics colorants, mainly for supplying customers in Central and Eastern Europe. About $7.5-8 M was invested in the Chinese plant, which will be capable of making 18,000 tonnes/y of coloured plastic compounds suitable for the packaging sector. The plant has been designed so that it would be relatively easy to add one or two additional production lines here. With the two new plants, Schulman will have 12 manufacturing facilities altogether, located in the US, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Schulman reported a new record for turnover last year – $1.1 bn. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 19 Apr 2004, (253), 9 (in French)
JULY 2004
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PIGMENTS
France: Millennium – TiO2 News of Millennium’s environmental protection programme for the Thann site in eastern France was first reported in ‘CH’ about a year ago (see ‘Focus on Pigments’, May 2003, 5) and a news update was recently published by the same source. Total investment in the programme is now reported as €45 M instead of €50 M, though this may simply reflect changes in the €$US exchange rate. Figures for the amount of gypsum generated as by-products of TiO2 pigment manufacture at Thann have also been restated. The amount of red gypsum generated is now reported as 100,000-150,000 tonnes/y (as against 90,000 tonnes/y before). Research is continuing into possible applications for this material, including landscaping applications. The amount of marketable white gypsum is now reported as 30,000-50,000 tonnes/y and this is being supplied to manufacturers of plaster and cement. These measures should help to guarantee the viable future of the 30,000 tonnes/y sulfate-route TiO2 pigment plant at Thann. Millennium has also embarked on measures to eliminate chloride contamination from plants at the Thann site, which include a small titanium tetrachloride facility. Groundwater is to be diverted around the company’s Ochsenfeld waste disposal site, whereas at present groundwater passes through this site. To achieve this, high-density polyethylene pipes and drains will be installed and a waterproof layer (3500 m long) will completely cover the site. Engineering contracts have been awarded to Sita Rémédiation (part of the Suez group) and Soletanche Bachy in respect of this project. As well as TiO2 and titanium tetrachloride, Millennium produces zirconia and various other speciality chemicals at Thann. Altogether, 300 people are currently employed here. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 19 Apr 2004, (253), 14 (in French)
Germany: SMI & STEAG – PCC Speciality Minerals Inc’s (SMI) project to install a 125,000 tonnes/y precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant at Walsum (near Duisburg) is on
schedule for completion by October 2004. This plant is being built on a power station complex run by STEAG (of Essen) and carbon dioxide requirements are to be sourced from the power station. The entire output will be available for merchant sales to third-party customers in the paint and paper industries. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Oct 2001, 5). SMI currently has 54 PCC plants in operation or under construction around the world, but most of them are satellite units located at paper mills and catering for on-site PCC demand rather than being geared to third-party sales. Last year, SMI produced more than 3.1 M tonnes of PCC worldwide, with manufacturing operations in 17 different countries. Industrial Minerals, May 2004, (440), 15
India: Imerys & Ballarpur – GCC Imerys and Ballarpur Industries (part of the locally owned Thapars group) have formed a 74:26 joint venture, which will spend $3.5 M on the establishment of a 55,000 tonnes/y ground calcium carbonate (GCC) facility. No details have been given on the project location, as yet. Purchase, Apr 2004, 27 (4), 141
Netherlands: Omya – GCC Omya Beheer BV (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Omya) is nearing completion of a new facility for making 500,000 tonnes/y of ground calcium carbonate (GCC) at Moerdijk, near Rotterdam. The plant will process high-purity white marble shipped in from Omya’s mines in Turkey. In due course, the plant will be expanded to handle up to 1 M tonnes/y of marble. Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), May 2004, 20 (5), 25
Poland: Degussa – carbon black Degussa acquired the carbon black plant at the Jaslo oil refinery complex in southeastern Poland in early 2000. The plant, formerly operated by Carbochem, was one of the petrochemical assets listed for privatisation by the Polish Government and in putting it up for
5
China: Zhenjiang – TiO2 Zhenjiang Inter-China Chemical Group is planning to add four new production lines at its TiO2 pigment plant at Zhenjiang (in Jiangsu province), raising total capacity here from 20,000 tonnes/y to 100,000 tonnes/y by 2006. Presumably the plant referred to here is the same 20,000 tonnes/y plant at Zhenjiang previously described as being run by Zhenjiang Titanium White Works. Last year, this company was reported to be commencing trial operations at a new TiO2 plant at a separate, but unidentified, location. (See ‘Focus pn Pigments’, Aug 2003, 3). Industrial Minerals, Apr 2004, (439), 33
China & Poland: Schulman – plastics colorants & masterbatches Schulman is poised to open two new masterbatch production facilities, one in China and one in Poland, just two years after the company began work on these projects. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Sep 2002, 3). About $3.5 M was committed to investment in the Polish plant, located near Warsaw, designed to make up to 1360 tonnes/y of plastics colorants, mainly for supplying customers in Central and Eastern Europe. About $7.5-8 M was invested in the Chinese plant, which will be capable of making 18,000 tonnes/y of coloured plastic compounds suitable for the packaging sector. The plant has been designed so that it would be relatively easy to add one or two additional production lines here. With the two new plants, Schulman will have 12 manufacturing facilities altogether, located in the US, Europe and the Asia/Pacific region. Schulman reported a new record for turnover last year – $1.1 bn. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 19 Apr 2004, (253), 9 (in French)
JULY 2004
O N
PIGMENTS
France: Millennium – TiO2 News of Millennium’s environmental protection programme for the Thann site in eastern France was first reported in ‘CH’ about a year ago (see ‘Focus on Pigments’, May 2003, 5) and a news update was recently published by the same source. Total investment in the programme is now reported as €45 M instead of €50 M, though this may simply reflect changes in the €$US exchange rate. Figures for the amount of gypsum generated as by-products of TiO2 pigment manufacture at Thann have also been restated. The amount of red gypsum generated is now reported as 100,000-150,000 tonnes/y (as against 90,000 tonnes/y before). Research is continuing into possible applications for this material, including landscaping applications. The amount of marketable white gypsum is now reported as 30,000-50,000 tonnes/y and this is being supplied to manufacturers of plaster and cement. These measures should help to guarantee the viable future of the 30,000 tonnes/y sulfate-route TiO2 pigment plant at Thann. Millennium has also embarked on measures to eliminate chloride contamination from plants at the Thann site, which include a small titanium tetrachloride facility. Groundwater is to be diverted around the company’s Ochsenfeld waste disposal site, whereas at present groundwater passes through this site. To achieve this, high-density polyethylene pipes and drains will be installed and a waterproof layer (3500 m long) will completely cover the site. Engineering contracts have been awarded to Sita Rémédiation (part of the Suez group) and Soletanche Bachy in respect of this project. As well as TiO2 and titanium tetrachloride, Millennium produces zirconia and various other speciality chemicals at Thann. Altogether, 300 people are currently employed here. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 19 Apr 2004, (253), 14 (in French)
Germany: SMI & STEAG – PCC Speciality Minerals Inc’s (SMI) project to install a 125,000 tonnes/y precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant at Walsum (near Duisburg) is on
schedule for completion by October 2004. This plant is being built on a power station complex run by STEAG (of Essen) and carbon dioxide requirements are to be sourced from the power station. The entire output will be available for merchant sales to third-party customers in the paint and paper industries. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Oct 2001, 5). SMI currently has 54 PCC plants in operation or under construction around the world, but most of them are satellite units located at paper mills and catering for on-site PCC demand rather than being geared to third-party sales. Last year, SMI produced more than 3.1 M tonnes of PCC worldwide, with manufacturing operations in 17 different countries. Industrial Minerals, May 2004, (440), 15
India: Imerys & Ballarpur – GCC Imerys and Ballarpur Industries (part of the locally owned Thapars group) have formed a 74:26 joint venture, which will spend $3.5 M on the establishment of a 55,000 tonnes/y ground calcium carbonate (GCC) facility. No details have been given on the project location, as yet. Purchase, Apr 2004, 27 (4), 141
Netherlands: Omya – GCC Omya Beheer BV (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Omya) is nearing completion of a new facility for making 500,000 tonnes/y of ground calcium carbonate (GCC) at Moerdijk, near Rotterdam. The plant will process high-purity white marble shipped in from Omya’s mines in Turkey. In due course, the plant will be expanded to handle up to 1 M tonnes/y of marble. Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), May 2004, 20 (5), 25
Poland: Degussa – carbon black Degussa acquired the carbon black plant at the Jaslo oil refinery complex in southeastern Poland in early 2000. The plant, formerly operated by Carbochem, was one of the petrochemical assets listed for privatisation by the Polish Government and in putting it up for
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