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India: JJ Plastalloy – plastics masterbatch
F O C US
PLANTS Brazil, China & India: MTI – precipitated calcium carbonate In 1986, Minerals Technologies Inc (MTI, headquartered in New York) pioneered the satellite concept for making precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) for captive on-site use at paper mills, making use of the CO2 generated at the mill complex. The company now has about 60 satellite PCC plants in operation or under construction at paper mills around the world. Towards the end of 2010, MTI launched its Fulfill suite of process technologies, aimed at increasing PCC loadings in finished paper products by 1-10% so as to cut down on the consumption of relatively expensive wood-pulp. The company has now supplied Fulfill technology to 14 different paper mills around the world. The latest satellite PCC agreement was announced on 7 January 2014. MTI signed a contract with UPMKymmene Corp to build a 91,000 tonnes/y satellite precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant at the company’s Changshu paper mill in Jiangsu province. The plant, which will focus on producing filler grades of PCC, should come on-stream in early 2015. Mr Robert Wetherbee said: “This is the fourth agreement for a satellite PCC plant in China that we have signed within the space of about 12 months and it brings our total number of Chinese satellite PCC plants to seven. This confirms the momentum of our geographic expansion strategy and it demonstrates the value of developing an organisation well positioned to successfully operate the growing network of satellite plants in China.” Last August, MTI signed an agreement with Nanning Jindaxing Paper Industry Co Ltd, a privately owned company producing uncoated freesheet paper, mainly used for office photocopiers and general stationery. The Jindaxing agreement was for a joint venture 45,000 tonnes/y satellite PCC plant to be built at the company’s paper mill in Guangxi province. The plant is scheduled to come on-stream in 4Q 2014 and the agreement also provided for the use of MTI’s Fulfill E-325 technology.
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Towards the end of 2012, MTI had announced agreements with Henan Jianghe Paper for a 22,000 tonnes/y plant at Jiaozuo City (Henan province) and with Shandong Sun Paper for a 100,000 tonnes/y plant at Yanzhou (30 km northeast of Jining, Shandong province). Both of these projects were due to be completed during 1Q 2014. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2012, 3 & Feb 2013, 3). The latest agreement for the supply of Fulfill E-325 technology was announced on 29 October 2013. The customer operates a paper mill in India, but – like many other customers for this technology – the company wants to remain unidentified. In February 2013, MTI announced the signing of two contracts for supplying Fulfill E-325 technology to separate customers in North America. Both customers requested anonymity, but MTI noted that one of them specialises in producing coated papers that are used mainly for magazines, brochures and prestige documents. Most of the mills employing Fulfill technology make uncoated papers. Of the total of 14 paper mills that have now signed up for Fulfill technology, three are in India and three are in North America. Other customers are located in Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, China and Europe. At present, only one Latin American paper mill is licensed to use Fulfill E-325 technology, following an agreement signed in mid-March 2013. The mill is located at Guaiba (30 km southwest of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul province) and it is owned by CMPC Celulose Riograndese, a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Empresas Cia Manufactura de Papeles & Cartones (CMPC) group, headquartered in Santiago, Chile. The company is one of the world’s largest producers of bleached pulp based on short-fibre eucalyptus, with an installed capacity of 450,000 tonnes/y of pulp, most of which is sold to mills making personal hygiene products and speciality papers. The Guaiba mill also produces 60,000 tonnes/y of printing and writing papers, mainly for sale in the Brazilian market. MTI has been supplying PCC to the Guaiba mill since 2007. Original Source: Minerals Technologies Inc, 38th Floor, 622 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA, website: http://www.mineralstech.com (29 Oct 2013 & 7 Jan 2014), © MTI 2013/14
India: Bankim Plast & Jai Corp – plastics masterbatch Work is currently underway to more than double capacity at the masterbatch plant of Bankim Plast (headquartered in Mumbai) from 5000 tonnes/y to 12,000 tonnes/y over the next three years. The plant is located at Daman in the territory of Daman & Diu (175 km north of Mumbai). Bankim Plast is a private company owned and managed by five members of the Karia family. Commenting on the planned expansion, Mr Avnish Karia said: “We are bullish about the rising demand for white masterbatches and we are hopeful of achieving an 80% sales increase by 2015. We mainly produce white masterbatches. Additive masterbatches account for only 2-3% of our total production. At present, we export about 3000-3300 tonnes/y, but we aim to achieve 6000 tonnes/y within the next two or three years. The multinational suppliers have stepped up their competitive efforts in the Indian market. The foreign-owned companies can give their customers long-term credits. We cannot offer such credits, so it is forcing us to look for opportunities in export markets. Escalating raw material prices have gone beyond the acceptance level of buyers. In fact, a lot of masterbatch customers believe that prices will have to come down, so they are really scared of keeping inventories. In turn, this has resulted in a slowdown of our sales growth.” Operating on a smaller scale, Jai Corp (of Mumbai) is also planning to step up the capacity of its Daman masterbatch plant – from 1500 tonnes/y to 2500 tonnes/y. Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2014, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2014
India: JJ Plastalloy – plastics masterbatch JJ Plastalloy Pvt Ltd (headquartered in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) is building a new masterbatch plant at Dahej in Gujarat province (115 km southwest of Vadodara/Baroda). It will be designed to produce up to 12,000 tonnes/y of masterbatch, raising the company’s overall capacity to 54,000 tonnes/y. Mr Amit Srivastava (Marketing Manager) noted the advantages of MARCH 2014
F O C US deep-water port facilities at Dahej, which will support JJ Plastalloy’s aims to expand its export sales in Middle East markets. Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2014, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2014
India: Kantilal Sanghvi – phthalocyanine Kantilal Sanghvi, a trading company headquartered in Mumbai, is planning to build its own crude copper phthalocyanine plant, with the objective of strengthening its assets base and reducing its vulnerability to volatile pricing for crude phthalocyanine. The company plans to build a 600 tonnes/y plant, probably at Tarapur (70 km south of Ahmedabad, Gujarat), though other sites in Gujarat are being considered. Kantilal Sanghvi currently has exclusive sales representation rights for an unidentified producer based in Ahmedabad and capable of producing 480 tonnes/y of phthalocyanine pigments. Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 10 Dec 2013, 144 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com), © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2013
India: Prayag Polytech – plastics masterbatch Prayag Polytech Ltd (headquartered in New Delhi) has grown rapidly since its creation in 1996. The company was named by the Plastics Export Promotion Council (Plex) as India’s top exporter of plastic masterbatches for 2011/12 and 2012/13. At its plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan (70 km southwest of New Delhi), Prayag Polytech has three separate units, respectively producing white, black and coloured masterbatches, with no risk of cross-contamination. All units are equipped with twinextruders for maximising productivity. Total masterbatch capacity at Bhiwadi is being doubled to 70,000 tonnes/y and this project should be completed by March 2014. Prayag Polytech is also building a new plant on a 12 hectares greenfields site at Dahej (Gujarat) and this plant could be ready for operation by the end of 2014. Mr Nikhil Aggarwal (Vice President, Marketing) said: “We already export MARCH 2014
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80% of our masterbatch production. We have been expanding very fast in the global market over the past five years. The planned expansions will meet the growing demand. Also, we have a strong distribution network and we will be moving into ten more countries soon.” Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2014, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2014
Italy: Clariant – plastics masterbatch research & development The Masterbatches division of Clariant AG spent €2 M to establish its first Project House at Pogliano (about 15 km west of Milan). The centre, with 400 square metres of floor-space, will house interdisciplinary teams of scientists, pursuing breakthrough concepts and solutions in the field of plastic masterbatches. Activities here will be closely coordinated with activities at Clariant’s new Innovation Centre in Frankfurt, built at a cost of €100 M. About 500 people are employed there, with another 50-100 due to join them in mid-2014. The Frankfurt facility opened at the end of October 2013 and the Pogliano facility opened a few weeks later. Clariant plans to establish a second Project House at an as yet unidentified location in Asia. Original Source: Plastics Today News, 4 Dec 2013, (Website: http://www.plasticstoday.com), © UBM Canon 2013
Malaysia: Zantat – GCC Zantat Sdn Bhd has established itself as one of the leading ground calcium carbonate (GCC) manufacturers in Malaysia since 1985. The company has a 4 hectares limestone quarry at Simpang Pulai (about 20 km south of Ipoh citycentre), with reserves estimated at about 8 M tonnes, of which 50% are above-ground and 50% are below ground level. The company’s plant, located near the quarry, currently produces about 110,000 tonnes/y of GCC in powder form. Zantat also produces speciality calcium carbonate dispersions at a facility in the Kepong Industrial Zone in the northern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
Mainly in response to booming demand from its major export markets (Australia, Indonesia and Singapore), Zantat is now spending $3 M to expand its GCC capacity in a project that should be completed by 3Q 2014. Original Source: Plastics News, 30 Dec 2013, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2013
Mexico: Cabot – carbon black Cabot has completed the acquisition of Grupo Kuo’s 60% stake in Nhumo SA de CV and it now owns Nhumo’s entire share capital. The value of the transaction was reported as $105 M. For the year to end-March 2013, Nhumo reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $24 M on sales revenues of $188 M. The company’s carbon black plant at Altamira in northern Mexico will probably be expanded to cater for anticipated demand, stemming from the forecast of passenger tyres demand growing at rates in excess of 5% per annum. Original Source: Rubber and Plastics News, 2 Dec 2013, 43 (9), 2 (Website: http://www.rubbernews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2013
US: DIC – Natural blue pigments from Spirulina cyanobacterium DIC (formerly Dainippon Ink & Chemicals) of Tokyo plans to spend $10 M to build a natural blue pigments plant at Irvine, CA (65 km southwest of Los Angeles). The pigment will be extracted from the cyanobacterium Anthrospira Platensis (aka Spirulina), which is cultivated from algae. Mars Ltd and other food industry groups have been interested in using Spirulina-derived products for colouring confectionery. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2012, 7). Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 2 Dec 2013, 91 (48), 15 (Website: http://www.cenonline.org), © American Chemical Society 2013
US: Excalibar Minerals – baryte Excalibar Minerals LLC (a whollyowned subsidiary of Newpark Resources Inc) is about to install a new fully automated 66-inch Raymond Roller mill at its Corpus Christi, TX plant, stepping up its
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PLANTS Brazil, China & India: MTI – precipitated calcium carbonate In 1986, Minerals Technologies Inc (MTI, headquartered in New York) pioneered the satellite concept for making precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) for captive on-site use at paper mills, making use of the CO2 generated at the mill complex. The company now has about 60 satellite PCC plants in operation or under construction at paper mills around the world. Towards the end of 2010, MTI launched its Fulfill suite of process technologies, aimed at increasing PCC loadings in finished paper products by 1-10% so as to cut down on the consumption of relatively expensive wood-pulp. The company has now supplied Fulfill technology to 14 different paper mills around the world. The latest satellite PCC agreement was announced on 7 January 2014. MTI signed a contract with UPMKymmene Corp to build a 91,000 tonnes/y satellite precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant at the company’s Changshu paper mill in Jiangsu province. The plant, which will focus on producing filler grades of PCC, should come on-stream in early 2015. Mr Robert Wetherbee said: “This is the fourth agreement for a satellite PCC plant in China that we have signed within the space of about 12 months and it brings our total number of Chinese satellite PCC plants to seven. This confirms the momentum of our geographic expansion strategy and it demonstrates the value of developing an organisation well positioned to successfully operate the growing network of satellite plants in China.” Last August, MTI signed an agreement with Nanning Jindaxing Paper Industry Co Ltd, a privately owned company producing uncoated freesheet paper, mainly used for office photocopiers and general stationery. The Jindaxing agreement was for a joint venture 45,000 tonnes/y satellite PCC plant to be built at the company’s paper mill in Guangxi province. The plant is scheduled to come on-stream in 4Q 2014 and the agreement also provided for the use of MTI’s Fulfill E-325 technology.
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Towards the end of 2012, MTI had announced agreements with Henan Jianghe Paper for a 22,000 tonnes/y plant at Jiaozuo City (Henan province) and with Shandong Sun Paper for a 100,000 tonnes/y plant at Yanzhou (30 km northeast of Jining, Shandong province). Both of these projects were due to be completed during 1Q 2014. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2012, 3 & Feb 2013, 3). The latest agreement for the supply of Fulfill E-325 technology was announced on 29 October 2013. The customer operates a paper mill in India, but – like many other customers for this technology – the company wants to remain unidentified. In February 2013, MTI announced the signing of two contracts for supplying Fulfill E-325 technology to separate customers in North America. Both customers requested anonymity, but MTI noted that one of them specialises in producing coated papers that are used mainly for magazines, brochures and prestige documents. Most of the mills employing Fulfill technology make uncoated papers. Of the total of 14 paper mills that have now signed up for Fulfill technology, three are in India and three are in North America. Other customers are located in Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, China and Europe. At present, only one Latin American paper mill is licensed to use Fulfill E-325 technology, following an agreement signed in mid-March 2013. The mill is located at Guaiba (30 km southwest of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul province) and it is owned by CMPC Celulose Riograndese, a wholly-owned subsidiary within the Empresas Cia Manufactura de Papeles & Cartones (CMPC) group, headquartered in Santiago, Chile. The company is one of the world’s largest producers of bleached pulp based on short-fibre eucalyptus, with an installed capacity of 450,000 tonnes/y of pulp, most of which is sold to mills making personal hygiene products and speciality papers. The Guaiba mill also produces 60,000 tonnes/y of printing and writing papers, mainly for sale in the Brazilian market. MTI has been supplying PCC to the Guaiba mill since 2007. Original Source: Minerals Technologies Inc, 38th Floor, 622 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA, website: http://www.mineralstech.com (29 Oct 2013 & 7 Jan 2014), © MTI 2013/14
India: Bankim Plast & Jai Corp – plastics masterbatch Work is currently underway to more than double capacity at the masterbatch plant of Bankim Plast (headquartered in Mumbai) from 5000 tonnes/y to 12,000 tonnes/y over the next three years. The plant is located at Daman in the territory of Daman & Diu (175 km north of Mumbai). Bankim Plast is a private company owned and managed by five members of the Karia family. Commenting on the planned expansion, Mr Avnish Karia said: “We are bullish about the rising demand for white masterbatches and we are hopeful of achieving an 80% sales increase by 2015. We mainly produce white masterbatches. Additive masterbatches account for only 2-3% of our total production. At present, we export about 3000-3300 tonnes/y, but we aim to achieve 6000 tonnes/y within the next two or three years. The multinational suppliers have stepped up their competitive efforts in the Indian market. The foreign-owned companies can give their customers long-term credits. We cannot offer such credits, so it is forcing us to look for opportunities in export markets. Escalating raw material prices have gone beyond the acceptance level of buyers. In fact, a lot of masterbatch customers believe that prices will have to come down, so they are really scared of keeping inventories. In turn, this has resulted in a slowdown of our sales growth.” Operating on a smaller scale, Jai Corp (of Mumbai) is also planning to step up the capacity of its Daman masterbatch plant – from 1500 tonnes/y to 2500 tonnes/y. Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2014, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2014
India: JJ Plastalloy – plastics masterbatch JJ Plastalloy Pvt Ltd (headquartered in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) is building a new masterbatch plant at Dahej in Gujarat province (115 km southwest of Vadodara/Baroda). It will be designed to produce up to 12,000 tonnes/y of masterbatch, raising the company’s overall capacity to 54,000 tonnes/y. Mr Amit Srivastava (Marketing Manager) noted the advantages of MARCH 2014
F O C US deep-water port facilities at Dahej, which will support JJ Plastalloy’s aims to expand its export sales in Middle East markets. Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2014, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2014
India: Kantilal Sanghvi – phthalocyanine Kantilal Sanghvi, a trading company headquartered in Mumbai, is planning to build its own crude copper phthalocyanine plant, with the objective of strengthening its assets base and reducing its vulnerability to volatile pricing for crude phthalocyanine. The company plans to build a 600 tonnes/y plant, probably at Tarapur (70 km south of Ahmedabad, Gujarat), though other sites in Gujarat are being considered. Kantilal Sanghvi currently has exclusive sales representation rights for an unidentified producer based in Ahmedabad and capable of producing 480 tonnes/y of phthalocyanine pigments. Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 10 Dec 2013, 144 (Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com), © Sevak Publications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2013
India: Prayag Polytech – plastics masterbatch Prayag Polytech Ltd (headquartered in New Delhi) has grown rapidly since its creation in 1996. The company was named by the Plastics Export Promotion Council (Plex) as India’s top exporter of plastic masterbatches for 2011/12 and 2012/13. At its plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan (70 km southwest of New Delhi), Prayag Polytech has three separate units, respectively producing white, black and coloured masterbatches, with no risk of cross-contamination. All units are equipped with twinextruders for maximising productivity. Total masterbatch capacity at Bhiwadi is being doubled to 70,000 tonnes/y and this project should be completed by March 2014. Prayag Polytech is also building a new plant on a 12 hectares greenfields site at Dahej (Gujarat) and this plant could be ready for operation by the end of 2014. Mr Nikhil Aggarwal (Vice President, Marketing) said: “We already export MARCH 2014
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80% of our masterbatch production. We have been expanding very fast in the global market over the past five years. The planned expansions will meet the growing demand. Also, we have a strong distribution network and we will be moving into ten more countries soon.” Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2014, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2014
Italy: Clariant – plastics masterbatch research & development The Masterbatches division of Clariant AG spent €2 M to establish its first Project House at Pogliano (about 15 km west of Milan). The centre, with 400 square metres of floor-space, will house interdisciplinary teams of scientists, pursuing breakthrough concepts and solutions in the field of plastic masterbatches. Activities here will be closely coordinated with activities at Clariant’s new Innovation Centre in Frankfurt, built at a cost of €100 M. About 500 people are employed there, with another 50-100 due to join them in mid-2014. The Frankfurt facility opened at the end of October 2013 and the Pogliano facility opened a few weeks later. Clariant plans to establish a second Project House at an as yet unidentified location in Asia. Original Source: Plastics Today News, 4 Dec 2013, (Website: http://www.plasticstoday.com), © UBM Canon 2013
Malaysia: Zantat – GCC Zantat Sdn Bhd has established itself as one of the leading ground calcium carbonate (GCC) manufacturers in Malaysia since 1985. The company has a 4 hectares limestone quarry at Simpang Pulai (about 20 km south of Ipoh citycentre), with reserves estimated at about 8 M tonnes, of which 50% are above-ground and 50% are below ground level. The company’s plant, located near the quarry, currently produces about 110,000 tonnes/y of GCC in powder form. Zantat also produces speciality calcium carbonate dispersions at a facility in the Kepong Industrial Zone in the northern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
Mainly in response to booming demand from its major export markets (Australia, Indonesia and Singapore), Zantat is now spending $3 M to expand its GCC capacity in a project that should be completed by 3Q 2014. Original Source: Plastics News, 30 Dec 2013, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2013
Mexico: Cabot – carbon black Cabot has completed the acquisition of Grupo Kuo’s 60% stake in Nhumo SA de CV and it now owns Nhumo’s entire share capital. The value of the transaction was reported as $105 M. For the year to end-March 2013, Nhumo reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $24 M on sales revenues of $188 M. The company’s carbon black plant at Altamira in northern Mexico will probably be expanded to cater for anticipated demand, stemming from the forecast of passenger tyres demand growing at rates in excess of 5% per annum. Original Source: Rubber and Plastics News, 2 Dec 2013, 43 (9), 2 (Website: http://www.rubbernews.com), © Crain Communications Inc 2013
US: DIC – Natural blue pigments from Spirulina cyanobacterium DIC (formerly Dainippon Ink & Chemicals) of Tokyo plans to spend $10 M to build a natural blue pigments plant at Irvine, CA (65 km southwest of Los Angeles). The pigment will be extracted from the cyanobacterium Anthrospira Platensis (aka Spirulina), which is cultivated from algae. Mars Ltd and other food industry groups have been interested in using Spirulina-derived products for colouring confectionery. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2012, 7). Original Source: Chemical and Engineering News, 2 Dec 2013, 91 (48), 15 (Website: http://www.cenonline.org), © American Chemical Society 2013
US: Excalibar Minerals – baryte Excalibar Minerals LLC (a whollyowned subsidiary of Newpark Resources Inc) is about to install a new fully automated 66-inch Raymond Roller mill at its Corpus Christi, TX plant, stepping up its
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