- Email: [email protected]
Japan: Merck – pearlescents & liquid crystals
FOCUS Germany: SMI – PCC As scheduled, Specialty Minerals Inc (SMI) commissioned its new precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant at Walsum (near Duisburg) in October. The entire output is going to be available for merchant sales to third-party customers in the paint and paper industries. SMI markets its PCC as a slurry, containing 71-72% solids, delivered by road, rail or barge. Initial capacity is 125,000 tonnes/y (as dry weight), but the plant has been designed to facilitate easy expansion to 500,000 tonnes/y, as warranted by the evolution of market demand. Chemical Market Reporter, 11 Oct 2004, (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Industrial Minerals, Nov 2004, (446), 16
Japan: Merck – pearlescents & liquid crystals Merck installed a second production line at its Onahama plant for making Xirallic pearlescent pigments in 2002 and it is now considering further expansion. Meanwhile, Merck has stepped up its capacity for making liquid crystals at Atsugi from 45,000 tonnes/y to 65,000 tonnes/y. The next stage of expansion will raise capacity here to 80,000 tonnes/y. Merck is one of the world’s leading suppliers of liquid crystals, used for a variety of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in electronic products. Japan Chemical Week, 19 Aug 2004, 45 (2282), 4
Mexico & US: Great Lakes Chemical & Laurel Industries – antimony trioxide GLCC Laurel LLC has announced the completion of the programme to move the production of FireShield and Thermoguard antimony-based flame retardants and of PetCat catalyst grades of antimony trioxide from LaPorte, TX to the Reynosa complex in Mexico. GLCC Laurel was established in April 2004 as a 50:50 joint venture between Great Lakes Chemical Corp (GLCC) and the Laurel Industries business unit within Occidental Petroleum Corp. Press release from: GLCC Laurel LLC, USA, Website: http://www.greatlakeschem.com (25 Oct 2004)
Russia: Empils – zinc oxide Empils (of Rostov-na-Donu) is Russia’s leading zinc oxide producer,
NOVEMBER 2004
ON
PIGMENTS
claiming a 50% share of the domestic market. During the first six months of 2004, Empils produced 7180 tonnes of zinc white pigment, compared against 7000 tonnes in the first half of 2003 and 6940 tonnes in the second half of 2003. Empils is also a major dyestuff producer, with a 14% share of the Russian market. It produced 70,510 tonnes of various dyes in full-year 2003. During the first half of 2004, production was 45,700 tonnes – an increase of 21% on the first half of 2003. Vestnik Khimicheskoi Promyshlennosty, Sep 2004, 31 (3), 44-45 (in Russian)
Thailand: Bridgestone – carbon black Bridgestone has officially inaugurated its new 40,000 tonnes/y carbon black in Thailand, which was built at a cost of $41 M. The plant is located in the Ban Kahi district in the province of Rayong. Details of this project were first given in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Apr 2003, 4 and it should have been included in the synopsis of worldwide carbon black projects published in the October 2004 issue of ‘Focus on Pigments’. Asian Chemical News, 1 Nov 2004, 10 (467), 5
Ukraine: Titan Crimea – TiO2 Earlier this year, the Ukrainian Government announced an ambitious business plan for the future of Krym Titan, the enterprise which had inherited ownership of the sulfateroute TiO2 pigment plant at Armyansk on the Crimean peninsula, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2004, 5/6). Nameplate capacity at Armyansk was 80,000 tonnes/y and the plant was running flat out in 1988, providing the major contribution to Ukraine’s record TiO2 pigment production that year – 115,000 tonnes. Throughout the 1990s, because of problems in replacing and maintaining some of the equipment at Armyansk, effective TiO2 pigment capacity was limited to 60,000 tonnes/y. Nevertheless, production has steadily increased in recent years and last year exceeded 56,000 tonnes. In early October, the Ukrainian Government declared that an agreement had been signed with RSJ
Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (a German investment fund), creating Titan Crimea with an issue share capital of UAH 736 M (equivalent to nearly $139 M). Ownership of Titan Crimea is split almost 50:50 between Titan SJSC (a Ukrainian Government enterprise) and the German investment fund, but Titan SJSC has two more equity shares than RSJ. The TiO2 plants and other chemical manufacturing units at Armyansk – valued at $35 M altogether – have already been transferred to Titan Crimea. RSJ has already paid $34 M into the financial reserves of Titan Crimea. The next stage will entail bringing the TiO2 feedstock operations of Irshansk and Volnogorsk under the control of Titan Crimea. The titanium and magnesium metal plants at Zaporozhye will also come under the control of Titan Crimea. Thanks to the injection of finance by RSJ, the TiO2 pigment plant at Armyansk will be substantially expanded, initially to 88,000 tonnes/y by 2006. Also a new sulfuric acid plant is to be installed at Armyansk, scheduled for start-up in 2007. The additional acid availability, coupled with greater control over indigenous ilmenite supplies, will provide the springboards for launching a substantial expansion of TiO2 pigment capacity in the Ukraine. Press release from: Titan Crimea, Armyansk, Crimea, Fax: +38 044 5164525. Website: http//www.titanexport.com (4 Oct 2004)
US: Schulman – plastics colorants Schulman closed two production lines at its Nashville, TN, plant in August 2004, with the aim of reducing the pre-tax losses on its North American business. For the first nine months of the group’s financial year (to endNovember 2004), pre-tax losses on the North American business were $2.6 M, compared against $11.5 M for the corresponding period of 2003. Meanwhile, Schulman’s European business turned in pre-tax profits of $28 M – virtually unchanged on the 2003 figure. The European business will be boosted by the recent commissioning of Schulman’s $3.5 M plastics colorants plant in Poland. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 2004, 5). The Schulman group now has 2400 employees, located at 12 different plants in the US, Europe and
5
Japan: Merck – pearlescents & liquid crystals Merck installed a second production line at its Onahama plant for making Xirallic pearlescent pigments in 2002 and it is now considering further expansion. Meanwhile, Merck has stepped up its capacity for making liquid crystals at Atsugi from 45,000 tonnes/y to 65,000 tonnes/y. The next stage of expansion will raise capacity here to 80,000 tonnes/y. Merck is one of the world’s leading suppliers of liquid crystals, used for a variety of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in electronic products. Japan Chemical Week, 19 Aug 2004, 45 (2282), 4
Mexico & US: Great Lakes Chemical & Laurel Industries – antimony trioxide GLCC Laurel LLC has announced the completion of the programme to move the production of FireShield and Thermoguard antimony-based flame retardants and of PetCat catalyst grades of antimony trioxide from LaPorte, TX to the Reynosa complex in Mexico. GLCC Laurel was established in April 2004 as a 50:50 joint venture between Great Lakes Chemical Corp (GLCC) and the Laurel Industries business unit within Occidental Petroleum Corp. Press release from: GLCC Laurel LLC, USA, Website: http://www.greatlakeschem.com (25 Oct 2004)
Russia: Empils – zinc oxide Empils (of Rostov-na-Donu) is Russia’s leading zinc oxide producer,
NOVEMBER 2004
ON
PIGMENTS
claiming a 50% share of the domestic market. During the first six months of 2004, Empils produced 7180 tonnes of zinc white pigment, compared against 7000 tonnes in the first half of 2003 and 6940 tonnes in the second half of 2003. Empils is also a major dyestuff producer, with a 14% share of the Russian market. It produced 70,510 tonnes of various dyes in full-year 2003. During the first half of 2004, production was 45,700 tonnes – an increase of 21% on the first half of 2003. Vestnik Khimicheskoi Promyshlennosty, Sep 2004, 31 (3), 44-45 (in Russian)
Thailand: Bridgestone – carbon black Bridgestone has officially inaugurated its new 40,000 tonnes/y carbon black in Thailand, which was built at a cost of $41 M. The plant is located in the Ban Kahi district in the province of Rayong. Details of this project were first given in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Apr 2003, 4 and it should have been included in the synopsis of worldwide carbon black projects published in the October 2004 issue of ‘Focus on Pigments’. Asian Chemical News, 1 Nov 2004, 10 (467), 5
Ukraine: Titan Crimea – TiO2 Earlier this year, the Ukrainian Government announced an ambitious business plan for the future of Krym Titan, the enterprise which had inherited ownership of the sulfateroute TiO2 pigment plant at Armyansk on the Crimean peninsula, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Aug 2004, 5/6). Nameplate capacity at Armyansk was 80,000 tonnes/y and the plant was running flat out in 1988, providing the major contribution to Ukraine’s record TiO2 pigment production that year – 115,000 tonnes. Throughout the 1990s, because of problems in replacing and maintaining some of the equipment at Armyansk, effective TiO2 pigment capacity was limited to 60,000 tonnes/y. Nevertheless, production has steadily increased in recent years and last year exceeded 56,000 tonnes. In early October, the Ukrainian Government declared that an agreement had been signed with RSJ
Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH (a German investment fund), creating Titan Crimea with an issue share capital of UAH 736 M (equivalent to nearly $139 M). Ownership of Titan Crimea is split almost 50:50 between Titan SJSC (a Ukrainian Government enterprise) and the German investment fund, but Titan SJSC has two more equity shares than RSJ. The TiO2 plants and other chemical manufacturing units at Armyansk – valued at $35 M altogether – have already been transferred to Titan Crimea. RSJ has already paid $34 M into the financial reserves of Titan Crimea. The next stage will entail bringing the TiO2 feedstock operations of Irshansk and Volnogorsk under the control of Titan Crimea. The titanium and magnesium metal plants at Zaporozhye will also come under the control of Titan Crimea. Thanks to the injection of finance by RSJ, the TiO2 pigment plant at Armyansk will be substantially expanded, initially to 88,000 tonnes/y by 2006. Also a new sulfuric acid plant is to be installed at Armyansk, scheduled for start-up in 2007. The additional acid availability, coupled with greater control over indigenous ilmenite supplies, will provide the springboards for launching a substantial expansion of TiO2 pigment capacity in the Ukraine. Press release from: Titan Crimea, Armyansk, Crimea, Fax: +38 044 5164525. Website: http//www.titanexport.com (4 Oct 2004)
US: Schulman – plastics colorants Schulman closed two production lines at its Nashville, TN, plant in August 2004, with the aim of reducing the pre-tax losses on its North American business. For the first nine months of the group’s financial year (to endNovember 2004), pre-tax losses on the North American business were $2.6 M, compared against $11.5 M for the corresponding period of 2003. Meanwhile, Schulman’s European business turned in pre-tax profits of $28 M – virtually unchanged on the 2003 figure. The European business will be boosted by the recent commissioning of Schulman’s $3.5 M plastics colorants plant in Poland. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 2004, 5). The Schulman group now has 2400 employees, located at 12 different plants in the US, Europe and
5