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Japan: Nippon Kasei & Mitsubishi Chemical – carbon black
FOCUS joint venture between Evonik Industries (of Germany) and Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp (of Japan). It employs Evonik’s long-established Aerosil process, as used at Rheinfelden (Germany), entailing the flame pyrolysis of silicon tetrachloride. Here, the silicon tetrachloride is generated as a byproduct of the two-step process for making monosilane from powdered silicon and hydrochloric acid. Integrated with the fumed silica plant is a new plant for making monosilane, which started-up at the same time. The entire Yokkaichi project cost €150 M. Monosilane is used in the production of thin film solar cells, flatscreen displays and semiconductors for the electronics industry. Taiyo Nippon Sanso is one of the leading global distributors of industrial and special gases, including silanes, and has supplied key customers in the Asian electronics industry for many years. Evonik is one of the world’s largest suppliers of chlorosilanes and monosilanes, as well as being a major global supplier of fumed silica. The fumed silica output from Yokkaichi will be mainly marketed to customers in the plastics, paint and colorants industries. Press Release from: Evonik Industries AG, Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11 45128, Essen, Germany. Website: http://www.evonik.com (3 Jun 2011)
Japan: Hexa – plastic colorants Hexa Chemical (headquartered in Osaka) completed its purchase of an 81.5% stake in DIC Colorants on 27 May 2011. Hexa intends to buy-up the remaining 18.5% of the equity by 2014. With the purchase, Hexa Chemicals acquired control of the plastic colorants and compounds facility at Kawagoe (Saitama prefecture) and it now intends to relocate its own plastic colorants and compounds production from Tokyo to the Kawagoe site. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 5 Jul 2011 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2011
Japan: Nippon Kasei & Mitsubishi Chemical – carbon black Nippon Kasei Chemical has announced the permanent closure of its 30,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant at Onahama (10 km south of Iwaki in
SEPTEMBER 2011
ON
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Fukushima prefecture). The plant was severely damaged as a result of the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. Nevertheless, Nippon Kasei has made strenuous efforts to repair and reactivate most of its other plants at Onahama. For example, the production of a sealant additive used in the manufacture of solar cells was resumed within less than six weeks of the disaster. Nippon Kasei accounts for about 90% of the world’s production of this particular additive. Nippon Kasei is part of the Mitsubishi group, being owned 52.75% by Mitsubishi Chemical and 12.13% by Mitsubishi Corp. Customers for Nippon Kasei’s carbon black will continue to be catered for by shipments from Mitsubishi Chemical’s two other plants, at Kitakyushu and Yokkaichi. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 17 Jun 2011, (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2011
Japan: Nippon Kayaku – inkjet colorants Nippon Kayaku recently opened a new plant for producing inkjet colorants at its Fukuyama complex (Hiroshima prefecture) in western Japan. This will treble the company’s capacity for inkjet colorants, but no absolute figures (in terms of tonnes/y) have been disclosed. The inkjet colorants business is handled by Nippon Kayaku’s Functional Chemicals division, which also produces: sealants and polarising films for liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, UV-curable resins for photo discs, photoresists for semiconductors, catalysts for use in acrylic and methacrylic acid manufacture and epoxy resins, as well as colorants for textiles, paper and plastics. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 7 Jun 2011, (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2011
UK: Colourhouse Masterbatch – plastics masterbatch Colourhouse Masterbatch Ltd was founded by a group of ex-employees of a company that closed its own Wigan masterbatch plant in 2010. The new company’s plant came onstream in March 2011, located on the Swan Lane Business Park. Initially, it is targeting customers in Northwest
England, offering colour masterbatches using various highspecification carrier systems, including acetal, acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as well as all the commodity polymers. Original Source: Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 22 Jul 2011, 9 (Website: http://www.prw.com/) © Crain Communications Inc 2011
UK & US: Americhem – masterbatch Americhem has revealed that the investment in its new 11,300 tonnes/y masterbatch plant being built at Liberty, NC (170 km northeast of Charlotte) will be nearly $23 M. The plant should be ready to begin production by the end of 2011. Meanwhile, Americhem has installed a 2000 tonne/y production line to make customized colour and additive masterbatches for synthetic turf at its Manchester complex in Northwest England. A similar pilotscale line is being installed at the company’s Dalton, GA complex and this should be ready for operation by the end of 2011. Original Source: Plastics News, 13 Jun 2011 & 26 Jul 2011, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com) © Crain Communications Inc 2011
US: Emerald Hilton Davis – lake colorants dyes & dispersions Emerald Hilton Davis has significantly expanded the capacity of its Cincinnati, OH plant for making lake colorants, dyes and pigment dispersions. Hilton Davis has a longestablished reputation as a supplier of lake colorants for the food and pharmaceutical industry and the Cincinnati site has been manufacturing colorants since the 1920s. Ms Jenny Smith (Business Manager) commented: “Lakes are a water-insoluble form of dye used to provide vibrant, high strength colour in food applications. They provide colour in applications such as bakery and confections, as they are soluble in oil and butter, and thus prevent undesirable colour-bleed.” Emerald Performance Materials, the parent group, was created in May 2006 as an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners. Prior to that, the business was owned by Lubrizol and before that it was the Food Ingredients &
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Japan: Hexa – plastic colorants Hexa Chemical (headquartered in Osaka) completed its purchase of an 81.5% stake in DIC Colorants on 27 May 2011. Hexa intends to buy-up the remaining 18.5% of the equity by 2014. With the purchase, Hexa Chemicals acquired control of the plastic colorants and compounds facility at Kawagoe (Saitama prefecture) and it now intends to relocate its own plastic colorants and compounds production from Tokyo to the Kawagoe site. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 5 Jul 2011 (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2011
Japan: Nippon Kasei & Mitsubishi Chemical – carbon black Nippon Kasei Chemical has announced the permanent closure of its 30,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant at Onahama (10 km south of Iwaki in
SEPTEMBER 2011
ON
PIGMENTS
Fukushima prefecture). The plant was severely damaged as a result of the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. Nevertheless, Nippon Kasei has made strenuous efforts to repair and reactivate most of its other plants at Onahama. For example, the production of a sealant additive used in the manufacture of solar cells was resumed within less than six weeks of the disaster. Nippon Kasei accounts for about 90% of the world’s production of this particular additive. Nippon Kasei is part of the Mitsubishi group, being owned 52.75% by Mitsubishi Chemical and 12.13% by Mitsubishi Corp. Customers for Nippon Kasei’s carbon black will continue to be catered for by shipments from Mitsubishi Chemical’s two other plants, at Kitakyushu and Yokkaichi. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 17 Jun 2011, (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2011
Japan: Nippon Kayaku – inkjet colorants Nippon Kayaku recently opened a new plant for producing inkjet colorants at its Fukuyama complex (Hiroshima prefecture) in western Japan. This will treble the company’s capacity for inkjet colorants, but no absolute figures (in terms of tonnes/y) have been disclosed. The inkjet colorants business is handled by Nippon Kayaku’s Functional Chemicals division, which also produces: sealants and polarising films for liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, UV-curable resins for photo discs, photoresists for semiconductors, catalysts for use in acrylic and methacrylic acid manufacture and epoxy resins, as well as colorants for textiles, paper and plastics. Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 7 Jun 2011, (Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © The Chemical Daily Co Ltd 2011
UK: Colourhouse Masterbatch – plastics masterbatch Colourhouse Masterbatch Ltd was founded by a group of ex-employees of a company that closed its own Wigan masterbatch plant in 2010. The new company’s plant came onstream in March 2011, located on the Swan Lane Business Park. Initially, it is targeting customers in Northwest
England, offering colour masterbatches using various highspecification carrier systems, including acetal, acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as well as all the commodity polymers. Original Source: Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 22 Jul 2011, 9 (Website: http://www.prw.com/) © Crain Communications Inc 2011
UK & US: Americhem – masterbatch Americhem has revealed that the investment in its new 11,300 tonnes/y masterbatch plant being built at Liberty, NC (170 km northeast of Charlotte) will be nearly $23 M. The plant should be ready to begin production by the end of 2011. Meanwhile, Americhem has installed a 2000 tonne/y production line to make customized colour and additive masterbatches for synthetic turf at its Manchester complex in Northwest England. A similar pilotscale line is being installed at the company’s Dalton, GA complex and this should be ready for operation by the end of 2011. Original Source: Plastics News, 13 Jun 2011 & 26 Jul 2011, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com) © Crain Communications Inc 2011
US: Emerald Hilton Davis – lake colorants dyes & dispersions Emerald Hilton Davis has significantly expanded the capacity of its Cincinnati, OH plant for making lake colorants, dyes and pigment dispersions. Hilton Davis has a longestablished reputation as a supplier of lake colorants for the food and pharmaceutical industry and the Cincinnati site has been manufacturing colorants since the 1920s. Ms Jenny Smith (Business Manager) commented: “Lakes are a water-insoluble form of dye used to provide vibrant, high strength colour in food applications. They provide colour in applications such as bakery and confections, as they are soluble in oil and butter, and thus prevent undesirable colour-bleed.” Emerald Performance Materials, the parent group, was created in May 2006 as an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners. Prior to that, the business was owned by Lubrizol and before that it was the Food Ingredients &
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