Powder coatings: Dow Powder Coatings relocates to the new facility in Onda

F O C U S The importance of barytes in powder coatings Barium sulfate is the most widely used filler in thermoset powder coatings due to its low cost, excellent chemical resistance, and the low abrasive quality that causes little or no wear on extruder screws and linings during the high speed compounding stage. Other desirable properties are low water solubility, neutral pH, high density, high melting point, brightness, and low oil absorption. This filler occurs naturally at a large number of global sites under the commercial name of barytes. Although it is an important component of coatings, more than 85% of the total annual production is directed to oil drilling operations where it is a major component of slurries designed to cool and lubricate the metallic drills. In 2008, the global production of barytes was about 8.5 M tonnes although this usage has declined to around 7.5-7.9 M tonnes in 2009 as the demand for oil has reduced due to high prices. The remaining 15% is divided between its usages as filler for paints, plastics, rubber, sound proofing and auto products, together with other outlets for barium chemicals. China is the major global producer (58%), with India (12%), USA (7.5%) and Morocco (6%). It is important for the powder coatings formulator to appreciate that some sources of barytes can contain up to 5% of impurities, which could be detrimental to the performance of coatings based on unrefined grades of barytes. These impurities could consist of iron oxides, silicas and strontium sulfate. Most reputable suppliers of barytes for the coatings industry will offer selected white or grey grades that are suitable for use as fillers for powder coatings and these materials are often pre-ground to sub-micron particle size. A more costly form of barytes is the precipitated grade that is often referred to as blanc fixe. For most applications FEBRUARY 2010

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a good quality untreated source of barytes is acceptable but there are recorded examples of powder coatings producers in some emerging countries who are prepared to purchase local sources of untreated barytes on price considerations only. These materials do not have the brightness properties of acceptable grades and the pH values can be highly acidic or strongly basic, with wide variation in particle size and uniformity. Industrial Minerals, Sep 2009, (504), 52-57, plus editorial comments

INDUSTRY NEWS Acquisition: AkzoNobel acquires powder coatings division from Dow Dutch AkzoNobel Group signed a contract to acquire the powder coatings division of US Dow Chemical Co. The acquisition which will provide important knowhow for AkzoNobel, has a significant synergy potential in the powder coatings segment and will improve its positioning in the US market. Dow acquired the powder coatings division as part of the acquisition of Rohm & Haas at the beginning of 2009. This segment achieves a global turnover of several $100 M/y and employs 700 staff. Rohm & Haas developed several technologies in powder coatings plants in the US, Europe and China, in particular for the automotive industry and agriculture, and the acquisition also includes know-how in the segments MDF and thermoplastics. AkzoNobel plans to refocus the production of powder coatings; the different production facilities will concentrate on single technologies, and the planned production expansions and synergy effects will improve the company’s operative efficiency. The acquisition is scheduled for

C OAT I N G S completion in 2Q 2010, subject to approval by relevant cartel authorities. Farbe und Lack, Dec 2009, 115 (12), 8 (in German)

Powder coatings: Dow Powder Coatings relocates to the new facility in Onda Dow Powder Coatings announced the relocation to a new facility in Onda in Spain in the vicinity of an existing production facility in Almazora. The new facility will provide the flexibility necessary in this market. The range of services for the Spanish and Portuguese markets will be extended with a new technical service, laboratory support and the new distribution team. Dow Powder Coatings aims to transfer production and stocks to Onda by the end of 2009. Farbe und Lack, Dec 2009, 115 (12), 9 (in German)

The new Dow Dow Chemical, after riding out a tough year in 2009, says it has the needed portfolio to grow its business. The company aims to raise revenues by more than 10%/y and boost earnings from the 1-3Q 2009 levels, by 2012. Newly acquired Rohm and Haas will be central to Dow’s growth plan. The former Rohm and Haas represents 75% of Dow’s new Advanced Materials Division, which in turn accounts for over 20% of Dow’s roughly $46 bn/y sales. Dow has already trimmed down its costs by $1.4 bn out, most of which is from the Rohm and Haas acquisition. It now targets a reduction of $2.5 bn/y in costs by end-2010. To date, Dow has eliminated 6151 jobs out of the planned 8000. The company has divested its calcium chloride business, a share in a Dutch refinery, interest in the Optimal petrochemical Malaysian jv, and Rohm and Haas’ powder coatings 3