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Soda ash investment
FO CUS reduce staff levels, but Pilot says it is on track to generate annual EBITDA of about 25% of revenues. Pilot sells about 50-60% of its capacity to the detergents and personal care markets. Personal care is about 12% of the total, but Pilot would like to increase its sales in this segment by expanding its products and services range. The industrial specialities division makes surfactants used in agriculture, oil field and textile applications, as well as emulsifiers used synthetic rubber latex production. Pilot is also one of only two US LAS producers, the workhorse surfactant for powder detergents. The company says it has about 20-25% share of the markets in which it operates in the US. Pilot recently signed a distribution deal with Bayer Chemicals’ textile processing chemicals business unit, under which Bayer distributes Pilot’s diphenyl oxide sulfonates (DPOS) to the N American textile market. Chemical Week, 28 Jan 2004, 166 (3) (Website: http://www.chemicalweek.com)
New polymeric emulsifiers Orafti has created Inutec Surfactants, a new range of patented polymeric surfactants for cosmetic formulations. These products are based on Inulin generated from the chicory plant and are being marketed in France. The range includes Inutec SP1, which may be utilized in the manufacture of stable, low-viscosity emulsions for sprayable systems. SP1 imparts resistance to electrolytes and good compatibility with the majority of cosmetic ingredients. The product is biodegradable, biocompatible and well tolerated in topical or internal uses. Parfums, Cosmetiques, Actualites, Dec 2003, (174), 90
Nuplex buys surfactants firm New Zealand’s Nuplex Industries is to acquire Megachem Pty Ltd of Melbourne, Australia for A$ 1.6 M. Megachem makes surfactants and esters, and Nuplex expects sales revenues from the deal of about A$ 5 M in the first year. Chemical Week, 14 Jan 2004, 166 (1) (Website: http://www.chemicalweek.com)
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3M launches new fluorosurfactants 3M Co has assigned the brand name 3M Novec Fluorosurfactants to its fluorosurfactant technology such as FC-4430, FC-4432. The products impart outstanding wetting, levelling and flow control for various waterborne, solvent-borne and highsolids organic polymer coatings systems. These reformulated nonionic polymeric fluorochemical compounds, which are based on perfluorobutane sulfonate, are suitable for non-dispersive, permanent industrial coatings. Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), Jan 2004, 20 (1), 20, 108
was flat in 2003, compared to typical growth at GDP rates. Huntsman expects LAB demand growth to return to GDP rates this year. Merchant LAS plants are operating at percentage rates in the low- to mid-60s. LAS demand in the US and Canada was flat in 2003. Merchant LAS demand has been shrinking by 2%-3%/year in the past 2-3 years because of product substitution. Chemical Week, 28 Jan 2004, 166 (3) (Website: http://www.chemicalweek.com)
ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS
Surfactants growth is tough to activate Slow demand growth and strong competition in the mature N American and W European detergents markets are trends contributing to slow growth in the surfactants sector. Growth is hovering at just 2%-3%/year, as costconscious consumers increase their use of ‘value’ brands, and large-scale merchandisers such as Wal-Mart increase the pressure on soap makers to lower even their premiumbrand prices. US consumers have also increased demand for liquid detergent formulations, further cutting growth for the surfactants widely used in powder products. Most surfactant suppliers have announced price rises, but say these are still insufficient to offset rising costs of energy and basic raw materials. The focus for many detergents makers and end-use consumers is cost-savings. US household products, including laundry detergents, used 2.5 bn lbs of surfactants in 2002. Growth is forecast at 2.8%/y through 2010. Detergent usage, and thus surfactants, tends to grow at GDP rates but there are several key trends that are affecting the market, including moves by consumer product companies to lower costs by reformulating to the lowest total cost formulation. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), the mainstay of detergent surfactants, has been under significant competitive pressure because of falling detergent alcohols feedstock prices. Producers of LAB, the main raw material for LAS, have also been struggling with weak margins and overcapacity. Demand
Soda ash investment Magadi Soda Co Ltd has obtained an additional investment of $26 M from International Finance Corp for the construction of a new facility. The new plant is designed to raise Magadi’s high purity soda ash export capacity to 365,000 tonnes for glass production and detergents. Asian Glass, Dec 2003/Jan 2004, 41
Lonza expands portfolio Lonza Inc has launched three new preservative products. Glycacil SG is an idopropynyl butylcarbamate preservative suitable for household products, such as liquid dishwashing detergent, and light-duty liquids because of its fungicidal activity and water-solubility. Dantoserve SG is a combination of DMDM hydantoin and benzisothiazoline used for protection of a wide range of household and industrial products against microbial spoilage. Lonzagard NAHS 10X Concentrate can be used for hand sanitizer formulations; it enables customers to prepare a non-alcohol hand sanitizer with benzethonium chloride as the active ingredient. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jan 2004, 41 (1), 100
Novozymes’ 2003 finances For Novozymes A/S, 2003 was a particularly good year, despite exchange rate movements. Net profit rose by 13% from DKR 644 M to DKR 726 M and sales rose by 3% to DKR MARCH 2004
New polymeric emulsifiers Orafti has created Inutec Surfactants, a new range of patented polymeric surfactants for cosmetic formulations. These products are based on Inulin generated from the chicory plant and are being marketed in France. The range includes Inutec SP1, which may be utilized in the manufacture of stable, low-viscosity emulsions for sprayable systems. SP1 imparts resistance to electrolytes and good compatibility with the majority of cosmetic ingredients. The product is biodegradable, biocompatible and well tolerated in topical or internal uses. Parfums, Cosmetiques, Actualites, Dec 2003, (174), 90
Nuplex buys surfactants firm New Zealand’s Nuplex Industries is to acquire Megachem Pty Ltd of Melbourne, Australia for A$ 1.6 M. Megachem makes surfactants and esters, and Nuplex expects sales revenues from the deal of about A$ 5 M in the first year. Chemical Week, 14 Jan 2004, 166 (1) (Website: http://www.chemicalweek.com)
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3M launches new fluorosurfactants 3M Co has assigned the brand name 3M Novec Fluorosurfactants to its fluorosurfactant technology such as FC-4430, FC-4432. The products impart outstanding wetting, levelling and flow control for various waterborne, solvent-borne and highsolids organic polymer coatings systems. These reformulated nonionic polymeric fluorochemical compounds, which are based on perfluorobutane sulfonate, are suitable for non-dispersive, permanent industrial coatings. Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), Jan 2004, 20 (1), 20, 108
was flat in 2003, compared to typical growth at GDP rates. Huntsman expects LAB demand growth to return to GDP rates this year. Merchant LAS plants are operating at percentage rates in the low- to mid-60s. LAS demand in the US and Canada was flat in 2003. Merchant LAS demand has been shrinking by 2%-3%/year in the past 2-3 years because of product substitution. Chemical Week, 28 Jan 2004, 166 (3) (Website: http://www.chemicalweek.com)
ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS
Surfactants growth is tough to activate Slow demand growth and strong competition in the mature N American and W European detergents markets are trends contributing to slow growth in the surfactants sector. Growth is hovering at just 2%-3%/year, as costconscious consumers increase their use of ‘value’ brands, and large-scale merchandisers such as Wal-Mart increase the pressure on soap makers to lower even their premiumbrand prices. US consumers have also increased demand for liquid detergent formulations, further cutting growth for the surfactants widely used in powder products. Most surfactant suppliers have announced price rises, but say these are still insufficient to offset rising costs of energy and basic raw materials. The focus for many detergents makers and end-use consumers is cost-savings. US household products, including laundry detergents, used 2.5 bn lbs of surfactants in 2002. Growth is forecast at 2.8%/y through 2010. Detergent usage, and thus surfactants, tends to grow at GDP rates but there are several key trends that are affecting the market, including moves by consumer product companies to lower costs by reformulating to the lowest total cost formulation. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), the mainstay of detergent surfactants, has been under significant competitive pressure because of falling detergent alcohols feedstock prices. Producers of LAB, the main raw material for LAS, have also been struggling with weak margins and overcapacity. Demand
Soda ash investment Magadi Soda Co Ltd has obtained an additional investment of $26 M from International Finance Corp for the construction of a new facility. The new plant is designed to raise Magadi’s high purity soda ash export capacity to 365,000 tonnes for glass production and detergents. Asian Glass, Dec 2003/Jan 2004, 41
Lonza expands portfolio Lonza Inc has launched three new preservative products. Glycacil SG is an idopropynyl butylcarbamate preservative suitable for household products, such as liquid dishwashing detergent, and light-duty liquids because of its fungicidal activity and water-solubility. Dantoserve SG is a combination of DMDM hydantoin and benzisothiazoline used for protection of a wide range of household and industrial products against microbial spoilage. Lonzagard NAHS 10X Concentrate can be used for hand sanitizer formulations; it enables customers to prepare a non-alcohol hand sanitizer with benzethonium chloride as the active ingredient. HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jan 2004, 41 (1), 100
Novozymes’ 2003 finances For Novozymes A/S, 2003 was a particularly good year, despite exchange rate movements. Net profit rose by 13% from DKR 644 M to DKR 726 M and sales rose by 3% to DKR MARCH 2004