- Email: [email protected]
Taiwan: JSR – liquid crystals
FOCUS Pompat merged its business with the Thai subsidiary of Oriental Silica (headquartered in Taiwan). Tokuyama will also be able to utilise Oriental Silica’s marketing facilities in China. The demand for dry precipitated silica for use in the paints and plastics sectors is growing fast in a number of Asian markets, especially in China and South Korea. Japan Chemical Week, 24 Feb 2005, 46 (2307), 12
France: Roquette Frères & Sethness – caramel colorants Sethness Products Co (of the US) and Roquette Frères SA (of France) have established a joint venture company, named Sethness-Roquette, to operate a newly opened caramel colorants plant at Merville in northern France. Output from this facilty will be sold to customers throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Chemical Market Reporter, 14 Feb 2005 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Hong Kong: Viba & CVI – plastics masterbatch The joint venture created by Viba SpA (of Italy) and CVI Modern Technology Ltd (of Hong Kong) has begun producing plastics masterbatch in the Hong Kong autonomous province of China. The operating company, VibaCVI, started-up its plant in January 2005, with an initial capacity of 2000 tonnes/y. This should be expanded to 9000 tonnes/y within the next three years. Viba-CVI’s main target market is the polyolefin film sector. Plastics News, 17 Feb 2005 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
India: KMML – TiO2 For the year to end-March 2005, Kerala Minerals & Metals Ltd reported a net profit of Rup 650 M on sales of Rup 2.9 bn, compared against Rup 490 M on Rup 2.66 bn for the previous year. The company set a new record for annual TiO2 pigment output from its plant at Sankaramangalam – 30,662 tonnes. Sales of pigment reached 32,153 tonnes, including more than 12,000 tonnes of exports. This represents an increase of nearly 70% on the 7285 tonnes exported in 2003/04. KMML
MAY 2005
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now has customers in 33 different export markets, the major recipients being: Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, South Africa, Italy and Turkey. The company also has a contract to supply 6200 tonnes of TiO2 pigment to the Chinese market. Profit margins on TiO2 export sales have been quite good. KMML’s average realised export price increased by 6%, comparing 2004/05 against the previous year. The longterm objective is to expand the Sankaramangalam plant to 100,000 tonnes/y, with 50% of the total pigment output being available for export. APCJ, Asia Pacific Coatings Journal, Feb 2005, 18 (1), 4 & Business Line, 12 Apr 2005, 12 (101), 17
India: Phillips – carbon black The carbon black plant at Ambalamugal (near Kochi in Kerala province) has been awarded ISO14001:96 certification, which embraces high pollution control standards. The plant is operated by Phillips Carbon Black Ltd (part of the RP Goenka group). Although substantially smaller than the company’s 125,000 tonnes/y plant at Durgapur (West Bengal) and its 95,000 tonnes/y plant at Vadodara (Gujarat), the 39,000 tonnes/y Kochi plant is a showpiece facility for Phillips’ environmental image. At Kochi, Phillips has installed on-line monitoring for all operative stacks, secondary bag collectors to prevent carbon black leakage, dedusting systems, venturi scrubbers and complete recycling of treated effluent water through a complex system of dams, ponds and recirculating pumps. The specialised filtration system here is unique within India. Typically, other carbon black manufacturers in India and in other parts of the world depend on primary bag filters alone to prevent the release of carbon black into the atmosphere. Phillips has also installed sound mufflers to control noise pollution at the carbon black plant. Chemical Weekly, 8 Feb 2005, 50 (25), 129
India: WGI/Earth Minerals Resources – TiO2 feedstock The Indian Government has withdrawn the export licence of Earth Minerals Resources Ltd, one of the four major suppliers of ilmenite from
deposits in Tamil Nadu province. Earth Minerals Resources is associated with WGI (formerly Western Garnet) and it had been WGI’s sole source of ilmenite supplied to an unnamed major TiO2 pigment company under a contract announced in August 2003. Because of the Government’s move, WGI has been obliged to declare force majeure on its ilmenite supply contracts. Deliveries of ilmenite from the other three suppliers – Indian Rare Earths, VV Mineral/AMT and Beach Minerals/MDL – are unaffected. TiO2 Worldwide Update, Mar/Apr 2005, 13 (2), 10 & Press release from: WGI Heavy Minerals Inc, 1875 North Lakewood Drive, Suite 201, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814, USA, Fax: +1 208 666 4000 (6 Mar 2005)
Russia: Aricom – TiO2 Details of the Aricom project as reported in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Feb 2005, 6 were essentially confirmed in a recent article in the Russian trade press. The capital investment required for setting up the Kuranakh mine, with processing facilities at Olekma, was reported as $58 M instead of $56 M. Also, the latest report indicates that Aricom will be supplying ilmenite and titaniferous magnetite onwards from January 2007 rather than “by the end of 2007.” There are no major TiO2 pigment plants in Russia at the present time. The country is said to be importing 130,000 tonnes/y of TiO2 pigment, of which 60% from the Ukraine and 40% from other sources in Europe and the US. Kommersant, 4 Apr 2005 (58/P), 16 (in Russian)
Taiwan: JSR – liquid crystals Japan Synthetic Rubber Corp (JSR) plans to establish a new chemicals complex at Unlin. The complex will be built on a site within the Central Taiwan Science-based Industrial Park. JSR will be investing approximately Yen 2.5 bn. Construction work is due to commence in June 2005 and it should be completed in February 2006, with full-scale commercial production beginning in Summer 2006. First-phase projects here include the establishment of facilities for making colour pigment dispersed resists used for liquid crystal display
5
FOCUS (LCD) panels. Flat screens incorporating LCD panels are rapidly substituting for conventional screens based on cathode ray tubes (CRTs) both for televisions and for computerlinked screens. The global usage of LCD panels has been rising at more than 25% per annum in recent years and this pace of growth will be sustained into the medium-term. Taiwan is home to a number of multinational suppliers of consumer electronic and business electronic devices. Consumption of LCD materials in Taiwan is booming right now and by 2006 it is expected to reach up to treble the 2004 level. JSR’s main manufacturing base for LCD materials is at Yokkaichi (Japan). Also in Japan, the company’s whollyowned subsidiary, JSR Micro Kyushu, runs a smaller plant for making LCD materials at Saga. Another whollyowned subsidiary, JSR Micro Korea, was recently established in the region of Chingcheongbuk-Do (South Korea). Press release from: JSR Corp, Japan. Website: http://www.jsr.co.jp (7 Feb 2005)
Thailand & UK: Matrix Plastics – masterbatch Matrix Plastics (of Marlow, UK) has announced that it will close its plastics masterbatch and compounding plant at Rayong, with effect from 1 March 2005. The company states that it has decided that the Rayong plant “would not provide a positive return on further investment.” The Rayong plant was only opened at the beginning of 2004 and a lot of new equipment was installed there. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Mar 2004, 4). All this equipment will be shipped to the Matrix factory in Slough. Also, all the staff currently employed at Rayong will be offered new job placements at Slough. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 25 Feb 2005, 3
Ukraine: Titan Crimea – TiO2 Titan Crimea reported a 39% increase in its TiO2 pigment sales volume from 56,023 tonnes in 2003 to 77,875 tonnes in full-year 2004. The company’s total sales revenue – derived from TiO2, red iron oxide pigment, ammonium phosphate, sulfuric acid and sundry other chemicals – increased by 66.9% to
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UAH 599.859 M in 2004. Thanks to the injection of funds from RSJ Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Titan Crimea is investing in a number of improvements to its Armyansk plant on the Crimean peninsula. At the same time, the company plans to expand its total TiO2 pigment capacity to 120,000 tonnes/y by 2007, with the installation of a third 40,000 tonnes/y production line. Installation should be completed by August 2006, with testing and commissioning scheduled for the last four months of the year. In January 2005, Titan Crimea signed a €540,000 contract with two German companies – Haver & Boecker and Beumer – for the installation of an automated packaging line at its TiO2 plant. The new line will be capable of packaging 220 x 25 kilo bags per hour (equivalent to 5500 kilos per hour or nearly 45,000 tonnes/y). Titan Crimea’s TiO2 pigment production target for 2005 is 86,400 tonnes. To minimise downtime, it will concentrate on producing three grades: CR-02, CR-03 and CR-07. Interfax Chemicals, Jan 2005 (1), 4 (Website: http://www.interfax-news.com) & Industrial Minerals, Mar 2005 (450), 22-23
UK: Ciba – textile dyes & colour formers Ciba Speciality Chemicals declared last October that its textile dyes and colour formers plant at Clayton (near Manchester) would be closed by mid2007. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2005, 7). More recently, Ciba declared that it was taking a SFR 80 M charge against 4Q 2004 profits, a significant proportion of which would be accounted for by costs associated with the closure of the Clayton facilities. Another contributing factor was costs associated with the integration of the newly acquired Raisio Chemicals into Ciba’s watertreatment and paper chemicals business. At Clayton, 164 employees will be made redundant in March 2005, followed by 84 in 2006 and 46 in 1H 2007. A few employees will then be retained to implement final closure of the site. Worldwide, Ciba’s workforce will be reduced by 950, with the Clayton works representing about one-third of the total reduction. European Chemical News, 7 Feb 2005, 82 (2133), 7 & 21 Feb 2005, 82 (2135), 6
US: Chroma – plastics colorants Chroma Corp brought a new manufacturing line into production in mid-January, increasing the total capacity for colour concentrates and compounds at McHenry, IL to 35 M lbs/y or just under 16,000 tonnes/y. Its product range includes metallic, pearlescent and edge-glow effect additives. Chroma has three buildings on its factory site, with 130,000 sq ft of floor space. It plans to increase its workforce by 12-15 people during 2005. Last year, Chroma’s sales revenue increased by 10-15% and the company is planning a further 15-20% increase this year. About 60% of the company’s sales are accounted for by customers in the packaging sector. Plastics News, 10 Mar 2005 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
US: Daleco – kaolin Significant kaolin and calcium carbonate deposits in Cibolta County (New Mexico) belonging to Daleco Resources Inc and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Clean Age Minerals Inc, are to be developed with technical assistance from Tecumseh Professional Associates Inc (of Albuquerque, NM). Tecumseh will take the lead project management role for the ongoing commercialisation of the resources. Preliminary estimates indicate 1.5 bn tonnes of calcium carbonate and 200 M tonnes of kaolin. Press release from: Daleco Resources Corp, 120 North Church Street (Suite 615), West Chester, PA 19380, USA, Tel: +1 610 429 0181. Website: http://www.descartes.com (15 Feb 2005)
US: DuPont – TiO2 According to a brief survey in ‘CW’, DuPont intends to raise capacity at its De Lisle TiO2 plant in Mississippi by 40,000-50,000 tonnes/y in the near future. The De Lisle plant consists of two standard chlorination/oxidation lines and currently has a nameplate capacity of 300,000 tonnes/y. Chemical Week, 16 Mar 2005, 167 (9), 33 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
US: Huber – ground calcium carbonate JM Huber’s calcium carbonate granulation unit at Benicia (California)
MAY 2005
France: Roquette Frères & Sethness – caramel colorants Sethness Products Co (of the US) and Roquette Frères SA (of France) have established a joint venture company, named Sethness-Roquette, to operate a newly opened caramel colorants plant at Merville in northern France. Output from this facilty will be sold to customers throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Chemical Market Reporter, 14 Feb 2005 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
Hong Kong: Viba & CVI – plastics masterbatch The joint venture created by Viba SpA (of Italy) and CVI Modern Technology Ltd (of Hong Kong) has begun producing plastics masterbatch in the Hong Kong autonomous province of China. The operating company, VibaCVI, started-up its plant in January 2005, with an initial capacity of 2000 tonnes/y. This should be expanded to 9000 tonnes/y within the next three years. Viba-CVI’s main target market is the polyolefin film sector. Plastics News, 17 Feb 2005 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
India: KMML – TiO2 For the year to end-March 2005, Kerala Minerals & Metals Ltd reported a net profit of Rup 650 M on sales of Rup 2.9 bn, compared against Rup 490 M on Rup 2.66 bn for the previous year. The company set a new record for annual TiO2 pigment output from its plant at Sankaramangalam – 30,662 tonnes. Sales of pigment reached 32,153 tonnes, including more than 12,000 tonnes of exports. This represents an increase of nearly 70% on the 7285 tonnes exported in 2003/04. KMML
MAY 2005
ON
PIGMENTS
now has customers in 33 different export markets, the major recipients being: Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, South Africa, Italy and Turkey. The company also has a contract to supply 6200 tonnes of TiO2 pigment to the Chinese market. Profit margins on TiO2 export sales have been quite good. KMML’s average realised export price increased by 6%, comparing 2004/05 against the previous year. The longterm objective is to expand the Sankaramangalam plant to 100,000 tonnes/y, with 50% of the total pigment output being available for export. APCJ, Asia Pacific Coatings Journal, Feb 2005, 18 (1), 4 & Business Line, 12 Apr 2005, 12 (101), 17
India: Phillips – carbon black The carbon black plant at Ambalamugal (near Kochi in Kerala province) has been awarded ISO14001:96 certification, which embraces high pollution control standards. The plant is operated by Phillips Carbon Black Ltd (part of the RP Goenka group). Although substantially smaller than the company’s 125,000 tonnes/y plant at Durgapur (West Bengal) and its 95,000 tonnes/y plant at Vadodara (Gujarat), the 39,000 tonnes/y Kochi plant is a showpiece facility for Phillips’ environmental image. At Kochi, Phillips has installed on-line monitoring for all operative stacks, secondary bag collectors to prevent carbon black leakage, dedusting systems, venturi scrubbers and complete recycling of treated effluent water through a complex system of dams, ponds and recirculating pumps. The specialised filtration system here is unique within India. Typically, other carbon black manufacturers in India and in other parts of the world depend on primary bag filters alone to prevent the release of carbon black into the atmosphere. Phillips has also installed sound mufflers to control noise pollution at the carbon black plant. Chemical Weekly, 8 Feb 2005, 50 (25), 129
India: WGI/Earth Minerals Resources – TiO2 feedstock The Indian Government has withdrawn the export licence of Earth Minerals Resources Ltd, one of the four major suppliers of ilmenite from
deposits in Tamil Nadu province. Earth Minerals Resources is associated with WGI (formerly Western Garnet) and it had been WGI’s sole source of ilmenite supplied to an unnamed major TiO2 pigment company under a contract announced in August 2003. Because of the Government’s move, WGI has been obliged to declare force majeure on its ilmenite supply contracts. Deliveries of ilmenite from the other three suppliers – Indian Rare Earths, VV Mineral/AMT and Beach Minerals/MDL – are unaffected. TiO2 Worldwide Update, Mar/Apr 2005, 13 (2), 10 & Press release from: WGI Heavy Minerals Inc, 1875 North Lakewood Drive, Suite 201, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814, USA, Fax: +1 208 666 4000 (6 Mar 2005)
Russia: Aricom – TiO2 Details of the Aricom project as reported in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Feb 2005, 6 were essentially confirmed in a recent article in the Russian trade press. The capital investment required for setting up the Kuranakh mine, with processing facilities at Olekma, was reported as $58 M instead of $56 M. Also, the latest report indicates that Aricom will be supplying ilmenite and titaniferous magnetite onwards from January 2007 rather than “by the end of 2007.” There are no major TiO2 pigment plants in Russia at the present time. The country is said to be importing 130,000 tonnes/y of TiO2 pigment, of which 60% from the Ukraine and 40% from other sources in Europe and the US. Kommersant, 4 Apr 2005 (58/P), 16 (in Russian)
Taiwan: JSR – liquid crystals Japan Synthetic Rubber Corp (JSR) plans to establish a new chemicals complex at Unlin. The complex will be built on a site within the Central Taiwan Science-based Industrial Park. JSR will be investing approximately Yen 2.5 bn. Construction work is due to commence in June 2005 and it should be completed in February 2006, with full-scale commercial production beginning in Summer 2006. First-phase projects here include the establishment of facilities for making colour pigment dispersed resists used for liquid crystal display
5
FOCUS (LCD) panels. Flat screens incorporating LCD panels are rapidly substituting for conventional screens based on cathode ray tubes (CRTs) both for televisions and for computerlinked screens. The global usage of LCD panels has been rising at more than 25% per annum in recent years and this pace of growth will be sustained into the medium-term. Taiwan is home to a number of multinational suppliers of consumer electronic and business electronic devices. Consumption of LCD materials in Taiwan is booming right now and by 2006 it is expected to reach up to treble the 2004 level. JSR’s main manufacturing base for LCD materials is at Yokkaichi (Japan). Also in Japan, the company’s whollyowned subsidiary, JSR Micro Kyushu, runs a smaller plant for making LCD materials at Saga. Another whollyowned subsidiary, JSR Micro Korea, was recently established in the region of Chingcheongbuk-Do (South Korea). Press release from: JSR Corp, Japan. Website: http://www.jsr.co.jp (7 Feb 2005)
Thailand & UK: Matrix Plastics – masterbatch Matrix Plastics (of Marlow, UK) has announced that it will close its plastics masterbatch and compounding plant at Rayong, with effect from 1 March 2005. The company states that it has decided that the Rayong plant “would not provide a positive return on further investment.” The Rayong plant was only opened at the beginning of 2004 and a lot of new equipment was installed there. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Mar 2004, 4). All this equipment will be shipped to the Matrix factory in Slough. Also, all the staff currently employed at Rayong will be offered new job placements at Slough. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 25 Feb 2005, 3
Ukraine: Titan Crimea – TiO2 Titan Crimea reported a 39% increase in its TiO2 pigment sales volume from 56,023 tonnes in 2003 to 77,875 tonnes in full-year 2004. The company’s total sales revenue – derived from TiO2, red iron oxide pigment, ammonium phosphate, sulfuric acid and sundry other chemicals – increased by 66.9% to
6
ON
PIGMENTS
UAH 599.859 M in 2004. Thanks to the injection of funds from RSJ Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Titan Crimea is investing in a number of improvements to its Armyansk plant on the Crimean peninsula. At the same time, the company plans to expand its total TiO2 pigment capacity to 120,000 tonnes/y by 2007, with the installation of a third 40,000 tonnes/y production line. Installation should be completed by August 2006, with testing and commissioning scheduled for the last four months of the year. In January 2005, Titan Crimea signed a €540,000 contract with two German companies – Haver & Boecker and Beumer – for the installation of an automated packaging line at its TiO2 plant. The new line will be capable of packaging 220 x 25 kilo bags per hour (equivalent to 5500 kilos per hour or nearly 45,000 tonnes/y). Titan Crimea’s TiO2 pigment production target for 2005 is 86,400 tonnes. To minimise downtime, it will concentrate on producing three grades: CR-02, CR-03 and CR-07. Interfax Chemicals, Jan 2005 (1), 4 (Website: http://www.interfax-news.com) & Industrial Minerals, Mar 2005 (450), 22-23
UK: Ciba – textile dyes & colour formers Ciba Speciality Chemicals declared last October that its textile dyes and colour formers plant at Clayton (near Manchester) would be closed by mid2007. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2005, 7). More recently, Ciba declared that it was taking a SFR 80 M charge against 4Q 2004 profits, a significant proportion of which would be accounted for by costs associated with the closure of the Clayton facilities. Another contributing factor was costs associated with the integration of the newly acquired Raisio Chemicals into Ciba’s watertreatment and paper chemicals business. At Clayton, 164 employees will be made redundant in March 2005, followed by 84 in 2006 and 46 in 1H 2007. A few employees will then be retained to implement final closure of the site. Worldwide, Ciba’s workforce will be reduced by 950, with the Clayton works representing about one-third of the total reduction. European Chemical News, 7 Feb 2005, 82 (2133), 7 & 21 Feb 2005, 82 (2135), 6
US: Chroma – plastics colorants Chroma Corp brought a new manufacturing line into production in mid-January, increasing the total capacity for colour concentrates and compounds at McHenry, IL to 35 M lbs/y or just under 16,000 tonnes/y. Its product range includes metallic, pearlescent and edge-glow effect additives. Chroma has three buildings on its factory site, with 130,000 sq ft of floor space. It plans to increase its workforce by 12-15 people during 2005. Last year, Chroma’s sales revenue increased by 10-15% and the company is planning a further 15-20% increase this year. About 60% of the company’s sales are accounted for by customers in the packaging sector. Plastics News, 10 Mar 2005 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
US: Daleco – kaolin Significant kaolin and calcium carbonate deposits in Cibolta County (New Mexico) belonging to Daleco Resources Inc and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Clean Age Minerals Inc, are to be developed with technical assistance from Tecumseh Professional Associates Inc (of Albuquerque, NM). Tecumseh will take the lead project management role for the ongoing commercialisation of the resources. Preliminary estimates indicate 1.5 bn tonnes of calcium carbonate and 200 M tonnes of kaolin. Press release from: Daleco Resources Corp, 120 North Church Street (Suite 615), West Chester, PA 19380, USA, Tel: +1 610 429 0181. Website: http://www.descartes.com (15 Feb 2005)
US: DuPont – TiO2 According to a brief survey in ‘CW’, DuPont intends to raise capacity at its De Lisle TiO2 plant in Mississippi by 40,000-50,000 tonnes/y in the near future. The De Lisle plant consists of two standard chlorination/oxidation lines and currently has a nameplate capacity of 300,000 tonnes/y. Chemical Week, 16 Mar 2005, 167 (9), 33 (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
US: Huber – ground calcium carbonate JM Huber’s calcium carbonate granulation unit at Benicia (California)
MAY 2005