- Email: [email protected]
US: ColorMatrix – plastics colorants
FOCUS which will entail a significant expansion of the company’s sulfateroute TiO2 pigment plant at Armyansk on the Crimean peninsula. It will also entail installing additional sulfuric acid capacity and – for the first time – producing ilmenite in its own right. Effective capacity at Armyansk is currently 60,000 tonnes/y and actual production has moved steadily nearer to this figure in recent years. Meanwhile, sulfuric acid capacity was increased by 50% to 540,000 tonnes/y in July 2004. RSI Erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft (a German investment fund) is keen to buy a stake in Krym Titan, providing finance for the planned expansion. This same German investment fund acquired an 89.48% shareholding in the Crimean soda ash company in February 2004. Interfax Chemicals, Jul 2004, (109), 3 (published by: Interfax Information Services BV, website: http://www.interfax-news.com) & TiO2 Worldwide Update, May/Aug 2004, 12 (3/4), 23
UK: Clariant – plastics masterbatch Clariant has installed new extrusion equipment at its Wigan plant, raising colour masterbatch capacity here by 1000 tonnes/y, at a cost of £500,000. The company declared that the investment underlines its ongoing commitment to the UK masterbatch market. Meanwhile, Clariant has ceased masterbatch production at Watford, effective 1 August 2004, though it will retain a product warehouse and customer service office at theWatford site. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 25 Jun 2004, 1
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year. Growth in sales to the plastic packaging sector continues to underpin the success of ColorMatrix. Plastics News, 4 May 2004, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
US: Colors For Plastics – plastics colorants Colors For Plastics Inc has stepped up capacity for making colour concentrates at Elk Grove, IL, from 3175 tonnes/y to 5445 tonnes/y. The company has also increased increased its liquid colorants capacity at Elk Grove to 1135 tonnes/y. Meanwhile, at Spartanburg, SC, the company increased liquid colorants capacity from 680 tonnes/y to 1135 tonnes/y. It also retains capacity for making 2720 tonnes/y of colour concentrates at Spartanburg. Colors For Plastics has recruited 10 new employees since the beginning of 2004. It is forecasting sales of $16 M for full-year 2004, of which 70% will be derived from the polyolefin and polystyrene sectors. Plastics News, 2 Jul 2004, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
US: Polymer Valley Chemicals – carbon black & mineral fillers for rubber Polymer Valley Chemicals Inc, the carbon black and mineral filler supplier, is to double processing and treatment capacity at its two plants in Macon, GA. The company says the expansion is necessary because of increased demand from the tyre industry. Rubber and Plastics News, 31 May 2004, 33 (22), 3
US: ColorMatrix – plastics colorants ColorMatrix Corp, which claims to be the world’s leading supplier of liquid colorants, plans to close its manufacturing operations at Cleveland by November 2004, transferring them to its existing plant at Berea (also in Ohio). The Berea plant offers a total floor area of 130,000 sq ft. All 150 employees at Cleveland will be offered jobs at Berea. ColorMatrix believes the move will lead to improvements in manufacturing efficiency of 20-30% and it should enable the company to increase its sales by at least 10% beyond the $100 M achieved last
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US: Primary Colors Inc – pigments for paint Primary Colors Inc is about to move from its factory at Westborough to a new factory at Grafton, also in Massachusetts. The company is spending $2.5 M to establish the Grafton factory, designed with a floor area of 2800 sq metres and a ceiling height of 6.7 metres. In recent years, Primary Colors Inc has been growing its business at 5-7% per annum and sales revenue this year should exceed $5 M. PPCJ, Polymers, Paint, Colour Journal, Jun 2004, 194 (4477), 8
US: Techmer – plastics colorants Techmer PM will substantially increase its colour concentrates capacity, with the installation of seven new twin-screw extrusion lines. Two new lines will be installed at Clinton, TN, bringing the total there to four. A new line was recently added at the Rancho Dominguez, CA, plant. Three new lines will be added in total at the two plants in Georgia (Dalton and Gainesville). All these new facilities will produce a range of colour and additive concentrates. Techmer has added several new types of colour concentrates to its portfolio this year. Also, the upgrading of downstream equipment at Wichita, KS, has increased capacity there by 15%. For full-year 2003, Techmer declared sales at $130 M, of which 30% was derived from sales to the synthetic fibres sector. Plastics News, 19 Jul 2004 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
TECHNOLOGY Ciba’s non-warping blue for moulded plastics & “green” Micranyl for PVC Ciba Specialty Chemicals has developed a blue pigment that does not warp in moulded plastics. Based on phthalocyanine blue, the new product is currently available for delivery in sample quantities to interested potential customers. Designated Cromophthal Blue PD4167, the new pigment should be suitable for polyolefin mouldings, synthetic films and fibres. Ciba has also launched a new series of mono-pigment preparations for use in both flexible and rigid forms of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These pigment preparations, sold under the Micranyl NQ-F brandname, do not contain cadmium or lead and they are based on a carrier that is free from phthalates. An accuracy rate for first time coloration of 95% is claimed. European Chemical News, 9/16 Aug 2004, 81 (2112), 31 & 26 Jul 2004, 81 (2110), 24
Clariant’s new quinacridone pigments Clariant has launched two new highfastness quinacridone pigments that
AUGUST 2004
UK: Clariant – plastics masterbatch Clariant has installed new extrusion equipment at its Wigan plant, raising colour masterbatch capacity here by 1000 tonnes/y, at a cost of £500,000. The company declared that the investment underlines its ongoing commitment to the UK masterbatch market. Meanwhile, Clariant has ceased masterbatch production at Watford, effective 1 August 2004, though it will retain a product warehouse and customer service office at theWatford site. Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 25 Jun 2004, 1
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year. Growth in sales to the plastic packaging sector continues to underpin the success of ColorMatrix. Plastics News, 4 May 2004, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
US: Colors For Plastics – plastics colorants Colors For Plastics Inc has stepped up capacity for making colour concentrates at Elk Grove, IL, from 3175 tonnes/y to 5445 tonnes/y. The company has also increased increased its liquid colorants capacity at Elk Grove to 1135 tonnes/y. Meanwhile, at Spartanburg, SC, the company increased liquid colorants capacity from 680 tonnes/y to 1135 tonnes/y. It also retains capacity for making 2720 tonnes/y of colour concentrates at Spartanburg. Colors For Plastics has recruited 10 new employees since the beginning of 2004. It is forecasting sales of $16 M for full-year 2004, of which 70% will be derived from the polyolefin and polystyrene sectors. Plastics News, 2 Jul 2004, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
US: Polymer Valley Chemicals – carbon black & mineral fillers for rubber Polymer Valley Chemicals Inc, the carbon black and mineral filler supplier, is to double processing and treatment capacity at its two plants in Macon, GA. The company says the expansion is necessary because of increased demand from the tyre industry. Rubber and Plastics News, 31 May 2004, 33 (22), 3
US: ColorMatrix – plastics colorants ColorMatrix Corp, which claims to be the world’s leading supplier of liquid colorants, plans to close its manufacturing operations at Cleveland by November 2004, transferring them to its existing plant at Berea (also in Ohio). The Berea plant offers a total floor area of 130,000 sq ft. All 150 employees at Cleveland will be offered jobs at Berea. ColorMatrix believes the move will lead to improvements in manufacturing efficiency of 20-30% and it should enable the company to increase its sales by at least 10% beyond the $100 M achieved last
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US: Primary Colors Inc – pigments for paint Primary Colors Inc is about to move from its factory at Westborough to a new factory at Grafton, also in Massachusetts. The company is spending $2.5 M to establish the Grafton factory, designed with a floor area of 2800 sq metres and a ceiling height of 6.7 metres. In recent years, Primary Colors Inc has been growing its business at 5-7% per annum and sales revenue this year should exceed $5 M. PPCJ, Polymers, Paint, Colour Journal, Jun 2004, 194 (4477), 8
US: Techmer – plastics colorants Techmer PM will substantially increase its colour concentrates capacity, with the installation of seven new twin-screw extrusion lines. Two new lines will be installed at Clinton, TN, bringing the total there to four. A new line was recently added at the Rancho Dominguez, CA, plant. Three new lines will be added in total at the two plants in Georgia (Dalton and Gainesville). All these new facilities will produce a range of colour and additive concentrates. Techmer has added several new types of colour concentrates to its portfolio this year. Also, the upgrading of downstream equipment at Wichita, KS, has increased capacity there by 15%. For full-year 2003, Techmer declared sales at $130 M, of which 30% was derived from sales to the synthetic fibres sector. Plastics News, 19 Jul 2004 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
TECHNOLOGY Ciba’s non-warping blue for moulded plastics & “green” Micranyl for PVC Ciba Specialty Chemicals has developed a blue pigment that does not warp in moulded plastics. Based on phthalocyanine blue, the new product is currently available for delivery in sample quantities to interested potential customers. Designated Cromophthal Blue PD4167, the new pigment should be suitable for polyolefin mouldings, synthetic films and fibres. Ciba has also launched a new series of mono-pigment preparations for use in both flexible and rigid forms of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These pigment preparations, sold under the Micranyl NQ-F brandname, do not contain cadmium or lead and they are based on a carrier that is free from phthalates. An accuracy rate for first time coloration of 95% is claimed. European Chemical News, 9/16 Aug 2004, 81 (2112), 31 & 26 Jul 2004, 81 (2110), 24
Clariant’s new quinacridone pigments Clariant has launched two new highfastness quinacridone pigments that
AUGUST 2004