North African Coatings Congress - 2012 - CALL FOR PAPERS

Morocco takes centre stage - CALL FOR PAPERS FOR NACC 2012

In Casablanca from October 17-18, 2012 the 7th North African Coatings Congress will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Following on from the success of the 2010 event, we would be delighted to hear from previous speakers and new to present a technical paper to delegates at this important congress. To whet your appetite, the report covering the 2010 congress is published here.

The conference title is: Addressing trends and challenges – back to basics

If you would like to present a paper then please contact: Kevin Lloyd, kevinlloyd@quartzltd.com or Sue Tyler, suetyler@quartzltd.com, who will be happy to provide you with further information on how to proceed.

The 2010 report:

Moroccan Marketplace
On October 13 and 14 the sixth North African Coatings Congress was held in the Hotel Hyatt Regency in Casablanca, Morocco. With high profile companies providing informative and interesting presentations over the two days, the 70+ delegates were given an insight into current methods to attain cost effective and sustainable coating solutions in this environmentally aware world. The 11 speakers held the attention and even spurred delegates into asking pertinent questions on specific topics of interest to their company.
Under the conference title of ‘Coatings 2010: A new decade of solutions’, presentations included titanium dioxide usage; functional fillers; binders for low emission paints; cellulose esters; formulation of interior and exterior photocatalytic coatings; waterborne coatings; mineral fillers; vinyl acetate and versatate-based latex for water-based paints offering cleanability; advantages of white calcium carbone in water-based coatings systems; weathering tests; and coating of metal cans.
Jeff Montgomery, group sales manager, Coatings Group, Quartz Business Media, opened the conference by giving a brief overview of Quartz and the Coatings Group events.

Seeking Solutions
The first speaker was Johan Rommens of DuPont who spoke about the efficient use of TiO2 in paint and described the technical performance of TiO2 and how it assisted in being a benefit for both paint producer and end-user.
Following Mr Rommens presentation, a paper on spherical solid and hollow glass microspheres as functional fillers in paints and coatings applications was given by Marie-Christine Mauguin, EGM business development manager, Potters Group. Hollow spheres are finding a specific place in thermal insulating coatings for various construction and transpositions applications and acoustic insulation effects are claimed for some coatings. Recent innovations in glass technology have allowed the production of hollow spheres at 0.14g/cc true density and extremely fine particle size distribution.
Aqueous binders for low-emission paints and coatings was the subject of Celanese’s Dr Fernand Cuirassier’s presentation in which he discussed the growing worldwide market for these coatings. Two factors impacting on this market are the labelling regulations introduced to inform end-users of VOC and presence of solvents, which are criteria in the selection of products and the role of the media in promiting products that maintain indoor air quality during decoration work. The control of emissions is of major importance to ensure compliance with changes to legislation, so the production of these types of paint has been possible by the development of liquid emulsions, which combine an acceptable minimum film forming temperature with a suitable hardness of the polymer film.
The final presentation before lunch was given by Stefano Artina of Eastman, who spoke on the company’s cellulose esters as versatile coating additives. These esters are made from a green, sustainable and renewable resource that can be used as binders, additives, film formers or modifiers in paints, coatings, primers, lacquers and enamels for the automotive, wood and plastic industries to name a few. Typical applications were shown during the presentation illustrating the versatility of these esters.
During lunch delegates, speakers and exhibitors took the opportunity to discusss the morning’s sessions further and to obtain specific information from the stands to enable their companies to compete in this ever-changing marketplace.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond his control, Tom Mestdag of Shepherd Color International was unable to fly on to Casablanca, as his journey stalled in France and his tight business schedule meant he was not able to travel on to Morocco.
Umberto Chiodi of Impress Metal Packaging kindly stepped in to cover this session, with his presentation on his company’s activities and the advantages of using metal cans for the containment of paints.
The final presentation of the day was provided by Jay Adams of Evonik Tego Chemie, who discussed the difference in formulating interior and exterior photocatalytic coatings and putting special emphasis on the evaluation of parameters for manufacturing paints in order to increase the efficiency of the titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst.
 

Around the show
Following the final paper on the first day, delegates were invited to visit the exhibition to see the stands of some of the speakers and other exhibitors, such as Cristal, Datacolor, Eurocolori, Turkish company, Anadolu, Omya and Chinese companies, Guangzhou Chemicals and Ruichem. Looking around the hall, business was certainly being conducted, with stands almost overflowing with visitors interested in obtaining up-to-date information on the latest products, techniques and services.
Day Two commenced with Bayer MaterialScience’s Dr Jörg Schmitz speaking on high quality waterborne coatings.  With the upcoming VOC legislations leading to an increased demand for coating systems with reduced content of organic solvents, coating formulators globally are looking for ways to reduce levels of VOCs, while maintaining high performance levels. Dr Schmitz discussed the major advantages of environmentally friendly waterborne coatings in different fields of application such as wood, construction and industrial coatings. This presentation raised questions from the floor from several of the delegates, wishing to learn more from their company’s points of view.
Sibelco was the next presentation, given by Simon Bussell on the use of hard mineral fillers in the formulation of cleanable wall coatings, whereby consumers are demanding higher performance from decorative paints and as a result producers are finding it necessary to reformulate their products.
An area whereby improved performance is often required is scrub and stain resistance. During the presentation Mr Bussell illustrated that alone or in combination with other fillers such as calcium carbonate or talc that they can improve the wet scrub resistance without affecting other properties of coatings.
After the coffee break Touria Gharrafi of Hexion discussed the development of vinyl acetate and vinyl versatate-based latex for water-based paints, which offer good cleanability. Again this subject was obviously close to some of the delegates hearts as questions came fast and furious.
Mustafa Senol of Micron’s Micronised Mineral Corp, was next at the lectern introducing his company’s Turkcarb grades of calcium carbonate for water-based coatings systems. He compared the Turkish Nodular talcs, with respect to other lamellar talcs and the performance and TiO2 effect of Turkcarb grades in paint formulations.
Last but not least, the final paper came from Labomat Essor’s Pierre Arnaud Laurent who spoke on weathering tests and the various techniques, ie natural test, accelerated UV or Xenon tests. He gave a short overview on each technique and the best way to run accurate and rapid tests.
Lunch took place by the pool, which proved very popular and an enjoyable way to network with the speakers and exhibitors alike.

NACC feedback
Responses from exhibitors and delegates alike agreed that the North African Coatings Congress was a success and the desire to be asked to participate at the next event in 2012 was stated. The quality of visitors proved to be right with business opportunities and prospects made during the two days. NACC is certainly reaching the right people to do business with.

NORTH AFRICAN COATINGS CONGRESS 2012,
OCTOBER 17-18, 2012,
HYATT RECENCY HOTEL,
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

Asian Paints Expands With the Inauguration of its Paint Manufacturing Facility in Haryana, India

Asian Paints, India's largest paint company inaugurated the Phase II expansion project of its paint manufacturing facility in Rohtak, Haryana (India). The capacity is being expanded by 50,000 KL/annum to 200,000 KL/annum.

The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda unveiled the foundation stone signaling the expansion. Hon'ble Industries and Commerce Minister, Mr. Randeep Singh Surjewala, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Mr. Shadi Lal Batra, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Rohtak, Mr. Deepender Singh Hooda, Hon'ble Minister of State for Industries & Commerce, Haryana, Mr. Gopal Kanda, Hon'ble Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Haryana, Mr. Ram Kishan Gujjar, Hon'ble MLA, Rohtak, Mr. B B Batra, Hon'ble MLA, Kalanaur, Mrs. Shakuntala Khatak were also present on the occasion. The total investment including land for the initial and second phase is about Rs. 640 crores. The plant employs 625 people and manufactures water based paints.

The state-of-the-art facility at Rohtak commenced commercial production in April 2010 with an initial capacity of 150,000 KL/annum. The plant has been built to very exacting and contemporary Environment, Health and Safety standards.

The other paint manufacturing facilities of Asian Paints in India are located at Mumbai (Maharastra), Ankleshwar (Gujarat), Kasna (Uttar Pradesh), Patancheru (Andhra Pradesh) and Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu). The company is also setting up a plant at Kesurdi (Khandala) in Maharashtra.

IN BRIEF

Rahn expands speciality monomers range
Rahn has expanded its range of speciality monomers with the introduction of Genomer 1119 and Genomer 1121M. Both products are acrylic acid esters and are recommended for radically curable inks, coatings and adhesives.
www.rahn-group.com

BASF launches M-ROB
BASF has launched M-ROB, its application robot, at its Würzburg, Germany site. The multifunction application robot allows application that simulates conditions at the paintline and as such, meets the requirements of the automotive industry. M-ROB will be introduced to BASF’s Totsuka site in Japan later this year.
www.basf.com

CNT dispersion from BYK
BYK has launched its first CNT dispersion. Carbon nanotubes provide unique features such as high electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as good mechanical properties. With a uniquely high CNT content of 8%, Carbobyk-9810 is an easy-to-pour, homogeneous liquid that facilitates correct dosing, prevents dusting and allows for post-addition.
www. byk.com

Datacolor 45G handheld spectrophotometer

Datacolor, has introduced the Datacolor 45G, a high accuracy handheld spectrophotometer with integrated gloss measurement. Datacolor 45G excels in colour appearance evaluation of painted surfaces, plastic parts, package prints, automotive parts, commercial furniture and other manufactured goods. Measurements made with the 45G capture the effect of base colour, gloss and texture on overall visual appearance.

Paint and coating applications can benefit from the 45G’s ability to detect changes in appearance from both gloss and base colour. Appearance changes in plastics injection moulded parts due to mould wear can be measured with the 45G before the changes lead to off-quality production.

“With 45G, product manufacturers can precisely measure and control both colour and gloss in a single convenient package,” said Bob Karpowicz, product manager Instruments, at Datacolor. “The unique optical design and dynamic calibration algorithm used by 45G results in consistent measurement over time and across multiple 45G units. Manufacturers can benefit tremendously from using the 45G for batch-to-batch quality control. Reliable measurements with 45G can enable a data-driven quality process through the supply chain.”

www.datacolor.com/45g

Wet abrasion scrub tester from TQC

TQC has expanded its line of test equipment for the paint and coatings industry with a wet scrub washability tester.

The TQC scrub tester is a flexible machine that can be used on various materials such as hiding power test charts, scrub panels, metal, plastic or wood panels or parts, etc. For popular ISO and ASTM standards the settings are pre-set in the machine but all parameters are fully flexible.

Cycle speed (1-60str/min), stroke length (2-300mm), pump volume (0-5ml/min), number of cycles or test duration can all be set digitally by the operator. The machine has two separate dosing pumps, which allow simultaneous testing of two different media.

www.tqc.eu

IN BRIEF

Evonik to sell its global colourants business
Evonik Industries has announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its global colourants business to the USA private investment firm Arsenal Capital Partners. It was agreed not to disclose the financial terms. The transaction is expected to be closed in April.
In 2011 Evonik’s colourants business generated sales of around €130M and employed more than 300 people. The facilities are located in the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, China, Malaysia and The Netherlands.

Smart coatings for PV worth US$450M by 2017
According to a report by Electronics.CA Publications, self-cleaning coatings are expected to generate almost US$150M revenue/yr from the photovoltaics (PV) sector by 2017 and the market will exceed US$450M in 2017 up from a value of <US$12M in 2012. 

WorleyParsons awarded Evonik contract
Evonik Industries has awarded WorleyParsons a contract for the detail engineering, procurement support and construction management on the building of world scale plants for the production of isophorone and isophorone diamine. The plants will be located in Shanghai, China, with a total capacity of 50kt/yr. Production is scheduled to start Q1, 2014.

Chameleon celebrates
Ireland-based Chameleon Colour Systems is celebrating 20 years of successful business this year.
From humble beginnings, the company now exports to 57 countries worldwide, has launched three products to the market in the last year and has a new website. A celebratory event is being planned for later in the year.

Kraton increases prices
Kraton Polymers LLC, a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers (SBCs), has announced a general price increase in the Asia Pacific region of US$200/t for all Kraton SIS polymers and compounds, effective April 1, subject to the terms of any applicable contracts.

Record-breaking

Last month’s Middle East Coatings Show was truly a global success. A total of 86 companies from China took booths (in 2008 this number was 23) and many more were co-exhibitors. The show, which took place in Dubai, UAE, on 12-14 March, 2012 attracted a record number 6217 attendees, from 97 countries. Here are just three quotes from exhibitors:

“As a partner of Quartz, the CCPIT Sub-Council of Chemical Industry has organised a China Pavilion at MECS 2012 as we do every year. Due to the positive feedback of our exhibitors, our pavilion is extending and has reached the largest scale this year. We are glad to see the growing number of exhibitors and valuable visitors at the show. The Middle East is a very important and active market, and our exhibitors regard MECS as a good entrance to the market. We trust MECS will be better and better in the coming years.”
Ms Chen Shaohua, deputy secretary general, CCPIT Sub-Council of Chemical Industry.

“MECS 2012 is a very successful exhibition with lots of exhibitors, delicately-designed booths and a variety of products. During the coating show period, enterprises have the chance to find the co-operation partners that they are looking for and find out about all the latest market information and development technology. Therefore, the exhibition is an effective and productive platform for exhibitors and visitors to communicate with each other.”
Zhang Jun, vice-general manager, Anhui Annada Titanium Industry Co, Ltd.

“MECS 2012 had a larger floor area than previous years and I've noticed more customers and exhibitors. This is the show where companies in the paints and coatings industry will find the right people. So MECS is a good place to look for potential customers and increase demand for our products within this industry.”
Paul Su, general manager
Hebei Oxen Special Chemicals Co, Ltd.

China to be largest kaolin market by 2015

The world market for kaolin is projected to grow 3.7%/yr through 2015 to 28.4Mt, valued at nearly US$4.0bn. This represents a significant acceleration from the relative stagnation of the 2005 to 2010 period. Growth in kaolin demand will be fuelled by a generally stronger economic climate worldwide, with especially rapid growth in developing economies. Kaolin demand in developed economies is forecast to recover from declines seen between 2005 and 2010 and post moderate growth going forward.

These and other trends are presented in World Kaolin, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc, the USA-based industry market research firm.  

The largest gains will be seen in China, which alone will account for 37% of the growth in worldwide kaolin demand between 2010 and 2015. Currently the world’s second largest consumer of kaolin, China will experience large-scale manufacturing growth and easily overtake the USA to become the world’s largest kaolin market by 2015.

India will also see a sizeable increase in kaolin demand, fuelled by an economy showing significant development across the board. India’s growth in kaolin demand will represent an acceleration of the already rapid pace of the 2005 to 2010 period, with the fastest growth occurring in the country’s paper industry. 

The developed nations of the USA and Japan and most of the countries in Western Europe will see weak growth through 2015, although all will post recoveries in comparison to the 2005-2010 performance.

From 2010 to 2015, demand for kaolin in all its major industrial uses is expected to rise faster than in the 2005 to 2010 period. The paper market, which is the largest market for kaolin, will recover from declines posted over the previous decade.

Wacker expands technical centre in South Korea

Wacker has successfully completed the expansion and relocation of its technical laboratories and offices in South Korea and has inaugurated the upgraded technical centre, with integrated training facility, near the capital Seoul.

The regional competence centre now houses, both research & development (R&D), applications technology and a facility for basic and advanced training in silicones and polymers applications. Occupying an area of more than 3600m2, the site also houses the new offices of Wacker Chemicals Korea Inc, which is a wholly owned subsidiary.

The technical centre for polymers will concentrate on formulations for dispersible polymer powders and dispersions for modern building applications, eg for low-odour and low-emission paints.

Brenntag opens new head office in India

Brenntag, a global leader in chemical distribution, inaugurated its new head office in Mumbai, India. The office represents Brenntag’s continued commitment to invest in India and to ensure the company has ample room for its planned growth over the next few years.

Brenntag established its presence in India in 2008 and focuses on various industry segments such as coatings, agro, food and beverage, leather, lubricants, personal care, pharmaceuticals, plastics and polymers, polyurethanes, solvents and textile.

The office adds to the company’s six existing offices located in major industrial areas in India and its growing presence in the Asia Pacific region, which includes more than 40 offices in 15 countries.

At the inauguration, Steven Holland, CEO of Brenntag Group, said: “India is a key market in Brenntag’s global strategy. By expanding our local presence in major cities like Mumbai, we are supporting our strategy of being the leading chemical distributor in both speciality and industrial chemicals. We already have a strong foothold in India and we expect to take advantage of the high growth potential in the Indian market.”

The new head office is centrally located at Ackruti Centre Point, Andheri (East), Mumbai. It has a space area covering 15,000ft2 and will have room for more than 100 employees. At present, there are 44 employees based there.  In addition, Brenntag has offices and distribution facilities in Baddi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Haridwar and Hyderabad.

PPG holds health and wellness summits

PPG Industries recently held 2012 Asia Pacific Health and Wellness Engagement Summits in Shanghai, China, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Melbourne, Australia. The three summits brought together managers and health-and-wellness teams from PPG facilities as well as outside speakers to discuss policies, processes and programmes that can foster a culture of health and wellness.

PPG also presented Safety and Health Awards during the summits to recognise wellness programmes at nine facilities, such as those in Suzhou and Tianjin, China and at facilities in Korea, Indonesia and Australia.

Kansai plans for capacity expansion

Kansai Nerolac Paints has announced that it is planning an investment of Rs400 crore (US$88M) for capacity expansion by September this year and is eyeing a double-digit revenue growth in FY2012, a company official said.

“We have lined up Rs400 crore to increase the capacity to 300,000t from the existing 205,000t by September,” the company’s managing director, H M Bharuka, said.

The company posted an approx 26.7% increase in net profit for the third quarter ended December 31, 2011. “Going by the trend, we expect a similar double-digit growth in revenue in the next quarter as well,” Bharuka said.

The growth mainly came from the decorative segment, which grew 25%, while industrial space grew 16%.

“The industrial segment did less business compared to the decorative segment mainly due to slowdown in the real estate and auto industries,” he said.

The industry is growing by 15% and Bharuka said he expects a similar revenue growth for the firm in FY2013.

The company has five manufacturing units and it might go for another one depending on the need, he added.

Flint signs agreement with printing college

Dedicated to further developing the Chinese flexo market and improving the talent and education within the industry, Flint Group Flexographic Products and the Shanghai Publishing and Printing College have signed a general co-operation agreement, to promote education, consulting, research, development, technology service and career guidance in the Chinese printing and packaging industry.

Founded in 1953, the College was the first educational institution linked to the publishing and printing industry in China.

Both partners will support the Chinese flexographic industry by providing specific education to talented students and offering them possibilities for practical training in research and application. The signing ceremony was followed by a visit to the College’s training centre and printing museum.

Covering up: Anti-trust watchdog reprimands paint companies

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has passed an order against 16 paint companies for violating Section 10 of the Competition Act 2010 that deals with deceptive marketing practices.

CCP acted on a concern raised by the Consumer Association of Pakistan that paint manufacturers were hiding tokens or redeemable coupons in paint packs without adequate disclosure, leaving the consumers largely unaware of this practice.

The undertakings were reprimanded and directed to file a compliance report on implementation of the directives by March 30, said an official handout.

CCP warned that continuous violation and non-adherence to the directives by any of the companies would entail penal action. The probe and hearings revealed that this was an industry practice that had been going on for many years. The companies were directed to modify all advertisements, promotional material or instruction manuals pertaining to the paints whether electronic or printed.

Ashland celebrates the launch of Nanjing Aquapas

Ashland celebrated the launch of its Aquapas redispersible powders (RDP) production line in Nanjing, China on March 7. The new RDP production line is built inside the Ashland manufacturing campus in the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park.

The launch ceremony was attended by more than 150 people, including officials from various levels within the Jiangsu provincial and Nanjing municipal governments.

As the world’s leading producer of cellulose ether, Ashland has a proven history of developing innovative additive products. When combined with Ashland’s cellulose ether line of products, Acquapas RDP can increase the effectiveness of dry mortar applications, including external insulation and finishing systems, external skim coats, cementitious tile adhesives and self-levelling compounds.

Over the next few months, Ashland plans to introduce its product portfolio of water-soluble polymers, including cellulose ether and RDP products, to many local customers through a series of training seminars and road shows.

Wacker set to build two new production facilities in China

Wacker Chemie AG has announced it is expanding its Chinese polymer activities by investing around €40M in building two production facilities at its Nanjing site.

The Munich-based chemical group is expanding the site’s existing facilities for vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions by adding a new reactor with a capacity of 60,000t/yr, which will double Nanjing’s VAE dispersion capacity to approx 120,000t/yr, making the complex one of the biggest of its kind in China. The reactor is scheduled to come on stream in mid-2013.

At Nanjing, Wacker is also building a plant to produce polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) solid resins with a 20,000t/yr capacity. This plant is due for completion in early 2013.

The production facilities will give Wacker sufficient long-term capacity to meet the strong demand for VAE dispersions and PVAc solid resins in the Asia Pacific region. The main application fields for VAE dispersions lie in construction, coatings and adhesives. PVAc solid resins are used in industrial applications and to manufacture gumbase.

“These expansion measures are necessary to keep pace with our customers’ robust demand for top-class VAE dispersions and high-quality polyvinyl acetate solid resins in the future,” explained Auguste Willems of Wacker Chemie AG’s Executive Board.

Celanese to modify ethanol facility

Celanese Corporation has received key government approvals necessary to modify and enhance its existing integrated acetyl facility at the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park, Nanjing, China to produce ethanol for industrial uses.

The unit, based on Celanese TCX ethanol process technology, is expected to startup in mid-2013.

Momentive expands operations in India

Momentive Performance Materials Inc has announced the expansion of its manufacturing facility and application development centre in Chennai, India.

Spanning more than 15 acres, the facility, which opened in 2009, focuses on manufacturing high-end speciality silicones to serve the growing needs of customers in India, the Middle East and South Asia.

“This investment represents a major step forward in our ability to grow the silicones business in India,” said Craig O Morrison, CEO, Momentive. “India is one of the world’s fastest growing regions for automotive, construction, telecom and energy. Chennai, in particular, is developing into a significant centre for multiple industries.”

Rahn opens new office in Shanghai

Rahn Group, with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, has established a subsidiary in China. From April 1, Rahn Trading (Shanghai) will handle all aspects of Rahn’s business relations in China.

Mr Marcel Gatti, CEO Rahn Group, said: “To be closer to our clients in China is key in our business strategy of offering support around the globe. I am looking forward to new, long-term business relationships in this important and innovative market.”

Rahn’s Chinese office is located at Shanghai Xinzhuang Industry Park, Minhang District.

Rahn is a worldwide and family-owned supplier of additives, oligomers, reactive diluents, photoinitiators and other customised speciality chemicals. Its products are used in ultraviolet and electron beam cure technologies and are essential components of high performance inks, coatings, adhesives, medical appliance and other applications. The company has 30 years of experience with raw materials used in radiation curing systems.

Reactive Surfaces additive technology combines with marine coatings technology

Advanced Polymer Coatings (Avon OH) and Reactive Surfaces (Austin TX) have agreed to combine the marine coatings technology of ADVANCED with the surface-modifying additive technology of REACTIVE in order to offer an environmentally-benign, bio-based, functional marine coating to the maritime industry designed to meet or exceed efficacy of current marine coatings.
APC is a market leader in coatings for marine superstructure and tank coatings, including its ChemLine® and MarineLine® coatings, and with this venture will expand its lines into marine coatings for submersed surfaces. Reactive is a leader in the field of bio-based additives that bring stable functionality to coated surfaces, including its self-degreasing additive DeGreez™, self-decontaminating additive OPDtox® and antimicrobial additive ProteCoat®. Testing will be accomplished using a number of different bio-based additives, in a variety of polymer systems, in a variety of marine environments, simulating both stationary structures and under way surfaces, and culminating within 12 months with on-ship testing.
See Reactive Surfaces at the American Coatings Show in Indianapolis May 8-10.
www.reactivesurfaces.com

Jotun Philippines re-treats historic Ambuklao hydorelectric dam with its protective coatings

Jotun has made important contributions to the rehabilitation works of the historic Ambuklao Hydroelectric Plant dam. The project was completed with the inauguration of the Ambuklao dam in late October 2011 and marks an important milestone in the Philippine hydropower industry.

“This is indeed an historic moment for Jotun Philippines and an important step as we strive to become the leading paints and coatings supplier in the country,” said George Lim, general manager Jotun Philippines.

During the 1950s, Ambuklao was Southeast Asia’s highest and largest dam. It is located in the mountains of Bokod in the province of Benguet, 300km north of Manila. As a result of persisting technical problems following the 1990 earthquake, the dam was closed for rehabilitation in 1999. The project for renewal was finally launched in 2008.

Jotun Philippines supplied a variety of coatings to the project. Jotun’s Jotamastic 87 GF coating was used for the challenging job of re-treating 50-year-old submerged steel surfaces of the new internal penstocks of the dam.

Jotafloor SL Universal served to coat the floors of the power plant. The coating combines a wide range of application uses ranging from light industrial areas to floors requiring long lasting protection from abrasion and heavy loads. It is a high performance, self smoothing, solvent-ree, three-component, seamless epoxy coating.

Sustainable paint shop from Dürr will set new standards in China

Dürr has announced it is building an automotive paint shop with the lowest emissions in China for the FAW-VW joint venture. The paint shop, which will go into operation in March 2013, will have completely automated primer, base and top coat applications. With this plant, FAW-VW has expanded its capacities in Changchun.  

Dürr is responsible for the construction of the complete paint shop, including application technology and exhaust air purification.
In striving to ensure sustainable painting, FAW-VW relies on the latest Dürr technology including the EcoDryScrubber, a system for the dry separation of overspray, which reduces energy consumption by up to 60% in comparison to conventional spray booths by using air recirculation.

Michelman names Asia Pacific MD

Michelman has announced that it has hired Mr Steven Wong as managing director of Asia Pacific. Mr Wong will be responsible for managing Michelman’s Asian strategy across all of Michelman’s industry segments in accordance with the company’s global strategy.

Mr. Wong brings 11 years’ experience with the Honeywell Corporation and most recently three years with Tennant as the managing director/general manager of Asia Pacific.

ETAD organises seminar in India

The Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers (ETAD) based in Basel, Switzerland along with the Indian Operating Committee (IOC) organised a seminar titled ‘Ecological and Toxicological Aspects of Colorants –­ Current Implications, India and Global’ on January 24 in Mumbai, India. This is the second seminar ETAD has organised in India.

Current issues affecting the colourant industry were extensively discussed by the experts including REACH, sustainability, waste management, responsible care, GHS, nano pigments, supply chain issues and testing of colourants.

Huntsman breaks ground on new centre

Huntsman Corporation held a groundbreaking ceremony for its Asia Pacific Technology Center (ATC) in Shanghai’s Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone. The US$40M facility is designed to support the Asia Pacific region’s rapidly growing demand for world-class technology and innovation and will be operational by mid-2013.

“The centre will focus on supporting Asia’s fast-growing industries, including developing cutting-edge energy-saving material solutions for strategic emerging industries as outlined in China’s 12th Five-Year Plan,” said Anthony P Hankins, Huntsman’s CEO Asia Pacific.

The new ATC will form an integrated technology and innovation campus together with the existing technology centre that opened in 2008.

Asia Pacific will remain leading consumer of paint and coatings

Global demand for paint and coatings is forecast to rise 5.4%/yr to 45.6Mt in 2015. Advances will be driven by a strong acceleration in world building construction spending, particularly residential construction, which is expected to rebound in North America and Western Europe.

Healthy growth in global manufacturing activity will also fuel increased demand for coatings used in the production of motor vehicles and other durable goods, as well as industrial maintenance applications. Solvent-based paint and coatings will continue to see their share of the market decline in both developed and developing markets, as ongoing efforts to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are spurring the rise of alternative formulations.

These and other trends are presented in World Paint & Coatings, a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland, USA-based industry market research firm.  

The Asia Pacific region will remain the leading consumer of paint and coatings through 2015 and will also see the most rapid gains. Regional demand will be fuelled by China and India, the two largest markets in Asia and two of the fastest-growing coatings markets in the world. 

Additionally, an improved outlook for coatings demand in Japan will bolster gains in the Asia Pacific region. Above-average advances are also forecast for North America, rebounding strongly from the declining demand of the 2005-2010 period. Coatings demand in the region will benefit from a greatly improved outlook for building construction and manufacturing activity in the USA.

While paint and coatings demand in Western Europe will see a similar recovery from recent declines, the region will be the world’s slowest-growing regional market. 

Architectural markets will continue to account for the majority of paint and coatings demand in 2015. Demand for architectural paint will be fuelled by healthy growth in residential construction spending, particularly in the USA, Western Europe and Japan. Coatings demand in manufacturing applications will benefit from a pickup in world automotive production, as well as an improvement in building construction activity, which will drive demand for furniture coatings. Maintenance and speciality coatings markets will see moderately slower gains, restrained by a downturn in marine applications, as well as a more negative outlook for vehicle refinish coatings in the developed countries of the world.

IN BRIEF

Jotun’s revenues rise

Jotun’s long-term growth trend continued in 2011 with improved sales in most segments and divisions, due to improved markets in Asia and parts of the Middle East.
The company reported operating revenues of NOK10.7bn (€1.429bn) in 2011, up from NOK9.8bn (€1.308bn yr-on-yr). Meanwhile operating profit was NOK956M (€127.7M) compared with NOK1.240M (€165M yr-on-yr), due mainly to higher raw materials prices.

Waterborne coatings book

DEStech Publications has published The Waterborne Coatings Symposium, Proceedings of the Thirty-Ninth Annual International Waterborne High-Solids and Powder Coatings, February 13-17, 2012.
The 664-page volume contains dozens of original investigations into the materials, chemistry, formulation and applications of waterborne coatings and has sections on corrosion, powder coatings, UV-curing, nanocoatings, additives, high-throughput and pigments.

Printed Electronics Asia returns to Japan

IDTechEx will host the Printed Electronics Asia conference and trade show from October 2-3 in Tokyo, Japan. The event focuses on a region that has invested more in printed electronics than any other territory. Highlights include OLED manufacture, where sales of OLED display modules exceeded US$3bn in 2011 due to their use in Samsung smart phones.

Wacker showcases binders and silicones at Paint India

Wacker presented innovative polymer and silicone products for the paints and coatings industry at the recent Paint India in Mumbai.
These included: Silres IC 368 intermediate, a liquid, solvent-free silicone resin for highly weather-resistant coatings; Vinnapas EP 3360, a polymer dispersion for formulating low-odour interior paints; Vinnol H 30/48 M surface coating resin for use in the pharmaceutical and food packaging sector; the highly hydrophobic Vinnapas 8034 H polymer powder for façades and the new Silres BS 300 series of silicone additives for interior paints.

Researchers develop paint-on solar cells

Imagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light, electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside.

A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, has made a major advance toward this vision by creating an inexpensive ‘solar paint’ that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy.

“We want to do something transformative, to move beyond current silicon-based solar technology,” said Prashant Kamat, John A Zahm Professor of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry, who leads the research. “By incorporating power-producing nanoparticles, called quantum dots, into a spreadable compound, we’ve made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to any conductive surface without special equipment.”

The team’s search for the new material, named Sun-Believable, described in the journal ACS Nano, centred on nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide, which were coated with either cadmium sulphide or cadmium selenide.

PPG announces global initiative to leverage titanium dioxide expertise

PPG Industries has announced that the company has undertaken a strategic initiative with multiple global suppliers to secure and enhance its supply of titanium dioxide (TiO2), as well as add to the global supply of the raw material.

“Escalating and volatile pricing for titanium dioxide has been an important issue for PPG,” Charles Kahle, PPG CEO said. “PPG possesses intellectual property and expertise in the production and finishing of titanium dioxide pigment, and we intend to leverage this and engage with potential partners to develop innovative supply solutions.”

According to Kahle, PPG previously manufactured chloride titanium dioxide at its Natrium, West Virgina, USA, chemicals plant.

He said that PPG anticipates the initiative may include technical collaborations, joint ventures, licensing, technical assistance opportunities or other strategic commercial initiatives.

DIC Group to take over all Pacific Inks’ businesses

DIC Corporation has announced that the wholly owned Singapore-based subsidiary DIC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd has reached an agreement with Pacific Inks Limited of New Zealand for the DIC Group to take over all of Pacific Inks’ businesses.

In addition to its mother plant in Auckland, New Zealand, Pacific Inks has plants in Oceania (Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Australia), Asia (Singapore, Malaysia and China) and the UK.

With a product line-up centred on packaging inks for cardboard, Pacific Inks has a good reputation for its environment-friendly water-based flexo inks.

Demand for packaging inks remains firm in developed countries, reflecting rising living standards and the prevalence of individual packaging for many items and in the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow by about 10%/yr for the foreseeable future.
This acquisition will enable DIC to add water-based flexo inks to its portfolio and strengthen its operations, particularly in the Asia Pacific region where environmental awareness is increasing rapidly. DIC forecasts this acquisition will add ¥2.5bn to annual net sales by fiscal 2015.

IN BRIEF

The Dow Chemical Company has announced that the SCG-Dow Group, a joint venture between Dow and Siam Cement Group, has finalised the start-up of its propylene oxide (PO) facility in Thailand by successfully completing its full capacity performance test.
 
The world-scale plant, located within the Asia Industrial Estates (AIE) site near Map Ta Phut, Thailand, has a name plate capacity of 390 kilotons/yr of PO via the innovative hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology.

COMAC approval for AkzoNobel Aerospace

AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings has said it’s pleased to be liaising with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) following COMAC’s approval of an interior, fluid resistant epoxy primer (463-12-8) and a high solids epoxy topcoat (21 series).

The chemically cured, two-component primer offers high protection from chemicals, hydraulic fluids, aviation fuels and corrosion causing media. The topcoat is also designed to provide the same chemical protection as the primer while meeting low VOC requirements and is available in gloss, semi-gloss and flat finishes.


AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings, is hoping to further develop its relationship with COMAC through the development of the C919 commercial, narrow-body airliner in the coming years.

Evonik to open in Chengdu

Evonik announced that it will open a branch in Chengdu, Sichuan province in the first quarter of 2012. The branch will be located at Yanlord Landmark in the heart of Chengdu’s central business area.

“Chengdu has become the economic and financial hub of West China and already has a complete chemical value chain. It therefore attracts international companies to set up branch offices here,” said Dr Hans-Josef Ritzert, regional president Greater China of Evonik Industries.

“With our new branch in Chengdu, we will tap more business potential opportunities in western China. Our local presence will also benefit the existing customers in this area.”

Chinese carbon black exports doubled in 2011 says report

Specialist chemical industry publisher CCM, based in Guangzhou, has announced plans to release the third edition of its multi-client report on China’s carbon black industry this May, reports Focus on Pigments.

CCM states that China’s carbon black production surpassed that of the USA in 2006 and has increased at an average rate of 10%/yr since then, reaching 3.4Mt in 2010. The country’s carbon black capacity is now more than 5Mt/y. Average capacity utilisation during 2010 was only 70%. Jiangsu Black Cat is the largest indigenous carbon black producer.

Others include: Fushun Carbon Black, Hebei Longxing Chemical, Henan Dongxin Tyre, Liaobin, Ningxia Jiate, Ningbo Detai, Pingdingshan Yingtai Chemical, Shandong Best Chemical Industry, Shandong Huadong Rubber Materials, Shanghai Hongte Chemical, Shanxi Yongdong, Shanxi Yuanzheng, Shijiazhuang Xinxing Chemical & Charcoal, Suzhou Baohua, Tianjin Dolphin and Wuxi Shuangcheng.

Most of the major multinationals in the industry – Cabot, CSRC, Columbian, Orion (formerly Evonik Degussa) and Tokai – have also established carbon black plants in China, sometimes in majority-owned joint ventures with local companies.
With passenger car sales in China rising by 32.4% in 2010, domestic demand for tyres and, therefore, also for carbon black, has been booming.

However, the growth of China’s tyre manufacturing sector has been slightly hampered by the imposition of anti-dumping duties on passenger car tyres imported from China into the USA onwards from early 2010.
Exports in 2011 are expected to be double the 2010 level.

DuPont affirms long-term growth outlook

During DuPont’s 2011 Investor Day, on December 13, chair and CEO Ellen Kullman and the company’s senior leaders detailed the dynamic global growth strategy for continuing to deliver strong, sustainable results in 2012 and beyond, contributing to seven and 12% compound annual growth rates for sales and earnings, respectively, in the coming years.

“Science-powered, market-driven innovation remains the cornerstone of the company,” Kullman said. “DuPont expects nearly US$12bn of revenue from products introduced in the previous four years, roughly 30% of company sales in 2011. That demonstrates the power of our innovation.”

PPG holds first open day in Tianjin plant

PPG Industries welcomed members of the local community to its Tianjin coatings plant for the first time, on November 24, as part of the global celebration of the International Year of Chemistry.

Nearly 100 people from the town, as well as school and media representatives, attended the event, which showcased PPG’s sustainable products and efforts.

This is the second time PPG has participated in an open-to-public day organised by the Association of International Chemical Manufacturers (AICM). PPG and 24 other international chemical companies that are AICM members signed the ‘Responsible Care Beijing Manifesto’ in 2008 and committed to assuming the social responsibility expected of China’s chemical industry, including participating in open-to-public days at least once in the following four years.

PPG first participated in an open-to-public day organised by AICM last year in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP).

Wacker expands Mumbai centre

Wacker has expanded its technical centre in India. Located in Goregaon, a suburb of Mumbai, the centre now includes laboratories, applications technology and test equipment for polymer dispersions for coatings 

“The expansion of our technical centre is another milestone in our growth strategy”, said Raman Trikala, managing director Wacker Chemie India. “Our top-notch equipped technical center here in India’s economic hub Mumbai sets new standards in service, advice and transfer of expertise, offering our customers and business partners considerable added value.”

The expansion has focused on dispersions based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers used as binders for interior and exterior paints in the coatings industry.

Wacker has been supplying chemical products to India since the 1970s. In 1998, the Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt Ltd joint venture was established in Kolkata. Production of a wide variety of silicones began as early as 1999. The local subsidiary, Wacker Chemie India Pvt Ltd, was founded in 2007 in response to increasing market demands and market potential.

IMCD expands in Asia Pacific region

MCD Group strengthened its position in Asia Pacific with two major acquisitions in India and Australia towards the end of 2011.

IMCD India acquired the business of Mata Polymers Pvt Ltd, an established player in the silicone, textile and construction markets, while IMCD Australia entered into a strategic partnership deal with Infineum Australia Pty Ltd (IAPL).

The Group’s recent acquisition of Warwick in Malaysia plus the opening of the IMCD technical centre in India and personal care lab in Malaysia manifest its long-term commitment to expand its businesses in Asia. IMCD also opened its regional headquarters in Singapore and appointed Mr Albert Stevens as vice president Asia in November 2011.

The Valspar Corporation has opened its R&D centre in Shunde, China. The Valspar Applied Science and

Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc and UPC Technology Corporation, a Chinese producer of speciality chemicals, have formed a joint venture, Momentive Union Specialty Chemicals.

Momentive Union will build its first manufacturing plant in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China, adjacent to an existing UPC Technology Chemical manufacturing complex. The plant will produce a full range of speciality novolac and resole phenolic resins, sold under trade names including Bakelite resins and Durite resins. These materials are used in applications including refractories, abrasives and electronics. Construction is expected to commence in early 2012 with completion anticipated during Q1, 2013.

Valspar opens R&D centre in China

The Valspar Corporation has opened its R&D centre in Shunde, China. The Valspar Applied Science and Technology Center will employ more than 200 scientists.

Valspar president and CEO Gary Hendrickson said: “This facility enables us to bring a higher level of value to our relationships in the Asia Pacific region by allowing us to be closer to our customers.”

Valspar’s 2011 global sales totalled US$4bn, including sales in Asia Pacific of US$1bn. Nearly half of the sales in the Asia Pacific region are in China, where Valspar currently has five manufacturing facilities.

Valspar produces and sells  coatings for numerous end-markets in China, including consumer paints, food and beverage packaging, shipping containers, furniture, building products, agricultural and construction equipment.

‘Globalisation and sustainability to impact APAC chemical companies’ reports Frost & Sullivan

Demand for the global chemical industry will be impacted by the EU debt crisis, sluggish economy in the USA and credit restrictions in China while increasing crude oil process will impact its margins.

According to Balaji Capaloor, principal consultant for Frost & Sullivan’s Chemicals, Materials & Food practice, most of the chemical companies in Asia cater to domestic demand; the majority of products are focused on domestic consumption. “The state of the USA economy and EU debt crises will not have significant impact on the operations of Asian chemical companies,” he said.

Revenues of the top 35 global chemical companies increased on average by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter, 2011 yr-on-yr and for the first nine months increased by 17.8%. Comparatively, revenues for these companies in Asia increased by 12.9% and 18.6% in Q3 and for the first nine months in 2011 yr-on-yr.

“While revenues for global and Asian chemical companies in the third quarter have softened compared to the first half of the year, the double digit growth is mostly due to the increase in price as chemical companies have passed on the increase in cost of the raw materials. Volume growth was around 5% on average,” explained Balaji.

Key global chemical companies have aligned their long term growth strategy based on trends that have impacted them, globalisation and sustainability.

“Globalisation positively impacts Asian chemical industry with more companies shifting their production to Asia. It also provides the opportunity for Japanese and Korean chemical companies to acquire assets in the USA and Europe,” said Balaji.
The continued focus on sustainability provides opportunities for chemical companies through high growth markets such as photovoltaics, wind turbine and biofuels as well as the growth of biochemicals and bioplastics markets.”

Around the Asia Pacific region:

Singapore: Revenues of the chemical industry are dependent more on the demand from the Asian countries than from Singapore. Growth in demand for chemicals from China, South East Asian countries especially Indonesia and India, is a key driver for growth.

Japan: As the Japanese yen continues to strengthen, Japanese companies are considering relocating production to other regions. The key challenge for the Japanese chemical companies will be to move their production nearer to their customers.

Thailand: Floods have disrupted the end-user industries as well as the demand for chemicals. However, it is expected to smooth out by Q2, 2012. Architectural coating and plastics for moulders of electrical and automotive components will experience an increase in domestic demand as consumers replace and repair products damaged by floods.
 

IN BRIEF

AkzoNobel acquires coatings business of SSCP

AkzoNobel has completed its acquisition of the coatings business of Korean SSCP. SSCP has a strong position in the Korean mobile phone market and also supplies coatings to the wider consumer electronics industry.

The transaction was first announced on June 30 last year as part of a larger agreement with SSCP. It included the acquisition of the German-based Schramm, of which SSCP was a 70% shareholder. Schramm manufactures coatings for plastics, metals and electrical insulation as well as coil coatings for aluminium.

Record numbers visit Labelexpo Asia

Labelexpo Asia 2011, which took place from November 29 to December 2 in Shanghai, was the most successful year in the show’s history. In total, 18,019 visitors attended the show – an increase of 9% over 2009’s show. Labelexpo Asia also boasted 270 exhibitors (up by 21% on 2009) and attracted the highest level of space rebooking for 2013 as exhibitors enjoyed high levels of onsite sales of machinery and materials.

Hi-Tech Carbon to expand Indian carbon black plant
Hi-Tech Carbon, a wholly owned subsidiary within the Aditya Birla Nuvo group, has been granted permission by the Ministry of Environment & Forestry for a 50% capacity expansion of its Gummidipoondi carbon black plant in the Tiruvallur district of India (about 40km west of Chennai), reports Focus on Pigments. The expansion will raise the plant’s company from 150,000t/y to 225,000t/y.

PPG adds 11th university to China programme

PPG has added South China University of Technology as the 11th university to participate in its China scholarship programme. In 2011, PPG honoured 100 talented students in chemistry-related disciplines at Chinese universities through its scholarship programme, showing its commitment to education and to China.

PPG established its China scholar

APCJ February/March 2012 out now

MARKET REPORTS
08 CHINA: TiO2
With ever-rising demands, China’s TiO2 market faces severe competition from the multinationals. CCM International reports on why, to stay ahead of the game, promoting new methods of marketing is key
10 India: ALL SYSTEMS GOIndia may be one of the most under-painted countries in the world but all that is about to change
12 Indonesia: TURNING GREEN
Environmental issues were a key focus at the recent Asia Coatings Markets conference with debates on cutting carbon emissions and using TiO2 more efficiently
ARCHITECTURAL COATINGS
14 Colour concepts
The changing requirements of paint manufacturers has created the opportunity to optimise colourant selections as discussed by Evonik
21 BLOCK RESISTANCE
Rosa Raskin investigates the latest research into solutions to the age-old problem of blocking when formulating low-VOC coatings
SMART COATINGS
24 A sensitive subject
Coatings expert Professor Rigoberto Advincula discusses
coatings with sensing or stimuli response
28 demand growing
With a smart anti-microbial coating available commercially this year, awareness of the value smart coatings can bring to the Asia Pacific region is increasing
SPECIAL EFFECT COATINGS
30 managing energy
Eckart reveals that by using intelligent coating systems energy and cost savings are possible
WATERBORNE COATINGS
32 SELF CROSS-LINKING acrylic emulsion
The latest generation of self cross-linking acrylic emulsions offer significant quality improvements to the final coating
35 EXTREME SOLUTIONS
Excalibur’s waterborne PU coating systems meet the needs of the industry
37 HIDING POWER
Dispersion polymer particles allow lower energy and raw material costs but still perform well according to Dow

IN BRIEF

Asian Paints announced its financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2011.

“We witnessed good demand for Decorative Coatings business across the country. However, inflation and the falling rupee has affected material prices, thus impacting margins” said P M Murty, managing director and CEO, Asian Paints Limited.

Net sales of the group increased by 22% to Rs2560.5 crores (US$510.9M) from Rs2099.6 crores (US$418.9M) yr-on-yr. PBDIT for the quarter was up by 15.3% to Rs419.9 crores (US$83.7M) yr-on-yr. Net profit after minority interest increased by 16.6% to Rs256.9 crores (US$51.27M) from Rs220.3 crores (US$43.96M) yr-on-yr.

Mitsui Chemicals increases hydroquinone production

Mitsui Chemicals has announced a 1000t production augmentation of hydroquinone at its Iwakuni-Ohtake works in Japan.

Demand for hydroquinone, with main uses including polymerisation inhibitors, anti-oxidant ingredients for rubbers and as pigments, has increased significantly worldwide and especially in Asia in line with growing demands for acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile in which it is used as a polymerisation inhibitor.

APIC meeting resheduled

The 15th APIC meeting, which was cancelled due to the floods in Thailand in November 2011, has been rescheduled for March 14-16, at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Pattaya, Thailand.

Guest speaker will be Mr Arin Jira, Council member and former chairman of the ASEAN Business Council, who is now MD of Bangkok Industrial Gas.

Dow Corning hosts webinars for the Chinese market

Dow Corning recently hosted four successful webinars regarding its new proven si-based coatings additives, which attracted in excess of 1000 registrations with more than 50% participation.

The company featured its new family of Dow Corning brand slip and levelling agents that are effective on wood, furniture and plastics.

Reichhold opens plant in Tianjin, China

Reichhold launched its manufacturing facility in Tianjin in northern China in December 2011. With 20 manufacturing sites and five technology centres across the globe, Reichhold has further strengthened its presence in the global market with its entry into this large and rapidly growing market.

The facility is set up with a planned production capacity of 38,000Mt/yr but with a potential expansion to 60,000Mt. The plant will produce a full Reichhold composites product line, including unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, gelcoats and bonding pastes.

The market applications will cover wind power, high performance anti-corrosion, marine, high-speed train, industrial construction, electronics and electrical industry.

John Gaither, chairman, president and CEO, Reichhold Industries, commented: “The market in China is very important to Reichhold. It is the largest composites market in the world and is growing rapidly. Many of our global customers have a Chinese presence and need from Reichhold the same products available in China as elsewhere in the world. China is deeply committed to wind energy and, as the leading supplier of polyester resins for wind mill blades, Reichhold needs to be able to supply locally our innovative resins.”

Guenther Tappeiner, global vice-president manufacturing, said: ”The project was completed on time and within budget. The technical features implemented throughout the project are world class in safety, quality and efficiency.  I’m very confident that, with this operation, Reichhold will be a true leader in servicing the market in China.”  

Founded in 1927, Reichhold, with its headquarters in North Carolina, USA, is the world’s largest manufacturer of unsaturated polyester resins and a leading supplier of coating resins for the industrial, transportation, building and construction, marine, consumer and graphic arts markets.

AkzoNobel acquires surfactant producer

AkzoNobel completed its acquisition, January 10, of China’s speciality surfactant producer, Boxing Oleochemicals. Boxing supplies nitrile amines and derivatives, which are used in a variety of industrial and consumer applications.

Established in 1993 and based in the province of Shandong, Boxing had revenues in 2010 of approximately €100M; its activities will be integrated into AkzoNobel’s Surface Chemistry business.

Demand in Asia for amines and derivatives is being driven by population growth, expanding middle class, increased focus on sustainability and the build-up of infrastructure, notably in China and India.

Asia Pacific: biggest market for sealants and adhesives

Asia Pacific is the biggest and fastest growing market for adhesives and sealants states the latest report: ‘Global Adhesives and Sealants Market by Type, Applications, Trends, and Forecasts (2011-2016)’ published by MarketsandMarkets.com.

The report defines and segments the global adhesives and sealants market with analysis and forecasting of the global volumes and revenues.  It also identifies driving and restraining factors for the market with analysis of trends, opportunities, burning issues and challenges. The market is forecasted on the basis of major geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World. The key countries are covered and forecasted for each geographical region.

The global market for adhesives was estimated to be worth US$21,527M in 2010 and is expected to reach US$28,659M by 2016, growing at a CAGR of 5% from 2011 to 2016. The global market for sealants was estimated to be worth US$5700M in 2010 and is expected to reach US$7599.5M by 2016, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2011 to 2016.

Tea dance and tango to set the trend for 2012

‘Tea Dance’ is the colour of 2012 according to AkzoNobel, the largest paints and coatings company in the world.

The company’s annual ColourFutures is a comprehensive guide on colour trends and patterns for the year and is created by a set of global colour experts. Every year, ColourFutures presents one dominant colour trend, forecasts themes and introduces a new colour palette, which will be in vogue for the year. For 2012, the dominant concept is ‘Possibilities’.

Talking about this, Humsa Dhir, country communications manager, AkzoNobel, India, said: “For 2012, we have identified ‘Possibilities’ as our core concept. This builds on the theme for last year, ‘Appreciation’ and encourages combining materials and colours in new, unexplored and uninhibited ways.

“In 2011, the colour mood was clean, fresh, joyful and charming, with playful, zingy pastels riding the trend. 2012 is full of take-charge optimism. This translates into a diverse colour palette ranging from full bodied hues with lots of character and meaning, to tender, hushed pastels, to chic neutrals and edgy brights, which complement each other in stimulating, new ways.”

The Colour of the year is a blushing, lively, juicy tomato red called ‘Tea Dance’. Red is a powerful mood-modifier and held in high regard around the world for its many symbolic purposes. In China, it is associated with good fortune; in India it signals marital bliss and insightfulness.

Meanwhile Pantone has named its colour of the year as  ‘Tangerine Tango’.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Asian Paints adds to De Vree’s celebrations

Belgium-based manufacturer of filling and packaging equipment for the coatings industry De Vree celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2011.

All the more cause for celebration is that in this year, the company sealed a major contract with one of India’s market leaders, Asian Paints, to manufacture and install eight fully automatic filling and packaging lines, for what is to become the largest paint factory in the world, with a scheduled daily capacity of 2500 tons. Asian Paints is one of the 10 largest producers of decorative coatings in the world.

De Vree was awarded the contract thanks to its reputation for building high quality and reliable fully automatic filling and packaging machines. Asian Paints has been using De Vree equipment for more than 13 years and decided, after detailed negotiations in Mumbai, to further put its trust in De Vree.

For De Vree, the project is a landmark as it represents the biggest order the company has ever sealed.

De Vree has always been globally active. Europe continues to play a significant role in its business but regions such as Asia Pacific and the Middle East are becoming more and more important year after year.

Bayer plans further expansion in Asia

The Bayer Group has announced plans to further expand its production, distribution network and research activities in Asia and considerably increase its sales in the region in the coming years. "We aim to achieve a more than 60% increase in our sales in Asia by 2015," Management Board Chairman Dr. Marijn Dekkers said recently at Bayer’s international press conference ‘Perspective on Growth in Asia,’held in Shanghai, China. This would mean annual sales of well over €11bn by 2015 at today’s exchange rates. Of this figure, Greater China is planned to account for some €6bn. Dekkers officially inaugurated a new production facility for TDI - a raw material for the production of flexible foams - at the Bayer Integrated Site Shanghai.

At the press conference Dekkers explained the company’s perspectives in the emerging countries of Asia. He said the Bayer Group already does a significant proportion of its business in Asia. Twenty years ago, Asia accounted for only about 10% of sales, equivalent to just over €2bn. Ten years ago, the proportion had grown to about 15%, and last year the region already accounted for some 20% of sales. In the Asian region, Bayer achieved sales of €6.9bn in 2010, including €2.9bn in Greater China, and anticipates further growth in Asia in 2011. "We have made capital expenditures of €3.4bn in Asia over the past 10 years, creating a basis for outperforming market growth in this region," said Dekkers.

Bayer has laid a firm foundation for expansion. "Our country organisations here have had local roots for many years, in fact we have been operating for more than a century in China, India and Japan," said Dekkers. "We are familiar with the markets, and we know how to tune our approaches to the different conditions prevailing in different markets in order to further expand our business."

Schülke & Mayr opens China Technical Center

Schülke & Mayr has opened its professional Technical Center Asia Pacific in Shanghai, China. It is Schülke´s first microbial technical centre outside of Europe, focused on providing technical support to regional customers in Asia Pacific. This service includes Total Viable Count (TVC), germ count reduction tests, in-can challenge tests, analytical services, plant audits, in-house trainings and other versatile functions according to Schülke´s comprehensive MQM concept.

The opening ceremony was celebrated on November 22, 2011 in Shanghai. This Technical Center contributes to the leading position of Schülke in hygiene and preservation in the strategic market of Asia Pacific.

Microbiological Quality Management (MQM) is not only a matter of eliminating the risk of infections for people, but also of protecting products and equipment from contaminations. The Technical Center in China will enable a fast and professional service to optimise processes and product quality to customers according to MQM requirements. The centre is an important step for Schülke´s business expansion in the Asia Pacific region. It will strongly demonstrate the company’s professional image and commitment to the strategic Asia Pacific Region.

Schülke & Mayr is an international leader in preventing diseases and contamination. The product range offers disinfectants, antiseptics, preservatives, biocides, medical skin care products, multifunctional additives (eg for deodorants), system cleaners and microbiological monitoring devices.

Schülke & Mayr GmbH, Head Office Germany: sai@schuelke.com
Technical Center, Asia Pacific: tech.cn@schuelke.com