COMPANY STRATEGIES

Alcan Chemicals to shut UKflame retardants plant Alcan Chemicals is proposing to close its UKaluminas site at Burntisland in Scotland, with theloss of nearly 400 jobs. The decision follows thecompany’s failure to find a buyer for the opera-tion. The site is a major source of aluminium-based chemicals including Alcan’s Superfinerange of aluminium trihydroxide (ATH) flameretardants, which are used widely in the polymerindustry, especially the cable sector.

The group announced in January 2002 that itwould exit the European speciality chemicalsmarket and start a search for buyers. However,subsequent attempts at putting together a viablemanagement buy-out, as well as plans by theRider Group to buy the unit, have failed to reachAlcan’s valuation and the company has nowstarted the consultation process with union rep-resentatives on the proposed closure. Alcan saysthe plant has been losing US$1 million a month.

Set up in 1917 as a smelter, Burntisland is todaydedicated to production of special aluminas andhas a capacity of more than 100 000tonnes/annum. As recently as 1997, Alcan com-mitted more than £20 million (�31.8 million) toan expansion of its Superfine flame retardantcapacity at the site, more than doubling the capa-bility in one line. The plant is the UK’s onlysource of ATH flame retardant and its closure willtherefore remove the main source of supply to theUK market, with Albemarle’s Martinswerk sub-sidiary in Germany being the main alternative.

Contact: Alcan Chemicals Europe Ltd,Zweigniederlassung Deutschland, Postfach1363 53888, Mechernich, Germany; tel: +49-2443-9872-0; fax: +49-2443-9870-15

Albemarle-Martinswerk toincrease fine ATH capacity Following close on the heels of the announce-ment of the proposed Alcan closure reportedabove, Albemarle Corp has disclosed plans toincrease production capacity for fine precipitatedaluminium hydroxide (ATH) at affiliate

Martinswerk GmbH’s plant in Bergheim,Germany. The company expects expansion of theplant, which is already the largest ATH facility inthe world, to be complete in early 2003. “Thisinvestment reflects anticipated growing marketdemand for ATH, in particular for fine powder,”comments Wolfgang Hardtke, Albemarle globalmanager mineral flame retardants.

Fine ATH is non-toxic, environmentally friend-ly, recyclable and smoke-suppressing, and istherefore widely used as a flame retardant in theplastics and rubber industries. Albemarle says itoutperforms other solutions in wire and cableapplications as well as in selected segments ofthe construction industry. Fine ATH powdersand slurries are also used in the paper and boardindustries. Albemarle Deutschland GmbHacquired Martinswerk in June 2001.

Contact: Martinswerk GmbH, Kölner Straße110, D-50127 Bergheim, Germany; tel: +49-2271-902-0; fax: +49-2271-902-555; URL:www.martinswerk.com

Clariant restructures Pigments& Additives DivisionSwiss chemicals group Clariant is restructuringits Pigments & Additives Division in order toimprove its focus on the market, the company’scustomers and its services. According to thecompany, the new structure has a number ofimportant advantages: a simplified internalstructure, easier knowledge management and aglobal brand strategy. With an increased focuson the customers, Clariant believes it will beable to boost the flexibility, speed and quality ofits service. Clariant’s new focus also opensadditional possibilities for sustainable growth,which will secure result-oriented business forthe division in the future, it says.

The most important change in restructuring thedivision will be the strategic merger of the twoareas: pigments and additives. The restructureddivision will be divided into four industry-focused business units covering the coating,plastics, printing and specialized industries. Thecompany says that all activities of the four newunits are exactly tailored to the respective marketsegments, and will be supported by sales, prod-uct management and production management.

November 2002 Additives for Polymers

©2002 Elsevier Science 5