ferro raises us prices for plastics colorants

Ferro raises US prices for plasticscolorants

Ferro Corp has posted priceincreases for its plastic colorants, dueto take effect as from 15 June 2008.The increases per pound will be:$0.11 for natural resin and additivecompounds; $0.15 for speciality pre-colour compounds and for “salt-and-pepper blends”; and up to $0.20 forspeciality colour concentrates.

Press Release from: Ferro Corp, 1000 LakesideAvenue, Cleveland, OH 44114-7000, USA, website:http://www.ferro.com (14 May 2008)

Europe produces over 5.5 M tonnes/yof plastic compounds

According to a new report by AMI(plastics industry consultants), morethan 5.5 M tonnes of “technical plasticcompounds” were produced in Europein 2007. This figure relates toproduction based on prime resins,rather than on recycled materials. Ofthis total, colour compoundsaccounted for 2.2 M tonnes andproduction in this sector has beenrelatively static in recent years. In fact,colour masterbatches have displacedcoloured compounds in a number ofapplications. European colourcompound production is now stronglyfocused on specific engineeringpolymer applications where it is moredifficult to use masterbatch. Theproduction of compounded engineeringpolymers was about 1.7 M tonnes. Theproduction of technical polyolefins wasalso about 1.7 M tonnes. In bothsectors, the figures relate to plasticsthat have been filled or reinforced withglass fibre or minerals or modified withadditives such as flame retardants, UV-stabilisers, etc. European demand forthese types of compound has beengrowing strongly, at around 5% perannum over the past five years, drivenlargely by the continuing penetration ofhigh-performance plastics in theautomotive and household electricalappliance sectors.

Just under 25% of the 5.5 M tonnestotal is accounted for by the top 50independent plastic compounders, iecompanies that are not owned by anyof the polymer producers. Ravago isclearly the leader in this sector, itsoutput exceeding that of its closest rival(MPB) by 100,000 tonnes.

Independent plastic compoundershave benefited from trends on the part

of a number of polymer producers tonarrow their grade ranges. Traditionallythe independent plastic compoundersector developed in order to providemedium-size and small plasticsprocessors with small custom-madelots. But now, some of the independentcompounders have grown to such anextent that they pose strongcompetition to the powerful integratedplayers in the engineering polymersfield. In some cases, the independentcompounders have strengthened theirpositions by becoming distributors forengineering thermoplasticsmanufactured by third parties.

Corporate Performance & Ownership AmongTechnical Compounders – A Review of Europe’s 50Leading Players, Applied Market Information Ltd, 457Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QP, UK, tel: +44 (0)117 9249442, email: sjp@amiplastics.com. 117pp, £350 or€560

PLANTSAustria: Omya & Shiraishi –nanoparticulate PCC

Omya (of Switzerland) and Shiraishi(of Japan) have established a 50:50joint venture to producenanoparticulate grades of precipitatedcalcium carbonate (PCC), with aprimary particle size of less than 150nanometres. Shiraishi will provide thetechnology, while the joint venture’sproduction unit will be located atGolling in western Austria. Omya willhave sole responsibility for marketingthe output to European customers.

Golling was the site of Omya’s firstconventional PCC plant, which cameon-stream in 1997. Subsequently, thecompany built PCC plants in Hungary,the Netherlands, Russia and Spain.

Its prominence in PCC was boostedconsiderably by the acquisition of 12plants from Huber towards the end of2006, raising Omya’s worldwide PCCcapacity to 1.3 M tonnes/y. (See‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2007, 6).

Omya (formerly Pluess-Staufer) isa private company, founded in 1884by Mr Gottfried Pluess and Ms EmmaStaufer, and now owned by theSchachenmann family. It is the world’sleading supplier of ground calciumcarbonate (GCC), as well as beingsecond only to Mineral TechnologiesInc in the PCC industry.

Shiraishi rivals Okutama Kogyo asthe leading PCC supplier in Japan. It isalso a privately owned company and ithas a long-established relationship withOmya, selling Omya’s GCC slurrygrades to Japanese papermakers,while Omya has been selling Shiraishi’snanoparticulate PCC grades (made inJapan) to European customers.

European Coating Newsletter, 21 Apr 2008 (Website:http://www.info@coatings.de)

Brazil: MTI & Aracruz - PCC

Minerals Technologies Inc (MTI) willspend $6.9 M to establish a 25,000tonnes/y precipitated calciumcarbonate (PCC) plant at the Guaibapaper mill (Rio Grande do Sulprovince). Aracruz Celulose, theowner of the paper mill, will be themajor customer for the PCC, butsurplus product will be available forsale to other customers in southernBrazil and other Mercosur markets.

Pulp and Paper International, Mar 2008, 50 (3), 8

Canada: Whitemud – kaolin for cement

Whitemud Resources Ltd (of Calgary,AB) has opened a plant at GollerCreek in southern Saskatchewan forthe production of “metakaolin.” Theplant uses proprietary technology forprocessing low-grade kaolin from thenearby Wood Mountain open-pit mine.The project entailed investment ofaround C$50 M. The metakaolinproduct will be marketed under theWhitemud brandname, intendedmainly for use as a cement andconcrete additive. In this context, thekey component is the aluminiumsilicate component, with Whitemudhelping to improve the strength,durability and water-resistance of thefinal product, as well as making it

4 JULY 2008

F O C U S O N P I G M E N T S

Europe: Top Ten IndependentCompounders

(by Volume of Output, 2007)

Company Head Office1 Ravago Belgium 2 Materie Plastiche

Bresciane Italy3 Polymer Chemie Germany4 A Schulman Germany5 Sirmax Italy6 InnoComp Hungary7 Albis Plastic Germany8 Sumika Polymer

Compounds UK9 Plalloy MTD Netherlands

10 LAM Plast Italy