facility at Bhuj (Gujarat province, 330km west of Ahmedabad). The companyhas been mining and processing kaolinin Gujarat for several decades.However, in recent years, most of itsmanagement attention has beenfocused on the facility near Trivandrumin the southern state of Kerala, wherenew 180,000 tonnes/y facilities forproducing hydrous and calcined gradesof kaolin were commissioned in 2008.

Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 4 Dec 2012, 140(Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com/) © SevakPublications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2012

India: Deepak Nitrite – opticalbrighteners

As part of its $40 M plan to establish agreenfields chemicals complex atDahej (Gujarat province, 110 kmsouthwest of Vadodara/Baroda),Deepak Nitrite plans to install a91,000 tonnes/y optical brightenersplant. This will mark a newdiversification for Deepak Nitrite. Thecompany is a long establishedmanufacturer of sodium nitrite. It alsoproduces a wide variety of organicchemicals, including xylidines andtoluidine, as well as various anilineand nitrobenzene derivatives.

Original Source: Speciality Chemicals, Dec 2012, 32(12), (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com/) © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2012

Indonesia: DIC – phthalo blue

DIC Corp (formerly Dai Nippon Inks &Chemicals, of Tokyo) has taken overthe running of the chemical plants atKarawang (60 km east of Jakarta,Indonesia) from PT Monokem Surya.The plants have a floor area of 7.9hectares. About 300 people areemployed here, making crudephthalocyanine blue and pigments.Monokem will continue to run its mainbusiness as before, trading zircon andilmenite.

Amplifying on its decision to buythe Indonesian plant, DIC noted thatthe world has come to rely mainly onIndian and Chinese sources forclassical organic pigment supplies.India and China have attractedpigment manufacturers by offering lowproduction costs and robust supplychains encompassing everything fromraw materials through to finishedproducts. As one of the world’s

leading organic pigment suppliers andas a major consumer, DIC haspigment production and procurementcapabilities in both India and China.

However, in recent yearsproduction cost increases, combinedwith tighter environmental regulationsand more rigorous enforcement, haveadversely affected classical pigmentproduction in India and China.Production by locally ownedproducers has been particularly hardhit. As a company seeking to furtherthe global expansion of its printinginks and organic pigmentsbusinesses, DIC has recognised thatlowering its dependence on India andChina, thereby reducing business risk,is essential to stable growth. It waswith this in mind that DIC took thedecision to acquire the Indonesianphthalocyanine plant.

Original Source: DIC, 7-20 Nihonbashi, 3-chome,Chuo-ku, Tokyo 1038233, Japan, website:http://www.dic-global.com (21 Dec 2012) © DIC Corp2012

Indonesia & Saudi Arabia: Clariant –plastics masterbatch

At the same time as announcing its 3Q2012 financial results, ClariantInternational noted progress on twoprojects for expanding its plasticsmasterbatch capacity. At Tangerang (40km west of Jakarta, Indonesia), Clariantis doubling its masterbatch capacityand the project should be completedbefore the end of September 2013.Clariant has two production sites inIndonesia – one at Cilegon, one atTangerang. In total, Clariant currentlyemploys 550 people in Indonesia,producing in total around 50,000tonnes/y of masterbatches, pigmentpreparations, optical brighteners, dyesand speciality chemicals. Clariant alsoreferred to “further investments in high-growth regions” as including theexpansion of capacity at its Riyadh(Saudi Arabia) plant, producing whiteand coloured masterbatches.

Original Source: Clariant International, Rothausstrasse61, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland, website:http://www.clariant.com (31 Oct 2012) © ClariantInternational Ltd 2012

Kazakhstan: Tenir Logistics – TiO2 fromtitaniferous magnetite

Tenir Logistics is seeking investmentpartners for a project to establish aTiO2 pigment plant in the Taraz

Special Economic Zone in Zhambylprovince, about 1200 km south ofAstana, near the border withKyrgyzstan. As feedstock, the plantwould use titaniferous magnetite fromthe nearby Tymlay mine. In addition toproducing 10,000 tonnes/y of TiO2pigment, the plant would generate10,000 tonnes/y of by-product silica.About 85-90% of the output would beexported, mainly to China and Russia.Tenir Logistics estimates thatinvestment requirements for thisproject would be of the order of $25-30 M.

Original Source: RCCnews, 17 Dec 2012, (Website:http://www.rccnews.ru/eng) © RCCnews.ru 2012

Luxembourg: Ampacet – masterbatch

In December 2012, Ampacet openedits new masterbatch plant at Dudelange(20 km south of Luxembourg city-centre). The company spent €25 M tobuild this plant, which will initially focuson producing black and whitemasterbatches only. Its commissioninghas lifted by 60% Ampacet’s capacityfor black and white masterbatches inEurope, the Middle East and Africa.(See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, May2012, 5).

Original Source: Plastics News, 9 Jan 2013, (Website:http://www.plasticsnews.com) © CrainCommunications Inc 2013

Russia: Arkmineral – TiO2 fromperovskite (calcium titanate)

SGK Arkmineral has announced plansto mine perovskite deposits in thePolar Zory district within Murmanskoblast. The deposits are located nearthe village of Afrikanda, about 170 kmsouth of Murmansk in northwesternRussia. The first stage of the projectwill entail opening up the mine andbuilding processing facilities toproduce perovskite concentrates,containing mainly calcium titanate.The second stage of the project willentail building a plant to convertcalcium titanate into TiO2. At thesame time, the mineral separationplant will be upgraded, so as toenable the recovery of by-products,including zircon, tantalum, hafniumand niobium.

Mr Andzhey Trenin (Chairman ofSGK Arkmineral) has estimatedfinance requirements of the order of

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Rbl 8 bn (about $260 M) for the two-stage project, with a forecast paybackperiod of eight years. He is currentlydiscussing loan finance withVneshekonombank.

Original Source: Chemie Aktuell, 7 Jan 2013,(Website: http://www.maerkte-weltweit.de) (inGerman) © MBM Martin Brueckner Medien GmbH2013

US: Evonik – precipitated silica

Last November, Evonik spoke aboutplans to to expand its worldwidecapacity for precipitated silica by 30%during the five years to end-2014, butit gave no detailed plans as toindividual plant expansions. (See‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2013, 4).

More recently, the companyannounced that it would raiseprecipitated silica capacity at itsChester, PA site (25 km southwest ofPhiladelphia) by 22,000 tonnes/y beforethe end of 2014. Although precipitatedsilica is also used in the paint, food andbeverage and animal feed sectors, it ismainly demand from the tyre industrythat is driving sales growth. Mr DaveElliott (Site Manager at Chester) said:“Using our precipitated silica as thereinforcement filler in tyre treadssignificantly achieves lower fuelconsumption in automobiles. Demandhas been increasing rapidly for thisapplication and, by expanding ourcapacities in Chester, we will be able tokeep pace with the growth of ourcustomers. Automotive companies areactively striving to create vehicles thatare more energy efficient and better forthe environment.”

Original Source: Evonik, Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11,D-45128, Essen, Germany, website:http://www.evonik.com (20 Dec 2012) © EvonikIndustries AG 2012

US: Plastic Innovations – plasticcompounds

Plastic Innovations Inc was foundedless than two years ago by itsPresident Mr Vipul Mandani andseveral other investors. Thecompany’s plant at Jurupa Valley (80km east of Los Angeles) opened inNovember 2011, with four extrusionlines. It specialises in producingglass-filled and colour compoundsbased on a variety of commodity andengineering resins. The company is

now adding a fifth extrusion line and itis negotiating to lease an additionalsite, adjacent to its existing site. Thiswould potentially double its floor areato more than 2000 sq metres. Thecompany is also planning to doublethe size of its workforce to 18 beforethe end of 2013.

Original Source: Plastics News, 8 Jan 2013, (Website:http://www.plasticsnews.com) © CrainCommunications Inc 2013

COMPANIESAmerichem buys Infinity Compounding

Effective 28 December 2012,Americhem Inc completed theacquisition of Infinity CompoundingLLC (of Swedesboro, NJ), amanufacturer of filled and reinforcedplastic compounds. Infinity specialisesin highly engineered thermoplasticcompounds, marketed to customers formedical, electrical, electronics,business machine, the disk drive,consumer product, aerospace andmilitary applications. InfinityCompounding will be retained as anentity, continuing to operateindependently under its existingmanagement team. Mr Carlos Carrenosaid: “As part of the Americhem group,we will be able to offer new productsand technologies to our customers,including best-in-class colourcapabilities.” The move will also helpInfinity to extend its sales presence inChina.

Americhem specialises in themanufacture of colour and additiveconcentrates. The acquisition of aspecialist plastic compounderrepresents a new diversification pathfor Americhem.

Original Source: Americhem Inc, 2000 AmerichemWay, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221, USA, tel: +1(330)929 4213, website: http://www.americhem.com (28 Dec 2012) © Americhem Inc 2012

Chromaflo buys Tint-Ayd colorantsbusiness from Elementis

Chromaflo Technologies, which wascreated by the merger of Plasticolorsand the Evonik global colorantsbusiness under the aegis of ArsenalCapital Partners, has expanded itsportfolio with the purchase of the Tint-Ayd range of alkyd polyester-basedcolorants from Elementis Specialties

Inc. These colorants are sold mainlyto manufacturers of decorative paintsin Europe, the Middle East and Africa.Production of the Tint-Ayd productswill now be transferred from theElementis site at Delden (nearHengelo) to the Chromaflo site atMaastricht, also in the Netherlands,about 250 km to the south, near theBelgian border.

Original Source: Plastics News, 17 Dec 2012,(Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com) © CrainCommunications Inc 2012

Clariant sells off emulsions, textile &paper chemical businesses

At last June’s corporate seminar heldin Munich, Clariant announced itsintention to seek buyers for three of its11 business units, namely: TextileChemicals, Paper Specialities andEmulsions, Detergents &Intermediates. (See ‘Focus onPigments’, Aug 2012, 5-6). The planhas been almost fully realised by thesale of all three units, apart from theactivities in detergents and chemicalintermediates. SK Capital, a privateinvestment firm with offices in NewYork and Boca Raton, FL agreed topurchase the Textile Chemicals, PaperSpecialities and Emulsionsbusinesses for SFR 502 M (about$548 M), of which SFR 460 M to bepaid in cash. This represents a factorof 6.3 times the estimated full-year2012 earnings before interest, tax,depreciation and amortisation(EBITDA) of these businesses. Thebusinesses to be divested account foraround 3000 employees (14% ofClariant’s total workforce) in 35different countries. For full-year 2012,these businesses are expected toreport EBITDA of SFR 80 M on salesrevenues of SFR 1.2 bn. Theagreement with SK Capital wassigned towards the end of 2012 andthe transaction should be completedbefore the end of June 2013.

Mr Hariolf Kottmann (CEO ofClariant) said: “For us, this marks asignificant milestone in the executionof our profitable growth strategy. I ampleased that we are able to executethis divestment faster than originallyexpected. By the end of 2013,Clariant will be an even moreprofitable company than today,generating a majority of sales in non-cyclical growth businesses.” At last

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