Aquasta. Astaxanthin is mainly usedas a fish-feed additive, designed toimprove the flesh colour to a healthy-looking pink. No details have beenreleased on the scale of Aquastaproduction.

Press Release from: Naturxan LLC, 9110 Red BranchRoad, Columbia, MD 21045, USA. Website:http://www.naturxan.com (27 May 2010)

US: F & D Plastics – plastics colorants

F & D Plastics is about to install atotal of three new twin-screwextruders at plants at Leominster, MA(in the US) and at St Laurent, PQ (justacross the Canadian border). Thecompany was founded by Mr RogerRosbury in 1967 and it remains afamily-owned business. It currentlyemploys about 65 people andgenerates annual sales revenues ofaround $10 M from colour concen-trates sold to the plastics sector.

Plastics News, 26 May 2010, (Website:http://www.plasticsnews.com)

COMPANIESColumbian’s extends TCR’s territory forRaven brand carbon blacks

Columbian Chemicals has extendedthe sales territory of TCR IndustriesInc (headquartered at La Palma, CA)for its Raven brand of carbon blackgrades, designed for use in printinginks, plastics, construction materialsand paints. TCR’s territory nowcomprises: Arizona, California,Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,Washington and Wyoming.

Paint & Coatings Industry (PCI), Apr 2010, 26 (4), 18

Crenox is the new name of the Krefeld-Uerdingen TiO2 producer

Tronox Inc (of Oklahoma City, OK)filed for Chapter 11 protection fromcreditors on 12 January 2009. Twomonths later, it was obliged torelinquish control of its Germansubsidiaries because it was unable tooffer them adequate funding to tidethem over a short-term cashflowproblem. Tronox GmbH was declaredinsolvent and it then came under the

control of an Administrator appointedby the Krefeld Insolvency Court. TheAdministrator, Mr Eberhard Stock (anindependent lawyer) was chargedwith the twin responsibilities ofrunning the business as a “goingconcern” and of negotiating withpotentially interested purchasers ofthe company’s assets, notably a107,000 tonnes/y sulfate-route TiO2pigment plant at the UerdingenChemiepark, formerly owned byBayer AG. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’,Mar 2009, 6 & Sep 2009, 7).

After a preliminary review of thebusiness, Mr Stock announced in mid-June 2009 that the Uerdingen plantwould continue to produce anunchanged portfolio of TiO2 pigmentgrades, including six for the paintindustry, four for the plastics industry,one for the paper industry and ninespeciality grades. During the secondhalf of 2009, the company recruited40 new employees in order to copewith the growth in TiO2 sales. For full-year 2009, TiO2 pigment productionwas reported as 75,000 tonnes andtotal sales revenue was €120 M.

The search continues for suitableinvestors to buy Tronox PigmentsGmbH as a going concern. At leasteight possible purchasers have beenshortlisted, but clearly there will be no“fire sale” of assets. On 12 May 2010,the company announced a change ofname “as a clear manifestation of itsrelaunch.” The new name is Crenox,chosen to connect the location(Krefeld) and the product name.

TiO2 Worldwide Update, Nov/Dec 2009, 17 (6), 22-24& Farbe und Lack, Jun 2010, 116 (6), 12 (in German)& Press Release from: Crenox GmbH,Rheinuferstrasse 7-9, Verwaltung Parkstrasse, 47829Krefeld, Germany. Tel: +49 (0)2151 4797 3000.Website: http://www.crenox.com (12 May 2010)

Dow pays $7.2 M net to complete thesale of Ropaque pigment lines

On 14 May 2010, Omnova Solutions(of Fairlawn, OH) completed thetransaction to acquire some or all ofDow Chemical’s hollow-sphere plasticpigment business. The mainstay ofthis business is the range of Ropaquepigments that were developed byRohm & Haas. The range includesRopaque HP-1055; AF-1055; BC-643;HP-543P; and OP-4. All of theseproducts are marketed primarily topapermakers for use in improving the

gloss and opacity of paper coatings.Onwards from 2002, these Ropaquepigments had been marketed byRohmnova, a 50:50 joint venturecompany created by Rohm & Haasand Omnova.

Dow had also developed a rangeof hollow-sphere plastic pigments ofits own, notably HS-2000NA and HS-3000NA, suitable for use in the paperindustry. Presumably these productlines were also included in theOmnova acquisition, though this is notabsolutely clear from the statementsreleased by the two companies. It isalso worth noting that Ropaque Ultra-E is still in the overall Dow portfolio ofproducts listed on its website. Thisproduct is described as a hollow-sphere pigment designed for use inthe paint industry, with theadvantages of being free from tracesof ammonia or alkylphenolethoxylates (APEOs).

In a carefully worded statement,Omnova stated that it had agreed topay Dow $2.5 M to acquire “thehollow-sphere plastic pigmentproducts line.” Omnova also statedthat it had agreed to terminate thejoint venture agreement, effectivelydissolving RohmNova. Under thistermination agreement, Dow will payOmnova $9.7 M. Thus, Dow hasended up paying a net sum of $7.2 Mto divest some or all of its hollow-sphere plastic pigments business.These moves represent the fulfilmentof one of the key conditions stipulatedby the US anti-trust authority when itconditionally approved the $18.8 bnacquisition of Rohm & Haas by DowChemical, effective 1 April 2009. Dowretains ownership of its solid-sphereplastic pigment lines, notably PB-6656; PB-6688; 722-HS; 755-A; 756-A; and 788-A.

Omnova Solutions was created in1999 as a spin-off from GenCorp Inc(formerly General Tire & RubberCorp). At creation, it inherited aprominent position in the globalsupply of styrene butadiene latex foruse in the paper industry. Omnovanow has a worldwide workforce of2300 people and it reported salesrevenue for the year to end-February2010 at $720 M.

Press Releases from: Omnova Solutions Inc, 175Ghent Road, Fairlawn, OH 44333, USA. Website:http://www.omnova.com (13 May & 17 May 2010) &ICIS Chemical Business, 24 May 2010, (Website:http://icischemicalbusiness.com)

6 JULY 2010

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