ciba receives fda approval for pigment, opens more technical centres

Within the Polymer Products segment, thirdquarter sales of polymer additives were up 9%to $311.2 million compared to the same periodin 2002, primarily as a result of the acquisitionof GE’s specialty chemicals business. However,excluding the acquired business, a 2% declinein unit volume and 1% lower selling prices wereoffset by favourable exchange rates. Plasticadditives sales were up 21% mainly as a resultof the recent acquisition. Rubber additives salesdeclined 13% and urethane additives sales rose2%. Operating profit of $4.9 million was down81% from the third quarter of 2002 due mainlyto increased costs, lower selling prices and anunfavourable sales mix, partially offset by prof-it from the newly acquired business. Highercosts were mainly attributable to increased rawmaterial/energy costs, higher allocated over-head and other expenses, and reduced plantthroughput, offset in part by cost saving initia-tives. The higher allocated overhead expenseswere primarily due to a reallocation of costspreviously absorbed by the divested OSi busi-ness.

Contact: Crompton Corp, 199 Benson Road,Middlebury, CT 06749, USA; tel: +1-203-573-2000; URL: www.cromptoncorp.com

Albemarle reports third quarterresults Albemarle Corp has reported third quarter 2003net income including special items of US$9.9million versus $20.4 million in 2002. Specialitems for the 2003 quarter include a voluntaryworkforce reduction charge of $4.8 million afterincome taxes and the finalization of certainincome tax related adjustments. Results for thirdquarter 2003 reflect higher net sales, up 2% onthe previous year to $276.5 million, due prima-rily to acquisitions and the favourable foreignexchange rates in Europe.

For the first nine months of 2003, net incomeamounted to $53.4 million, down 8% on thesame period last year, on sales up about 7% to$811.6 million. This fall in income was primari-ly affected by higher raw material and energycosts, and product mix, offset in part by thefavourable overall effects of foreign exchange.

Additives for Polymers December 2003

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NEWS AND VIEWS

Ciba receives FDA approval forpigment, opens more technicalcentresCiba Specialty Chemicals’ Chromophtal PinkPT pigment for use in plastics and fibres hasreceived Food Contact Notification (FCN) fromthe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)authorities, effective on 7 November 2003. Todate this is the only C.I. Pigment Red 122 thathas received such FDA compliance, whichallows its use in food packaging applications,making it the C.I. Pigment Red 122 with thewidest food compliance available to the indus-try. Chromophtal Pink PT Microlen® Pink PT-MC, the low-dust, free-flowing pre-dispersedform of the pigment, is also FDA compliant.

In related colorants news, Ciba inaugurated anew technical centre for polymer coloration inOctober in Newport, DE, USA to serve theNAFTA area. In the past 12 months Ciba hasopened similar centres in Mumbai, India and,in September, in Shanghai, China, adding toexisting customer support facilities in Europe,Japan and South America. Designed to providefast customer support services with a stronglocal touch appropriate to the area they serve,the centres also operate as part of a global net-work.

Contact: Ciba Specialty Chemicals,Klybeckstrasse 141, CH-4002 Basel,Switzerland; tel: +41-61-636-4444; fax: +41-61-636-3019; URL: www.cibasc.com

The Polymer Chemicals division recorded salesrevenues of $162.2 million for the third quarter,up from $151.7 million in 2002. Income fell to$16.9 million from $20.6 million. For the ninemonths ended 30 September, both revenues andincome for the division increased compared tothe same period in 2002.

Contact: Albemarle Corp, 451 Florida Street,Baton Rouge, LA 70801-1765, USA; tel: +1-225-388-7402; fax: +1-225-388-7848; URL:www.albemarle.com