columbian saw 17% increase in worldwide carbon black sales last year

in the US, where zinc oxide demandis likely to be boosted by newlegislation requiring the use ofgalvanised steel in reinforcedconcrete products.

Managem has also recentlycommenced pilot-scale production ofcobalt oxide at Guemassa, targettingapplications in pigments, batteriesand ceramics.

European Chemical News, 16 Feb 2004, 80 (2087), 18

Singapore: Ishihara – TiO2

ISK Singapore, a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha(of Osaka), intends to step up thecapacity of its Jurong chloride-routeTiO2 pigment plant from 45,000tonnes/y to 48,500 tonnes/y duringthe fiscal year ending March 2005.Further expansion is planned, raisingcapacity to 60,000 tonnes/y during theyear to end-March 2008. This shouldhelp ISK to maintain and improve itsmarket share in the East Asian andSoutheast Asian markets.

Japan Chemical Week, 18 Mar 2004, 45 (2262), 12

Switzerland: Ciba – DPP

Ciba is nearing completion of a new250 tonnes/y production line at itsMonthey plant for producing diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole (DPP) pigmentscapacity. This is described as a 20%expansion, so total DPP capacity atMonthey will become 1500 tonnes/y.

Chemical Week, 10 Mar 2004, 166 (8)

COMPANIESBASF appoints Litter to sell colorants

D.H.Litter Co has been appointed asa distributor for BASF’s performancechemicals for sales territories in theeastern United States. The productscovered by this appointment includeBASF’s colorants and additives for thepaint and plastics industries.

HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb2004, 41 (2i), 97

Brenntag to sell Wacker’s fumed silica& effect pigments in North America

Thanks to an agreement with WackerChemie, Brenntag Inc has obtained

North American distribution rights tosell Wacker’s HDK range of fumedsilica products and its Helicone HCliquid crystal special effect pigments,as well as various silicone fluids andemulsions. and other siliconecommodities. The agreement coversall markets in Canada and the US.

HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Feb2004, 41 (2i), 98

C & H to sell aluminium pigmentpastes for K & H

K & H Chemicals has appointed C &H Coatings as its UK distributor ofaluminium pigment pastes. Theseproducts contain fine flakes of purealuminium blended with a solvent tocreate a paste.

PPCJ, Polymers, Paint, Colour Journal, Mar 2004, 195(4474), 10

Columbian saw 17% increase inworldwide carbon black sales last year

Columbian Chemicals (part of thePhelps Dodge group), the world’sthird largest carbon black supplier,reported operating income at $51.1 M(up 8.7%) on sales of $644.2 M (up17.4%) for full-year 2003. Sales toNorth American markets wereparticularly strong. Profit marginsimproved in Europe and LatinAmerica, thanks to more favourableexchange rates and firmer prices.

European Rubber Journal, Mar 2004, 186 (3), 16

Distrupol sells for Matrix Plastics

Distrupol has been appointed as adistributor for Matrix Plastics’masterbatch and colour compounds inthe Benelux countries. Matrix hadalready been using Distrupol in the UKand it hopes that Distrupol’s existingcustomer network will help to extend itspresence in the Benelux area.

Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 20 Feb 2004, 10

New DuPont unit to supply liquidcolorants & dispersions for plastics

DuPont Specialty Colorants &Additives has been created as a newbusiness unit within the corporation’sCoatings & Color Technologiessegment. The new unit will supplycustom-formulated liquid colorants

and fine particle dispersions formanufacturers and processors in theplastics industry.

HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jan2004, 41 (1), 101

Harvin buys M-R-S Chemicals

Harvin Reaction Technology, a tollproducer of speciality polyols andurethanes, has purchased M-R-SChemicals, which makes pigmentdispersions. Manufacturing operationshave been moved to Harvin’s complexat Greensboro.

Chemical Week, 31 Mar 2004, 166 (11)

Hindustan Inks becomes Micro Inks

Hindustan Inks & Resins Ltd (part ofthe $239 M Bilakhia group) haschanged its name to Micro Inks Ltd,convinced that this will improve brandrecall amongst its internationalcustomers for printing inks, resins,flush pigments and crop protectionchemicals. The company is alreadywell established in its home market,with a network of 12 branches, 5technical centres and about 500distributors across India.

Business Line, 9 Mar 2004, 11 (68), 2

Holliday joins Elemica trading network

Holliday Pigments (part of the YuleCatto group), the world’s largestmanufacturer of ultramarine, hasbecome one of the latest members ofElemica, described as “the leadingglobal network for chemicals buying,selling and supply chain management.”Elemica was created in 2001 by eightfounder member companies (see‘Focus on Pigments’, Apr 2001, 1-2). Itnow has more than 150 members.

Mr Robert Rae (Chairman ofHolliday Pigments) said: “The move toElemica is part of our overall E-business strategy to shorten deliveryand order lead times, as well as toimprove accuracy in customer service,sales and purchasing. The manualsteps for a traditional order are reducedto a third with the automated system,response times are condensed fromdays to hours and order errors are atalmost zero, compared to an industryaverage of 10-20%.”

Press release from: Holliday Pigments, Website:http://www.holliday-pigments.com (Feb 2004)

6 MAY 2004

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