The new, non-halogenated flame retardantachieves UL-94 V-0 performance specificationwhen used at an 18% letdown ratio in PET fibre.The additive can also be used with PBT and vari-ous co-polyester resin systems. It is also effectivein other polyester-based applications like films.

Techsperse PBM12635 FR is designed for pro-cessing temperatures up to 285°C (545°F).Although it is chemically stable when stored,the compound is hygroscopic and will absorbmoisture from the atmosphere; Techmer PMrecommends that the flame retardant be usedwithin six months.

Contact: Techmer PM Global Marketing, 18747Laurel Park Rd, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220,USA; tel: +1-310-632-9211; fax: +1-310-886-3485; URL: www.techmerpm.com

New nanoparticle antimicrobialavailable from KoreaInternational distribution company DKSH hasintroduced Sarpu, a new antimicrobial systemfor plastics, fibres and coatings produced byNanotech in South Korea. Sarpu consists of sil-ver particles of around 25 nm in size, providinga large specific area for increased contact withbacteria, which therefore increases its antimi-crobial effectiveness.

As a result of its high effectiveness, Sarpu can beused at relatively low concentrations of 50 ppm,which is a key requirement for cost-sensitive appli-cations such as household appliances, syntheticfibres and plastics in general, DKSH says. Thefirm says the biocidal activity of Sarpu has beendemonstrated in independent laboratories against arange of bacteria including Staphylococcusaureus. Being silver based, the antimicrobial isrecognized as non-toxic and non-irritant. In addi-tion, it does not migrate to the top surface of com-ponents when incorporated into plastics.

Commercial applications include washingmachines, refrigerators and synthetic fibres forhygienic applications. DKSH says it offers theproduct in masterbatches in most thermoplastics.

Contact: DKSH France SA, 1475, Quai duRhone, 01702 Miribel Cedex, France; tel: +33-4-7855-7855; URL: www.dksh.com

CONSTAB Polyolefin AdditivesGmbH reveals new productsMasterbatch specialist Constab, the Germanarm of the newly formed Alqemia group, isoffering a number of new products, includinganti-drip and antifog masterbatches. The newanti-drip masterbatch effectively prevents theformation of water droplets on greenhousefilms. The newly developed product is an opti-mized grade of Constab’s range of anti-dripmasterbatches and combines quick start-upproperties with long-term effectiveness and hightransparency for films. First industrial applica-tions show significant improvements over previ-ous versions, the company says.

Also new are antifog masterbatches for foodpackaging applications with advanced Cold Fogproperties. Products are available on PE and PPpolymer carriers and are said to offer a superiorcost-performance relationship due to their rela-tively low letdown ratio. Furthermore, Constabhas new antifog masterbatches especiallydesigned for the use in BOPP films. These mas-terbatches are already in commercial applica-tion and offer balanced Cold and Hot Fog prop-erties combined with high efficiency, says thecompany. The masterbatches conform toFDA/EC food regulations and are available inindustrial-scale quantities.

Contact: CONSTAB Polyolefin Additives GmbH,Möhnetal 16, D-59602 Ruethen, Germany; tel:+49-29528190; fax: +49-29523140; URL:www.additive-masterbatch.com

COMPANY STRATEGIES

Clariant, Hangzhou Baihe formpigment joint venture in ChinaClariant’s Pigments and Additives Division hassigned a joint venture agreement with HangzhouBaihe Chemicals Co Ltd of Zhejiang Provincefor the production of high-performance organicpigments in China. The Pigments & AdditivesDivision has established a long-standing coop-eration with Hangzhou Baihe, a leading localmanufacturer of organic pigments for severalapplications, Clariant says.

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According to Clariant, the new joint venture isbased on the increased demand for high-per-formance organic pigments both in China andthe rest of the world. The new production sitewill be located in Hangzhou, southwest ofShanghai. The high-performance organic pig-ments produced by the joint venture will bemarketed exclusively through the Clariant salesdistribution network. Such pigments are used ina wide range of industrial applications includingplastics and coatings.

In other regional news, Clariant (Japan) isreported by Japan Chemical Week to be plan-ning to increase Japanese sales of phosphorus-based flame retardants for applications inpolyamide and epoxy resins.

Contact: Clariant Pigments & AdditivesDivision, Clariant House, Am Unisys-Park 1, D-65840 Sulzbach am Taunus, Germany; tel: +49-6196-757-8132; fax: +49-6196-757-8862;URL: pa.clariant.com

Holland Colours restructuresEurope Division Holland Colours has announced plans to spinoff its basic pigments business into a separateentity, giving it clear focus, a very lean cost baseand a dedicated sales structure. The companysays that the synergy between its colour concen-trates sales, mainly into the plastics industry,and pigment sales, mainly into the coatingsindustry, has diminished over the years, with thepigment market also becoming very competitivedue to high raw material prices. By creating aseparate business unit, with a dedicated man-agement and sales force, the company believesit can create further growth opportunities for thepigments business. Sales of the pigments plant,located in Hungary, amounted to about �6 mil-lion in fiscal year 2004/2005, with approximate-ly 50 employees.

In conjunction with this development, HollandColours has also decided to further integrate itsEurope division. The division, which consists ofthe companies in the Netherlands, the UK and thecolour concentrate business in Hungary, will nowbe run as one company, with one European man-agement team. This move will enable betterexploitation of synergies between the companies,

with reduced overlap and management of thesales organization on a pan-European level. As aconsequence of the restructuring, which will see alimited number of redundancies, Holland Colourswill take a restructuring charge of �500 000 in its2004/2005 financial year. As a result, the compa-ny’s net proceeds are sharply below last year’s,while annual sales are at about the same level.

Contact: Holland Colours NV, Halvemaanweg1, PO Box 720, 7300 AS Apeldoorn, TheNetherlands; tel: +31-55-366-3143; fax: +31-55-366-2981; URL: www.hollandcolours.com

Ciba continues PUR anti-scorchpartnership with Degussa,opens China R&D centreCiba Specialty Chemicals has extended itscooperation agreement with Degussa concern-ing anti-scorch stabilizer packages for thepolyurethane (PUR) foam industry. Ciba hasdeveloped the expertise in the production andapplication of ORTEGOL® AO liquid antioxi-dants, which prevent scorch discoloration offlexible foams, while Degussa’s GoldschmidtPolyurethane Additives business provides tech-nical services and sales through its well-estab-lished network in the PUR foam industry.

The new agreement extends the distribution net-work for Ciba’s ORTEGOL products and alsocovers sales by Goldschmidt of a new synergisticamine-free technology package ORTEGOL AO6AF, which confers a better surface foam discol-oration profile after exposure to pollutants orlight, Ciba says. The two companies have alreadybeen working together in this area for six years.

Degussa has also recently enhanced itspolyurethane additives activities through theacquisition of Ratec International GmbH, a pro-ducer of release agents for demoulding PURfoam located in Wittenburg near Schwerin,Germany. Degussa has been collaborating withRatec since 2001 in the GORAPUR joint ven-ture, also in Wittenburg, in which the releaseagent activities of the two companies are com-bined. The acquisition of Ratec automaticallygives Degussa ownership of GORAPUR, whichwill be integrated into the GoldschmidtPolyurethane Additives business line.

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