producers. The average deliveredprice for TiO2 pigment in NorthAmerican markets for full-year 2004as a whole should be around 90 centsper pound (equivalent to $1984 pertonne). That compares against 85cents per pound (equivalent to $1874per tonne) in 2003. For full-year 2005,the average price is forecast at 99cents per pound (equivalent to $2161per tonne).

Chemical Week, 17 Nov 2004, 166 (38)

China: Cabot & Shanghai CokingChemical – carbon black

Shanghai Cabot Co, which is owned70% by Cabot Corp (of the US) and30% by Shanghai Coking ChemicalCo, completed a 50,000 tonnes/yexpansion at its Shanghai carbonblack last year. This brought theplant’s total capacity to 130,000tonnes/y. (See also ‘Focus onPigments’, Mar 2004, 3).

Now Shanghai Cabot has confirmedits intention to build a second carbonblack plant in Tianjin, due on-streamin early 2006. The plant’s initialcapacity will be 50,000 tonnes/y, withprovision for easy expansion, possiblytowards the end of 2006.

Chemical and Engineering News, 15 Nov 2004, 82(46), 12-13 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)

China: Degussa – carbon black

Qingdao Degussa Chemical Co(QDCC) recently completed theexpansion of its carbon black plant atQingdao, raising capacity here from50,000 tonnes/y to 70,000 tonnes/y.QDCC was established in 1993 and itis now owned 52% by Degussa, 15%by Deutsche Investitions &Entwicklungs (DEG, a Germanventure capital company) and 33% bythe local partner, Zhenya.

Meanwhile, Degussa has beencontinuing to negotiate with Sinopecregarding a second carbon blackplant, to be installed at an undentifiedlocation. No further details have beenreleased,

Asian Chemical News, 29 Nov 2004, 11 (470), 6

Germany: Clariant – DPP pigments

Clariant’s new diketo-pyrrolo-pyrrole(DPP) pigments plant at Frankfurt-Hoechst started-up on schedule in

November 2004 and it is now workingat its rated capacity of 200 tonnes/y.The plant is highly automated, withintegrated processes for pigmentsynthesis, finishing, filtration,drying,blending and packaging. Initially, it willproduce five different pigmentproducts based on DPP chemistry.The new DPP pigments will be usedfor automotive coatings, industrialcoatings, plastics and special printinginks.

In addition, Clariant will be usingthe new facilities to make two newrubine pigments with enhancedproperties for coatings applications,namely Hostaperm Rubine D3B andHostaperm Rubine D3B-WD.

Clariant already employed 75people at the existing pigment plantand the associated research anddevelopment unit on the Frankfurt-Hoechst site. The pigments workforcehere has now been increased to 80.

Investment in the DPP plant wasaround €13 M and the plant has beendesigned to facilitate furtherexpansion in line with marketdemand. In August 2004, Clariantinstalled a plant for making halogen-free flame retardants at its Knapsacksite. These investments underlineClariant’s ongoing commitment tomanufacturing high-quality products inGermany.

Chemical Engineering World, Nov 2004, 39 (11), 32 &Speciality Chemicals, Nov 2004, 24 (10), 10 & DoubleLiaison, Nov 2004, 5 (541), 54,56 (in French)

Germany: Schulman – plasticscolorants

Schulman has an annual globalturnover of about $1 bn, a globalworkforce of 2400 and produces up to500,000 tonnes/y of plasticmasterbatches at 12 different plants inthe US, Europe and the Asia/Pacificregion. The Kerpen plant in Germanyemploys 472 people and, as a resultof the most recent expansion in 2002,capacity here is now 60,000 tonnes/y.Major customers include API, BASF,Degussa and Vestolit.

Kunststof en Rubber, Dec 2004, 57 (12), 36-37 (inDutch)

Germany: Steag & SMI – PCC

About 55,000 tonnes/y of carbondioxide is being extracted from flue-gas streams at Steag’s power plant at

Walsum (near Duisburg) and this isone of the key raw material inputs forthe new 125,000 tonnes/y precipitatedcalcium carbonate (PCC) plant here.The plant is run by Specialty MineralsInc (SMI), producing Opacarb paperpigments, mainly for paper coatingapplications in graphic arts and high-end magazine publication papers. Indue course, SMI will double PCCcapacity here to 250,000 tonnes/y andwill then double capacity again, to500,000 tonnes/y. (See also ‘Focuson Pigments’, Nov 2004, 5).

Pulp and Paper International, Nov 2004, 46 (11), 45

India, China & Russia: Phillips –carbon black

Phillips Carbon Black Ltd (part of theR.P.Goenka group) is India’s largestcarbon black producer, with a capacityof 270,000 tonnes/y, derived fromplants at Kochi, Vadodara andDurgapur.

A 12 MW co-generation powerplant was recently installed at theVadodara site and Phillips signed afive-year contract with Adani PowerTrading Corp to supply around 6.5MW from this plant. A similar projecthas been outlined for the Durgapursite in West Bengal. Phillips is nowlooking for a partner to collaborate inthe establishment of a 16 MW powerplant here, which will cost about Rup600 M.

Phillips already has long-termcontracts to supply carbon black to anumber of multinational customers, aswell as to local companies. It is keento broaden its global presence andrecently appointed two consultantscharged with identifying opportunitiesfor expanding its business in the formof greenfield projects or acquisitionsin China and Russia.

Business Line, 22 Nov 2004, 11 (323), 3

India: Daikaffil – optical brighteners &pigment intermediates

Daikaffil Chemicals has emerged as asignificant supplier of opticalbrighteners to domestic customersand to export markets in Europe,Southeast Asia and the US. Thecompany has facilities for producing420 tonnes/y of dinitrostilbenzene(DNS) and 300 tonnes/y ofdiaminostilbenzene (DAS). It also

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