pigment plant at Botlek in theRotterdam docks area. The companyhas signed an agreement with AVR,guaranteeing the supply of at least 16tonnes/hour of steam for the Botleksite. AVR generates steam from thehousehold-waste incinerators that itoperates in Rotterdam. In recentyears, AVR has expanded itsoperations by taking in household-waste from the municipalities of DenHaag and Utrecht, as well as from theRotterdam region.

As a result of this agreement, Kerr-McGee will be able to shut down itsown steam-generator at Botlek, whichwas traditionally fuelled with naturalgas. The switch to steam supplied byAVR will mean significantenvironmental benefits insofar asreducing fossil fuel consumption atBotlek.

Nederlandse Chemische Industrie, 21 May 2003, 45(9), 4 (in Dutch)

Serbia: Petrohemija – carbon black

Petrohemija awarded a $20 Mcontract to Chengda ChemicalEngineering (of China) in mid-2000 forthe design and engineering of a new15,000 tonnes/y carbon black plant, tobe built at Pancevo (see ‘Focus onPigments’, Aug 2000, 6). Work on theproject has been delayed because offinancial difficulties, pushing theanticipated on-stream date back to2004.

European Chemical News, 23 Jun 2003, 78 (2058), 26

Spain: Cales de Llierca – PCC

Cales de Llierca SA has recentlybegun producing Calprec SA, a newgrade of precipitated calciumcarbonate (PCC) produced by athree-stage process, which is said toresult in maximum levels of opacityand whiteness. The product isavailable in bulk or on pallets of 25kilo sacks. The Europeanpapermakers have been identified asthe main marketing targets. Details onthe capacity and location of the newPCC plant were not revealed.

Ingenieria Quimica, Apr 2003, (401), 56 () (in Spanish)

US: Keystone Aniline – pigmentdispersions, dyes & colour concentrates

Keystone Aniline recently opened a

new factory at Inman, SC, with a floorarea of 4180 square metres, replacingan existing 1300 square metresfactory. The new factory houses unitsfor making pigment dispersions, liquiddyes and speciality liquid colourconcentrates.

Chemical Week, 18 Jun 2003, 165 (22), 37

COMPANIESAshland to sell Multibasemasterbatches

Multibase (part of the Dow Corninggroup) has appointed AshlandDistribution to sell its products toplastics processors in Norway andSweden. These products include:MultiBatch masterbatches, MultiProplastic compounds and MultiFlexthermoplastic elastomers.

Chemical Week, 11 Jun 2003, 165 (21), 28

BASF creates alliance with fourmasterbatch suppliers to boost usageof coloured ABS

BASF has established an alliance withfour selected plastics masterbatchsuppliers – Clariant, Ultrapolymers,Albis and Schulman – with the aim ofmaking it easier for European plasticmoulders and converters to work withcoloured Terluran resins. The alliancewill offer a service called Colorflexx,whereby BASF will supply uncolouredTerluran acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin, while one of itsfour partners will provide speciallydesigned colour masterbatches. Thealliance aims to deliver theappropriate resin/masterbatchpackage within 10 days of receivingthe customer’s order and it aims torespond to calls for technicalassistance or problem-solving within24 hours.

European Chemical News, 30 Jun 2003, 78 (2059), 15

Profit increases for Colour Chem &Vanavil Dyes & Chemicals

For the year to end-March 2003,Colour Chem reported a net profit ofRup 149.6 M on a turnover of Rup3.936 bn, compared against Rup 90.5M on Rup 3.422 bn in the previousyear. Its affiliate – Vanavil Dyes &

Chemicals – reported a net profit ofRup 23 M on sales of Rup 505 M in2002/03. Colour Chem, which ismajority-owned by Clariant, recentlylaunched an open market offer to buyup shares in Vanavil held by minorityinterests. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’,May 2003, 6).

Business Line, 29 Jun 2003, 10 (179), 9 & 22 Jul2003, 10 (202), 2

Grolman sells phthalo pigments forSLMC & TiO2 for Huntsman Tioxide

Sté Languedocienne de Micro-Couleurs (SLMC) has appointed theGrolman group as distributor of itsLandocyal phthalo blue and greenpigments in the French market. Majorapplications for these pigments are inprinting inks, paints and plastics.Huntsman Tioxide has extendedGrolman’s sales territory for TioxideTiO2 pigments, so that it now coversCroatia, Slovenia and parts of theCzech Republic.

Farbe und Lack, Jun 2003, 109 (6), 78 (in German)

Hardwick to sell for Sid Richardson

Sid Richardson has appointedHardwick Standard Distribution Corpto sell its carbon black productsthroughout the US and Canada.

Rubber and Plastics News, 30 Jun 2003, 32 (24), 4

Hellyar to sell Hubron’s blackmasterbatches

Hubron (of Manchester) hasappointed Hellyar Plastics to sell itsblack plastic masterbatch productsthroughout the UK. Hellyar is aleading UK manufacturer ofthermoplastic compounds and colourmasterbatches in its own right.

Plastics Additives and Compounding, May-Jun 2003,5 (3), 8

Kerr-McGee moves closer to goal ofbeing world’s second largest TiO2pigment supplier

Kerr-McGee’s global TiO2 pigmentoutput – including 100% of the outputfrom its Australian joint venture plant– has increased in every year for thepast decade, reaching 508,000tonnes in 2002. Sales revenueincreased by 7% to $995 M last year,with US operations contributing 54%,

AUGUST 2003 5

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