Industry News
Dow Chemical forms new business unit
Following the acquisition of Rohm and
Haas in April 2009, the Dow Chemical
Company has formed a new business
unit focused on the coatings market.
Dow Coating Materials combines the
resources and technologies of both
companies to globally supply raw
materials for architectural and industrial coatings. The new business unit
provides a wide range of chemistries
and support across many different
product lines, including core binder
technologies such as latex emulsions,
epoxies, solution vinyl resins and other
polymer technologies. The business
also offers a portfolio of rheology modifiers and cellulosic-based products. In
addition, the company will leverage
many other product lines including biocides, acrylic monomers, surfactants
and polyurethanes.
CAS-MI LABS RECEIVES STATE TAX
CREDIT FOR INNOVATION CENTER
The Michigan Economic Development
Corp. (MEDC) is supporting CAS-MI
Laboratories’ new Innovation Center,
which will help entrepreneurs and
established companies create new specialty chemical products from concept to
commercialization. Based on the
MEDC’s recommendation, the Michigan
Economic Growth Authority approved a
state tax credit for CAS-MI valued at
$1.2 million over 10 years. CAS-MI
Laboratories is an independent testing
laboratory specializing in paints and
coatings, plastics and polymers, and
adhesives and sealants.
BAS
PRICING CHANGES
F: Effective immediately–$0.06/lb.
increase in Asia and €75/MT in Europe for
polytetrahydrofuran.
Huntsman: July 1–$100/MT increase for
titanium dioxide pigments in Asia Pacific.
This tax credit will help fund the expansion of CAS-MI’s new Innovation Center.
As the first order of business, CAS-MI and
the Innovation Center will be moving
from two facilities, one at Eastern
Michigan University and another property near the campus, to a newly purchased 11,000 square foot facility in
Ypsilanti Township.
DOW BUILDS OXYGENATED
SOLVENTS PLANT IN CHINA
The Dow Chemical Company has completed construction of a facility to produce propylene oxide-based glycol
ethers for the Asia Pacific region. The
new facility, located in Zhangjiagang in
Jiangsu Province in China, has an
annual nameplate capacity of 120,000
metric tons and will manufacture P-series glycol ethers such as Dowanol
PM glycol ether.
EASTMAN EXPANDS RESIN
PRODUCTION IN THE NETHERLANDS
Eastman Chemical Co. has completed
the first of several upgrades of its hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin facility in
Middelburg, the Netherlands. By the end
of 2009, these combined upgrades will
increase current capacity by more than
30%, and in total by 65% since 2006.
“Around the world, demand for our
hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins continues to increase,” said Brad Lich, vice president and general manager of Eastman’s
coatings, adhesives, specialty polymers
and inks business.
VALENTINE CHEMICALS
ACQUIRES A 3M BUSINESS
Valentine Chemicals of Lockport, LA,
acquired the assets of 3M’s gray and
color-corrected ceramic microspheres
used in performance coatings. The company will operate as Zeeosphere
Ceramics, LLC. The gray and color-corrected ceramic microspheres are fine
particle size, high-strength ceramic
microspheres typically used to reduce
VOC levels, increase filler loadings,
improve hardness, reduce and control
gloss and add burnish scrub and abrasive resistance to a coatings formulation.
NEW NOVIANT DISTRIBUTOR
Novant Chemicals Ltd. has appointed
Northspec Chemicals Corporation,
Toronto, Canada, as their exclusive
Canadian distributor for their entire iron
oxide pigment product line along with
the Sirius line of pearlescent pigments
effective May 21, 2008. The Ionix
Synthetic Iron Oxide Pigments; Micronix
Micronized Iron Oxide Pigments; Tronix
Transparent Iron Oxide Pigments; and
Sirius Pearlescent Pigments.
its and Emulsions’
IN BRIEF
Celanese
Boucherville, Canada manufacturing
facility received the highest recognition
for large enterprises in the CSST
(Québec Health and Safety
Commission) Québec provincial “
Innovation Award” competition. The
award honors initiatives focused on
safety and accident prevention...Sun
Chemical launched a new corporate
website at www.sunchemical.com that
improves navigation for users and better informs customers about the company’s products and services it
offers...Cognis Oleochemicals has been
rebranded and renamed Emery
Oleochemicals. It is a 50: 50 JV owned
by Sime Darby Plantation (Kuala
Lumpur) and PTT Chemical International (Singapore), with production
plants in Germany, the U.S., Canada
and Malaysia and sales and service centers in Britain, Brazil, Japan, China
and Hong Kong...Wacker has finished
expansion of its Shanghai Technical
Center located at Shanghai Zhangjiang
Hi-Tech Park. CW
