Industry News
Dow to shutter UK EOEG production plant
The Dow Chemical Company has
announced that it intends to close its
ethylene oxide and glycol (EOEG) production facility at Wilton, UK by the
end of January 2010. The site employs
55 people. The actual number of jobs
that could be impacted by the intended
closure will be determined following an
employee consultation period.
“Decisions to shutdown a facility are
not taken lightly,” said Malcolm
Wilson, site leader, Dow (Wilton) Ltd.
“A comprehensive review of potential
options was conducted, which included
seeking a buyer for the site and
engagement with industry leaders,
regional and government groups to
identify alternatives to a shutdown. A
workable option was not identified.
Without an economically viable alternative it is with great regret we have to
PRICING CHANGES
BASF: Sept. 1–$0.06/wet lb. increase for all
Acronal and Acronal Optive all-acrylic latex
products, Acronal styrene-acrylic latex products and Basonal multi-monomer latex products in the U.S. and Canada.
Huntsman: Aug. 1–$150/MT increase
for all grades of titanium dioxide in Africa,
Latin America and the Middle East.
Oxea: Sept. 1–$0.04/lb increase for i/n
Butanol in the U.S., Canada and Mexico
and $88/MT increase in South and Central
America and Asia, Africa and the Middle
East; and $0.03/lb. increase for i/n Butyl
Acetate, n Propanol and n Propyl Acetate
in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and
$66/MT increase in South and Central
America and Asia, Africa and the Middle
East.
DISTRIBUTOR APPOINTMENTS
Momentive Performance Materials has
appointed Archway Sales to distribute its
coating resins in WA, OR, MT, ID and CO.
announce our intention to stop produc-
tion at the Wilton site by the end of
January 2010.”
According to Dow, several factors
contributed to the intention to close the
Dow Wilton EOEG plant, including the
site’s disadvantaged input costs. In
addition, demand and profit margins
for the site’s outputs, particularly
monoethylene glycol (MEG), began to
soften in early 2008. MEG economics
have been significantly worsened by
the global economic recession, further
placing the Wilton site at a disadvantage. The ongoing recession is expected
to prolong difficult global EOEG industry conditions for several years and has
expedited the need for Dow to come to
a decision regarding the Wilton facility.
ATLAS MATERIAL TESTING
RECEIVES R&D 100 AWARD
Atlas Material Testing Technology
LLC, in partnership with the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
and the Institute of Laser Technology
(ILOT), received the R&D 100 Award
for its work in developing the Ultra-Accelerated Weathering System
(UAWS). The UAWS tracks the sun
while concentrating reflected sunlight
on test specimens mounted in a target
area. However, the new patented mirror system has very high reflectance in
the UV and near-visible wavelength
ranges, while attenuating reflectance
in the longer wavelength-visible and IR
portions of the solar spectrum. This
technology allows for very high concentrations of UV energy without excessive heating of test samples.
TROY’S MERGAL BIT20 RECEIVES
CANADIAN REGULATORY APPROVAL
Troy Corp. has received Canadian
approval for the wet state preservative
Mergal BIT20 containing the active
1,2-Benzisothiazolin-3-one (BIT). The
Pest Management Regulatory Agency
(PMRA) in Canada has determined
that Mergal BIT20 is eligible for full
registration pursuant to the Pest
Control Products Act (PCPA) as an
industrial preservative. Mergal BIT20
is a highly effective, broad-spectrum
preservative developed to protect
water-based products from the growth
of detrimental microorganisms, according to the company. The products have
been approved in Canada for use to
protect latex emulsions, metalworking
fluids, aqueous-based paints and aqueous mineral slurries. Mergal BIT 20
inhibits microbial growth which
reduces spoilage to extend the product’s service life.
OXEA COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF
NETHERLAND PRODUCTION PLANT
Oxea has completed the acquisition of
assets of the Amsterdam Esters Plant
in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from
ExxonMobil Holland B.V. Oxea will
keep all employees in Amsterdam and
will integrate the acquired production
plant into its existing infrastructure
for manufacturing, sales and customer
service.
IN BRIEF
Cray Valley has launched a new web
site at www.crayvalley.com...Cytec
Industries has increased capacity for
its Beckopox waterborne epoxy hardeners and dispersions at its Langley,
SC facility. As a result of demand
increases for waterborne technology,
Cytec will now offer a domestic supply
of these products to their North
American customers...Clariant has
launched a web site for its newly
acquired defoamers business at
www.defoamers.us...Cray Valley has
relocated its W series pure monomer
hydrocarbon resins to its plant in
Channelview, TX. CW
