Industry News
resources of Hydrite Chemical Co. and
the technologies of Polymers 2000 LTD,
has begun epoxy resin production at its
new facility in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.
In March, HAR commissioned a major
expansion at Hydrite Chemical Co.’s
facility near Madison, Wisconsin, includ-
ing twin 12,500 gallon reactors custom
designed for the manufacture of
epichlorohydrin derivatives including
specialty liquid epoxy resins. The HAR
equipment is housed in a new custom
designed process building adjacent to
Hydrite Chemical’s Organic Processing
site. Hydrite Chemical serves as the toll
(contract) manufacturer for HAR in pro-
viding all manufacturing and support
services in the production of HAR’s
epoxy resins and other epichlorohydrin
derivatives. The site’s existing extensive
organic synthesis and distillation equip-
ment complements the epoxy plant with
capabilities of downstream processing
and advancement of epoxy resins as well
as purification by fractional distillation
and/or thin film evaporation. The expan-
sion includes bulk storage of epichloro-
hydrin as well as solid and liquid co-reac-
tants. HAR’s initial offering includes
resorcinol diglycidyl ether (RDGE) and a
series of mono and multifunctional gly-
cidyl ethers commonly used as reactive
diluents in epoxy formulations. The
design includes the capability of vacuum
distillation of epichlorohydrin and pro-
cessing solvents, including azeotropic
separation. Multiple support vessels pro-
vide the ability to achieve very low levels
of hydrolyzable chloride (HCC) and
residual epichlorohydrin.
NUBIOLA EXPANDS PRODUCTION
CAPACITY OF ULTRAMARINE
VIOLETS AND PINKS
Pigment supplier Nubiola is set to
expand capacity of its ultramarine vio-
lets and pinks by 30 percent at its Llodio
production plant in Basque Country,
Spain. The expansion will be achieved by
installing new equipment that operates
with Nubiola’s proprietary manufactur-
ing technology and is scheduled to be
fully operational in early 2011. This
investment strengthens the position of
the Llodio plant as a “Center of
Excellence” for the production of high
added value ultramarines specialties.
MICHELMAN INCREASES REACTOR
CAPACITY AT CINCINNATI PLANT
In response to increased demand, and
to better serve its growing U.S. customer base, Michelman has added new
reactor capacity at its Cincinnati,
Ohio headquarters. The company has
also been adding personnel in business units and departments throughout the company. Reactors are used in
the processing of a variety of the many
water-based surface modifiers, additives and polymers Michelman offers
for applications including interior and
exterior wood coatings, industrial
coatings, fibers and composites, construction coatings, digitial printing,
paper and packaging.
SALE OF COGNIS’ UV ACRYLATES
BUSINESS TO IGM RESINS COMPLETE
Global specialty chemicals supplier
Cognis and IGM Resins B.V., based in
Waalwijk, The Netherlands, announced
that the sale of Cognis’ UV acrylates
business has now been formally completed. Following the signing of the Sale and
Purchase Agreement in April 2010, and
fulfillment of the necessary closing conditions, the sale has now been formally
concluded. The UV acrylates business,
which had been part of Cognis’
Functional Products strategic business
unit, manufactures and sells monomers
and oligomers for UV applications marketed under the Photomer brand name.
The sale of the UV acrylates business
includes the Photomer trademarks,
intellectual property, inventory and the
Charlotte manufacturing site in the U.S.
The employees at the Charlotte manufacturing site as well as other employees
in the U.S., France and Asia directly
related to the business have been transferred to the new owner. The sale is in
line with Cognis’ strategy to focus on its
core businesses and product groups supporting the wellness and sustainability
trends.
COATEX REAFFIRMS ITS AMBITION
TO DEVELOP ITS BUSINESS IN ASIA
Coatex, a subsidiary of Arkema Group,
has affirmed its ambition to develop
its business in Asia with a new plant
to start up mid 2011 and a technical
service application laboratory launch
early 2011. To attain its objective,
Coatex is making solid inroads in all
Asian markets with its local partners
in domains such as paper coating,
paints and coatings, construction and
mineral processing.
Coatex will also open mid 2011 its new
plant in Changshu, China. This will
increase its worldwide production capacity by 80 kilotons per year of rheology
modifiers. A new application laboratory
will also open on the same site in the
beginning of 2011.
By this new milestone in China,
Coatex is paving the way for a
stronger and a long lasting presence
in Asia. Coatex designs and produces
rheology additives for aqueous formulations and waterborne processes.
These high-performance environmentally friendly additives are used all
around the world in a wide variety of
applications, such as paints and coatings, paper coating, minerals processing, detergency, concrete, gypsum,
ceramics and water treatment. CW
