Coatings World - May 2011

Buhler acquires stake in
Micronisers Australasia

Buhler Group acquired a strategic stake in the Australia-based company Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd. effective April 20, 2011. Buhler therefore strengthens the existing strategic collaboration with Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd. in view of promising prospects in its Nanotechnology Business Unit. Buhler acquired a strategic stake of 15 percent of the shares of Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd. in order to foster and further strengthen the existing strategic collaboration. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Along with the transaction, Buhler now also holds options to further increase its stake in Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd. in the future. Buhler’s Dr. Frank Tabellion, managing director of Buhler PARTEC GmbH in Saarbrucken, Germany, as part of Buhler’s Business Unit Nanotechnology was appointed member of the Board of Directors of Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd.

Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd. will invest the fresh capital in the growth of its operations in the market and in the extension of its technology platform and plant. Buhler therefore extends its technology platform in the field of nanotechnology for the production of competitive nanomaterials. At the same time Buhler also secures the supply chain for important raw materials for its Business Unit Nanotechnology.

Micronisers Australasia Pty. Ltd. gains with the transaction a stronger position as distributor of Buhler’s product Oxylink in the Southeast Asia rim. The investment directly goes to the benefit of the operative business of Buhler with Oxylink. Buhler’s Oxylink is a formulated performance additive based on nanotechnology for waterborne coating systems such as acrylic, alkyde and PU dispersions.

Performance Materials Co., Ltd. The joint
venture company’s plant in Jiande, China,
which has annual production capacity of ap-
proximately 50,000 metric tons of siloxane,
started its first phase of operations in the
fourth quarter of 2010. With the expansion,
siloxane production capacity is expected to
triple to an estimated 150,000 metric tons
per year, commencing in 2013. In connection
with the planned expansion, Zhe-
jiang Xinan and MPM will make
capital contributions of approxi-
mately $33 million and $32 mil-
lion, respectively, to the joint venture
company for a total new investment of $65
million. The joint venture company is owned
51 percent by Zhejiang Xinan and 49 per-
cent by MPM. CW

T
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®
Patented blending/dispersing blade design makes radical
improvement over old saw tooth designs

POLY STAINLESS

* Most efficient and aggressive blending/dispersing blade available.

* Provides proper combination of pumping action and shear/ dispersion essential for fast consistent results.

* Built in pumping action cuts processing time.

* Longer life due to heavier gauge construction.

* Less heat due to shorter required running time.

* Excellent for high or low speed and high or low viscosity.

* Supplied with hubs or mounting holes required to retrofit and upgrade present equipment.

* Pumping blades without teeth are available and are excellent for gentle blending and agitation.

Momentive Performance Materials and Zhejiang Xinan Chemical plan expansion of joint venture in China Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (MPM) and Zhejiang Xinan Chemical Industrial Group (Zhejiang Xinan) have announced the planned expansion of manufacturing capacity by their joint venture company, Zhejiang Xinan Momentive