the electrical charges that accumulate within the cable construction during operation. This
compound is formulated to optimize flexibility of cable constructions so
there is less cracking due to spooling and
other motions of the cable. This compound exhibits excellent flow behavior
and adhesion during cable manufacturing
and can be applied efficiently in intricate
cable constructions, especially when it is
critical to minimize gas migration.
To augment temperature resistance,
Fluon ETFE is modified with fillers that
provide a higher temperature rating. This
compound is ideal for critical seals and in
applications that need to maintain proper
compression resistance.
BASF Continues to
Evaluate Natural Gas-Based
Investment on U.S. Gulf
Coast
BASF has made progress in its plans to
build a world-scale methane-to-propyl-ene complex on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The
company has selected Freeport, Texas, as
the potential site. It will use Air Liquide’s
proprietary Lurgi MegaMethanol and
Methanol-to-Propylene (MTP) technologies. BASF has contracted Air Liquide to
provide basic engineering services for this
gas-to-propylene complex.
The plant is planned to have an annual production capacity of approximately
475,000 metric tons of propylene. This
project would be BASF’s largest single-plant investment to date and is subject to
final approval in 2016 by the BASF Board
of Executive Directors.
The Freeport site was founded in 1958
as the first BASF manufacturing facility
outside of Europe. With more than 800
full-time employees, the Freeport site is
one of two BASF Verbund sites in North
America and uses propylene in its man-
ufacturing processes. The on-purpose
production of propylene to supply the
company’s North American operations
would allow BASF to take advantage of
low gas prices resulting from U.S. shale
gas production.
The investment would further
strengthen BASF’s backward integration
into propylene and grow its propylene-based downstream activities, leading
to a stronger market position in North
America. Propylene is one of the most
important basic chemicals in the petrochemical industry and is used in the production of a wide range of higher-value
chemicals. These chemicals are used to
manufacture products such as coatings,
detergents and superabsorbent polymers
for baby diapers.
Oxea Receives European
Product Leadership Award
for its Phthalate-Free
Plasticizer Range
Based on its recent analysis of the
European plasticizers market, Growth
Partnership Firm Frost & Sullivan has
recognized chemical company Oxea
with the “2014 European Non-Phthalate
Plasticizers Product Leadership Award.”
The researchers lauded Oxea for its consistent high product quality, performance,
and supply reliability as well as for continuous product development and innovation. Oxea produces Oxsoft and Oxblue,
two comprehensive product ranges of
phthalate-free and bio-based plasticizers
that meet customer demands for regulatory compliance and safety. They meet
and exceed performance requirements
of conventional phthalate plasticizers,
which they replace. More information
about Oxsoft and Oxblue can be found
at www.phthalate-free-plasticizers.com.
“We are proud to receive this recognition from the industry. As a pioneer in
the industry, Oxea early on invested into
the development of phthalate-free plasticizers. Focused research and our ability
to quickly bring new products to market
made it possible to flexibly address the
requirements of the markets,” commented Jacco de Haas, global marketing manager for Specialty Esters at Oxea. “New
products are already under development
and we will continue to invest into more
capacity to serve our customer’s needs,”
he continued.
“Oxea has demonstrated commitment to differentiation and competence
in the European plasticizers market,”
said Srinivas Venkatesan, research associate with Frost & Sullivan. “Oxea’s
relentless customer-centric approach
in all activities from product development to product delivery and service,
coupled with its backward integration
into raw material manufacturing and
ensuring timely delivery of products to
customers has propelled the company
to the forefront of European plasticizers market. With its strong overall
performance, Oxea has earned Frost
& Sullivan’s 2014 Product Leadership
Award,” noted Venkatesan.
Archroma’s Pekoflam HFC
Now Listed With Oeko-Tex
Standard 100
Archroma has announced that its halo-gen-free flame retardant powder coating
additive, Pekoflam HFC, is now officially
recognized as a manufacturer certified
product by the Oeko-Tex Association.
Being the first powder additive to be listed
for coating applications, Pekoflam HFC
will support textile producers and protective clothing manufacturers’ efforts to
achieve both Oeko-Tex 100 compliance
Nubiola USA Names Tartan Color and Chemicals Distributor of the Year
Nubiola USA has announced that Tartan Color and Chemical is their 2014 Distributor of the Year for
Nubiola products sold into the NAFTA market. Tartan Color has been representing Nubiola’s line of
inorganic pigments for over 10 years, and has demonstrated excellent performance as defined by the
Nubiola distributor scorecard system. Shown in the accompanying photograph is Nubiola USA president Larry Lane and Tartan Color president David Houston.
