AkzoNobel Planning Major Expansion of
Organic Peroxide Capacity in China
AkzoNobel’s Specialty Chemicals business is working on plans to double production capacity at
its organic peroxides facility in Ningbo,
China, during the next two years.
A project to boost the capacity by 40
percent is already underway, which is expected to be completed by mid-August.
The company is now considering a larger
scale expansion which would increase
current capacity by 100 percent. The site
produces dicumyl peroxide (DCP), an
organic peroxide used as a crosslinking
agent in the manufacture of polymers.
“Demand for our products is growing
rapidly and expanding our existing facili-
ties provides a great opportunity to meet
the needs of our global customers,” said
Johan Landfors, managing director for
AkzoNobel’s Polymer Chemistry busi-
ness. “This expansion will allow us to
further grow in our market and solidify
our position as the world’s number one
producer of organic peroxides.”
DCP is a crosslinking agent used to pro-
duce a variety of polymers with exception-
al durability. These polymers can be found
in many different products, such as shoe
soles, a market which has been growing in
developing countries in particular. DCP is
also used in polymers for insulating high-
voltage cables, which are in growing de-
mand to upgrade electricity networks and
connect offshore wind parks and other
sources of renewable energy.
“We are committed to our customers
and to retaining our leadership position in
the industries we serve, including organic
peroxides,” added Thierry Vanlancker,
AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee mem-
ber responsible for Specialty Chemicals.
“By continuing to invest in our existing
operations and focusing on operational
excellence, we will be able to provide reli-
able supplies to accommodate the growth
of our customers.”
Opened in October 2016, the Ningbo
DCP plant is the largest of its kind
in the world. The multi-site employs
approximately 500 people and houses oper-
ations for several of AkzoNobel’s Specialty
Chemicals business units. AkzoNobel is
also building a new organic peroxides plant
in Tianjin, ensuring the company’s long-
term commitment to the industry in China.
INEOS to Invest in
Production Unities for Oxo
Derivatives
Following the recent acquisition of
Arkema’s 50 percent share of Oxochimie,
INEOS Oxide has completed a strategic
review of the business. It will invest in
INEOS Oxide units to produce a variety of oxo chemical derivatives including
2-ethyl hexanoic acid and polyalcohols.
The site of the expansion has not yet
been identified but is likely to be on a
core INEOS site in Belgium, Germany or
France, the company said.
Graham Beesley, CEO INEOS
Oxide, commented:“This is a significant
growth project for INEOS. This new
range of oxo derivatives complements
our existing product offering and builds
on our recent acquisition of Oxochimie.
INEOS Oxide is pleased with the speed
at which Oxochimie has been fully integrated and we are now looking for the
logical next step to grow the business.
The range of products that we are moving into will complement our existing
product offerings serving the coatings
and lubricants markets.”
Troy Field Testing Sites
Ensure Lasting Coatings
Protection in Applied Use
Troy Corporation maintains numerous
field testing sites around the world for
the evaluation of its Polyphase, Fungitrol,
and Troysan dry-film preservatives. Troy
field testing is conducted in order to ensure the highest levels of performance,
optimized use levels, and long-lasting
protection. Located in climatically diverse areas, these sites are subject to severe microbial growth of varying types.
Test panels are coated with paints that
contain different levels of Troy preservatives, as well as competitor preservatives.
Panels are exposed for long-term evaluations, and are routinely inspected to
ensure there are no signs of visible microbial growth or coating degradation. Sites
are located in a wide range of climate
zones, and include areas prone to extreme
fungal growth, algal growth, or a combination of both.
“Troy customers and their end-use
customers can be assured of the highest
levels of protection,” said Dr. Izzy Colon,
Troy’s senior vice president, Science &
Technology. “While laboratory evalua-
tions provide an indication of a preser-
vative’s effectiveness, only long-term
exposure testing provides actual demon-
strated proof that a preservative will pro-
tect the selected types of coating against
intense microbial threats.”
Troy evaluates its preservatives at
numerous sites in order to gauge ag-
gregate performance, so that coatings
manufacturers can be assured of pro-
tection across the widest breadth of
exposure scenarios.
“Exactly where and how an end-use
customer applies the coating is difficult
to predict,” said Colon. “Therefore, Troy
tests its preservatives to cover as many
potential eventualities as possible for
the benefit of coatings manufacturers.
We offer good science; but we also offer
peace-of-mind.”
Pilot Chemical Company
Acquires ATRP Solutions, Inc.
Pilot Chemical Company, headquartered
in Cincinnati, Ohio, announced it has
purchased ATRP Solutions, Inc. (ATRP)
located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The acquisition expands Pilot’s proprietary technologies in the oil field
chemicals, lubricant additives and paints
and coatings markets. ATRP brings with
it a highly-trained staff of research scientists and a patent portfolio demonstrating
