Coatings World - December 2013

BASF Strengthens Pigment’s
Competitiveness in its Performance Products

BASF continues to implement a series of measures within its Performance Products segment to strengthen its competitiveness. As part of its long-term pigment strategy, BASF will enhance customer focus and continue to design differentiated products in high-value applications, and optimize the global production network. Approximately 650 positions globally will be reduced by 2017. At the same time, BASF will invest €250 million in the next four years in its production network as well as in research and development.

“The measures we are undertaking will make us more responsive to market and customer needs. We also continue to significantly invest in innovation as the leading pigment supplier,” said Markus Kramer, president of the Dispersions and Pigments division.

BASF will optimize its global production network for pigments. The major measures include the closure of the Paisley plant in Scotland and the restructuring of the Huningue plant in France. In addition, BASF is examining strategic options for the site in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The planned investments in the production network will further strengthen the production footprint in Asia Pacific, the fastest-growing market. This also includes the start-up and expansion of a plant for high-performance pigments at BASF’s wholly-owned production site in Nanjing , China, and the expansion of the BASF pigments plant in Ulsan, Korea.

“The future global production network will enable us to reliably and efficiently supply our partners from a competitive base,” added Kramer.

Further measures to improve the competitiveness of the Performance Products segment continue to be analyzed.

Colorcon and Evonik Sign
Marketing Agreement for
Acryl-EZE

Colorcon Inc. and Evonik Industries AG
have signed a cooperation agreement for
the marketing and technical support of
Acryl-EZE, aqueous acrylic enteric system.

Acryl-EZE fully formulated coating systems are produced by Colorcon and contain EUDRAGIT L 100-55, an Evonik product, as the key functional ingredient.

Innovative Process Allows
Flexible Use of Renewable
Feedstocks in the
Integrated Production

BASF, working in cooperation with TÜV SÜD (a third-party certification body), has developed an innovative mass balance approach for the use of renewable feedstocks in the integrated production. The process is available immediately for many products and can be adapted to customers’ requirements. Based on this approach, biomass is used as a feedstock in the manufacturing of basic products in existing plants. This biomass share is then allocated to sales products according to their recipes using the new certified methodology. The quality of the products remains unchanged.

The products mass balanced in this manner save fossil raw materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby contributing to sustainable development. Up to 100 percent of the fossil raw materials can be replaced in the end product, which can be marketed accordingly. Existing plants and technologies along the value chain can continue to be used, and the customers’ product formulations do not have to be adjusted. Prior to marketing the mass balance approach, experts at BASF and TÜV SÜD discussed the opportunities it offers in detail with customers, associations and other stakeholders.

“The new method enables us to re-
spond rapidly and flexibly to customers’
wishes,” said Lars Börger, New Business
Development in the Performance
Materials division. “When selecting the
biomass, BASF places great value on
safeguarding sustainability aspects.”
Thus, bio-naphtha and biogas, for
example derived from organic waste, are
used for the mass balance approach. As
with their petrochemical analogs, they
are fed into plants at the beginning of
the production process: bio-naphtha
into the steam cracker and biogas into
the syngas plant. The Dispersions and
Pigments division has supplied a large
adhesives customer with initial amounts
of mass balanced products, dispersions
for construction adhesives.

During the cooperation with TÜV SÜD as independent certifier, the mass balance approach and its underlying certification methodology were thoroughly checked. The experts conducted audits in selected BASF plants in Ludwigshafen and became acquainted with the existing product formulations and process steps. They have meanwhile issued certificates for 14 products. These include superabsorbents for diapers, performance polymers for electronic goods and further intermediates.

TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH has many years of experience in the field of energy certification and sustainability certification of bioenergy. Its international recognition and outstanding reputation secure high acceptance of the certificates. From the end of October, the mass balance approach will also be available for use by third parties.

PolyOne To Expand
Operations in India

PolyOne has begun construction on a new state-of-the-art facility in Pune, India, that will manufacture specialty materials, including solid masterbatch, liquid colorant and additives. The facility will operate development labs and the sales and customer service center for the region, and it is expected to open in the first quarter of 2014.