BASF and Glunz, a manufacturer of
wood-based panels, have jointly developed four new colors for medium-density
fiberboards (MDF). The color shades –
Royal, Curry, Berry and Terra – are based
on BASF pigment preparations from the
Dispers range. They are distributed under the brand name INNOVUS Coloured
MDF as part of the global INNOVUS décor collection of Glunz.
The patent-registered Dispers pigment
preparations have been developed by BASF
specifically for use in wood-based panels
such as MDF. These specially designed fiberboard materials consist of mass-colored
wood fibers and offer virtually unlimited
design options for various fields of application – from top quality interior fittings
and store design to trendy office furniture.
Dispers pigment preparations ensure an
even mass coloration of the material and
stand out due to their great shine as well as
their color and light stability.
As early as 1999 Glunz started working with BASF pigment preparations to
produce mass-colored medium-density
fiberboards. Previously, the portfolio
of Glunz, the German subsidiary of the
Portuguese Sonae Indústria Group with
its headquarters in Meppen, Lower
Saxony, consisted of black (Dispers black
0077) and grey (Dispers grey 0056). Both
shades will remain part of the future
range, which now boasts four new colors:
The product name Royal has been chosen for the deep ink blue of Dispers 6311,
Curry for the strong yellow of Dispers
2355 while the dark chestnut-brown
Dispers 2899 red is called Berry and the
sophisticated Dispers 2866 brown has
been christened Terra.
“The new color collection opens up
a completely new range of esthetic op-
tions for MDF,“ said Juliane Krüsemann,
marketing manager for pigments at BASF.
“The colors that we have developed in
close cooperation with Glunz perfectly
harmonize with and complement each
other. They are part of a design concept
that does not just, for a short while, re-
flect the current zeitgeist but that is part
of a long-term trend.”
Experts from BASF have helped Glunz
not only to develop the colors and start
their production at the Meppen plant but
have also advised them beforehand on
the selection of colors for the extended
INNOVUS collection.
AkzoNobel and Partners
Looking to Turn Sugar Beet
into Raw Materials
AkzoNobel has joined forces with
SuikerUnie, Rabobank, Deloitte,
Investment and Development Agency
for the Northern Netherlands (NOM),
Groningen Seaports, and the Province of
Groningen, to investigate the possibility
of producing chemicals from beet-derived
sugar feedstock.
The parties have asked Deloitte to
perform a feasibility study to provide an
independent critical review and economic assessment on the viability of several
business cases for commercial production in the Delfzijl chemical cluster in the
Netherlands.
Part of ongoing industry efforts to replace increasingly scarce non-renewable
raw materials, the partnership could potentially lead to the synthesis of a range
of chemicals in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.
It follows the recent publication of a
report by Deloitte, which singles out the
Netherlands as a cost leader in the production of sugar. The production of sugar
beet is also expected to grow significantly
due to impending de-regulation.
“We know that the Netherlands can
produce ample volumes of sugar beet,”
explained Knut Schwalenberg, manag-
ing director of AkzoNobel Industrial
Chemicals, who is also responsible for
the company’s Delfzijl activities. “We will
now study how this can be used to cre-
ate additional production and jobs in the
Delfzijl area.”
Added Marco Waas, Director of
RD&I and Technology at AkzoNobel
Industrial Chemicals: “We are always
looking to use innovation to drive sus-
tainable growth. The beauty of this proj-
ect is that it’s also a perfect fit with our
own Planet Possible approach to devel-
oping new technologies that are less fos-
sil-based and reduce our environmental
footprint across the value chain.”
Siem Jansen, President of the
Investment and Development Agency for
the Northern Netherlands (NOM), also
hopes for a positive outcome: “Sugar
beets are a major crop, not only in the
northern part of the Netherlands, but
also across the border in Niedersachsen.
New high value products based on this
crop will impact the whole value chain
and could provide an important boost to
the regional economy.”
The study will take around three
months to complete and the partners ex-
pect to identify one or more successful
business cases for commercial production
in Delfzijl.
BASF Expands Superior
Materials Territory
Superior Materials Inc., based in Garden
City, NY, has announced that effective
January 1, 2015, BASF Corporation will
be expanding its distribution responsibility for Attapulgite specialty additives
into the Mid-West region. This will include Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and
West Virginia.
Superior Materials has represented
BASF in the Mid-Atlantic and New
England areas for more than 60 years.
This fourth generation company is
known for its expertise in mineral and
BASF and Glunz Develop Four New Colors
for Medium-Density Fiberboards
