Coatings World - July 2015

Sun Chemical will expand its glob- al capacity for the production of Benda-Lutz metallic effect pigments designed for autoclaved aerated concrete, printing inks, coatings and plastics by more than 40 percent.

With total investments exceeding $10 million and scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, Sun Chemical will strengthen its position in the metallic effects market and allow the company to accommodate for the growing demand for its metallic effects pigments, the company stated.

“Both decorative and functional me-
tallic effects continue to be strategic prod-
uct lines for Sun Chemical,” said Myron
Petruch, president of Sun Chemical
Performance Pigments. “In the past sever-
al years, we have seen tremendous growth
of our Benda-Lutz brand in a wide range
of applications. We are optimistic that
this upward trend will continue and are
planning for future growth.”
Produced in Austria, Poland, Russia,
China and the U.S., Benda-Lutz metallic
effects are a comprehensive line of premi-
um powders, pastes, vacuum metallized
pigments, and preparations that provide
industry leading solutions for the build-
ing materials, packaging inks, coatings
and plastics markets.

“These investments provide additional capacity, vertical integration and position us to bring unique products to market,” Petruch said. “We will continue to invest in advanced manufacturing processes and in research and development efforts designed to deliver more styling and performance options to our customers worldwide.”

BASF Licenses Valure
Technology to EM.tec
Design GmbH

BASF SE has entered into a technology
license agreement with EM.tec design
GmbH for the production of valure. The
new production plant, located in Bingen,
Germany, will have an annual capac-
ity of about 1.5 million square meters
of surface finished material. With this
BASF has extended the availability of
valure globally, complementing the ex-
isting production facility in India, which
started up last year. BASF supports its
licensing partners with the chemistry,
technology know-how, and joint devel-
opment with customers as well as appli-
cation-oriented services.
“This partnership with EM.tec de-
sign represents a powerful opportunity
for valure to accelerate and extend its
reach in Europe which is a major market
for BASF,” said Hermann Althoff, senior
vice president, BASF Leather & Textile
Chemicals. “EM.tec design has demon-
strated the dynamic character of a start-
up combined with solid know-how of the
automotive industry. OEMs and brand
owners will benefit from the versatility of
valure TM to create more innovative sur-
faces for their products.”
EM.tec design is the wholly owned
spin-off start-up of Heinz Einhaus
GmbH which is a leading supplier of
finishing systems for the automotive in-
dustry for small- and medium-size parts.
“Our state-of-the-art production facility
in Bingen shows our long-term commit-
ment to valure,” said Manuel Einhaus,
founder of EM.tec design. “Together
with BASF, we will focus our combined
efforts to serving a broader range of cus-
tomers in the automotive, fashion, furni-
ture and packaging industries.”
Valure is a technology to create laser
structured surfaces with almost limit-
less design freedom to create haptics
and textures ranging from soft touch to
hard, leather graining, the appearance
of velvet and geometric patterns and
impressions. A silicone mold is laser en-
graved and sprayed with a microporous
polyurethane dispersion. The resulting
film can be applied to a wide variety of
materials like leather, fabric, cardboard,
paper or plastic without impairing the air
permeability of the material – helping to
achieve surfaces with a distinctive charac-
ter that are soft, warm to the touch, and
offer attractive designs. The polyurethane
surfaces are resistant to wear and tear,
soiling, and within limits to the exposure
to water, sweat and oil. Quick design
changes present no difficulties enabling
customers to produce different sizes on a
smaller scale.

AkzoNobel and Evonik
Announce Production JV
for Chlorine/Potassium
Hydroxide Solution

AkzoNobel and Evonik Industries have joined forces to build and operate a new membrane electrolysis facility for potassium hydroxide solution and chlorine in Germany. Start-up is expected by the end of 2017. The 50-50 joint venture involves the construction and operation of a dedicated plant at AkzoNobel’s existing site in Ibbenbüren. It will have an annual nameplate capacity of around 130,000 metric tons of potassium hydroxide solution and 82,000 metric tons of chlorine. This will strengthen the leading market positions of both companies. Financial details were not disclosed. AkzoNobel will take over commercialization of chlorine and hydrogen at the new plant, and will process these products directly at the Ibbenbüren site. Evonik will take over the potassium hydroxide solution for commercialization and processing at its own site in Lülsdorf. This is where Evonik processes potassium hydroxide solution into potassium carbonate (potash).

“This investment in our chlor-alkali activities will make our business even more sustainable,” explained Werner Fuhrmann, AkzoNobel’s Executive Committee member responsible for Specialty Chemicals. “Not only will we secure the long-term supply of our customers with chlorine and hydrogen, but