Coatings World - July 2016

ANGUS AMP Additive Granted VOC
Exemption Status by Environment Canada

ANGUS Chemical Company has announced that AMP, a multi- functional specialty chemical that is widely used in paint formulations, metalworking fluids and personal care products, is no longer classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC) by Canada’s Department of the Environment (Environment Canada).

Following on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) exemption of AMP in 2014, Environment Canada finalized an order to remove AMP from the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 due to the compound’s negligible effect on the formation of ground-level ozone.

“As global VOC regulations continue
to proliferate, AMP has become an even
more powerful tool for environmen-
tally-conscious customers to formulate
more sustainable products,” said Mark
Henning, president and chief executive
officer of ANGUS Chemical Company.
“AMP’s Canada VOC-exemption marks
a huge win not only for our customers in
Canada, who now have broader formu-
lating flexibility, but also for consumers
who will benefit from the desirable fea-
tures AMP imparts in low- and zero-VOC
paints, metalworking fluids and personal
care products.”
AMP (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol)
offers formulators comprehensive ben-
efits including low odor, effective pH con-
trol, and a positive safety and handling
profile. The compound, which is already
being used as a key ingredient in a ma-
jority of water-based paints, now allows
Canadian paint companies to avoid re-
formulating with less-favorable neutral-
izers, such as caustic soda or ammonia.

VOCs are compounds that re-
act with other chemicals and nitro-
gen oxides in the atmosphere to form
ground-level ozone, and ultimately,
harmful smog. ANGUS submitted a
VOC-exemption petition to the EPA
in October 2012 after tests performed
at an independent lab confirmed that
AMP meets or exceeds the agency’s
zero-VOC benchmarks. The compound
has low global warming potential, low
ozone-depleting potential, a favorable
toxicology profile and is not consid-
ered a hazardous air pollutant (HAP)
or toxic under other federal rules. The
EPA added AMP to its list of exempt
compounds in June 2014.

“Environmental impact has become a significant factor in the consumer de-cision-making process,” said Mike Lewis, business vice president, United States and Canada for ANGUS. “It’s no longer enough for a product to perform at a high level; it must provide sustainability benefits as well. AMP’s VOC-exemption satisfies the demand of our increasingly eco-minded customers in Canada without sacrificing functionality.”

Clariant Doubles Annual
Production Capacity for
Water-Based Pigment
Preparations in Santa Clara

Clariant Corp. inaugurated its new production plant for water-based pigment preparations in Mexico. The new plant located in Santa Clara doubles Clariant’s Mexico annual production capacity for water-based pigment preparations and enhances its ability to serve customers across North and Latin America.

Pigment preparations are aqueous dispersions based on pigments. Compared to powder pigments, pigment preparations offer faster and more cost-efficient production, and better dispersibility. In addition, they provide more flexibility through the possibility of tailor-made solutions.

The capacity increase for water-
based pigment preparations will enable
Clariant to improve its support for the
regions’ current and emerging market
segments including decorative coatings,
Clariant began production at the new
Santa Clara plant for water-based pig-
ment preparations in Q2 2016. To com-
plement this capacity increase, Clariant is
also scheduled to start-up a new plant for
solvent-based pigment preparations at
the same site in Q4 2016. This will pro-
duce high milling demand products for
the U.S. specialties market.

Michael Grosskopf, head of business
unit Pigments, comments: “The new
production plant in Santa Clara further
improves access to growth markets in
North, Central and South America. The
new lines for water-based and solvent-
based pigment preparations represent an
important next step to extend the value
we can create for our customers based
on our strong formulation and dispersing
know-how for many applications, our
globally active technical service and vast
production network. The strategic loca-
tion in Mexico allows us to better tailor
our offering to specific customer and ap-
plication needs.”
Clariant is a global leader in pigment
preparations, with worldwide produc-
tion and technical service and support. Its
broad range of products covers the whole
color index.

BASF, Aspen Aerogels
Announce Strategic
Partnership

BASF SE and Aspen Aerogels, Inc. has announced the expansion of their strategic partnership with the signing of an exclusive supply agreement and a joint development agreement. The agreements are designed to increase market penetration, enhance product profitability and facilitate the development of next generation materials.