280,000 MT (approximately 617 million
pounds). The high-value performance specialty chemicals, olefins and oleochemicals
produced at the company’s biorefineries
will be used in personal care products, detergents and cleaners, lubricants and additives and engineered polymers.
BASF Divests PolyAd
Services Business to
BASF has signed an agreement to divest PolyAd Services, part of its Plastic
Additives business unit, to Edgewater
Capital Partners, L.P., a private equity
firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. The closing of the transaction is expected to take
place in the second quarter of 2014. The
parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.
PolyAd Services is a stand-alone global business that offers innovative specialty blends and services to solve additive
incorporation problems for the plastics
compounding and converting industry
globally. The business serves a wide spectrum of plastic applications in industries,
such as automotive, building and construction, packaging and electronics.
PolyAd Services has grown over the
last few years, however for BASF’s Plastic
Additives business, the company’s services business model is a niche business that
offers a limited channel to market for its
product portfolio.
“With the sale of PolyAd Services, our
Plastic Additives business will focus even
more on our core business areas, light
stabilizers, antioxidants and Customer
Specific Blends (CSBs), strengthening our
ability to better serve the global market
as the leading manufacturer of additives
worldwide,” said Diego Lopez, Senior
Vice President, Performance Chemicals
North America.
“Increasing performance and sustainability requirements for plastics in a variety of industries are driving an increased
demand for innovative additive solutions
for the underlying resins. We see positive future growth prospects for PolyAd
Services, building on the expertise and
professionalism of the PolyAd team,”
said Ryan Meany, Managing Partner,
Edgewater Capital Partners, L.P.
BASF Canada Launches
New Website
BASF Canada recently completed a
comprehensive re-design of its website,
www.basf.ca The new website offers
improved navigation and includes links
to interactive videos, podcasts and
photos. It also features a searchable
product finder which allows visitors
to quickly and easily find information
on BASF’s portfolio. Visitors to the site
can also learn how BASF is creating
chemistry for a sustainable future, stay
informed of the latest company news,
and explore solutions for a wide range
of industries.
“BASF Canada’s online presence is an
important part of our customer service
and community engagement strategies,”
said Carles Navarro, president of BASF
Canada. “As our company continues to
innovate and evolve, it’s important that
our website reflect this growth. By improving user-experience, we also aim to
enhance our open dialogue and connection with our Canadian stakeholders.”
Myriant Supplies Bio-
Succinic Acid to Oxea
for Production of Non-
phthalate Plasticizers
Myriant Corporation, a global renewable chemicals company, has supplied
commercial quantities of bio-succinic
acid to Oxea, for use in the production
of bio-based, phthalate-free plasticizers. The bio-succinic acid is produced
at Myriant’s plant located in Lake
Providence, Louisiana.
Oxea is expanding its broad product
portfolio of phthalate-free plasticizers
with its new bio-based Oxblue product
line, addressing the demand for high-quality, high-performing and affordable
plasticizers. Applications for Oxblue include food cling wraps, flooring, soft toys
and adhesives & sealants.
“Oxea has successfully launched
Oxblue to address the increasing
health and image concerns of end-
consumers, along with the industry’s
growing demand for a sustainable
and economical solution with no
compromise on performance,” said
Jacco de Haas, global marketing
manager Specialty Esters at
Oxea. “Myriant’s bio-succin-
ic acid is a key ingredient in
our Oxblue product line and
in Myriant we have found a reliable
supplier offering a high quality bio-
succinic acid product.”
“Our plant in Lake Providence is
ramping up production capacity while
ensuring that our product meets the qual-
ity requirements in the market,” said Alif
Saleh, senior vice president of the Succinic
Acid Business Unit at Myriant. “Oxea is
at the forefront of developing bio-based,
phthalate-free plasticizers and we are
pleased to be their chosen supplier.”
DuPont Announces Plunkett
Award Winners
DuPont Fluoropolymer Solutions recently
announced the Americas regional winners
of the DuPont Plunkett Awards, given in
recognition of new, cutting-edge applications for DuPont fluoropolymers. The
2013 Plunkett Awards coincide with the
75th anniversary of the discovery of PTFE
by DuPont scientist Dr. Roy Plunkett and
reward outstanding technical developments in the field of fluoroplastics.
The Americas-region winners of the
most recent competition, which opened
last year, include W. L. Gore and Associates,
Inc., Elkton, Maryland; Dimension Bond
Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; and
Maxwell Technologies, Inc., San Diego,
California. Winning entries are judged by
a panel of regional experts who evaluate
the submissions for their degree of innovation, sustainability impact, and breadth of
use and commercial significance.
Momentive Specialty
Chemicals Launches New
Website
A new website from Momentive Specialty
Chemicals Inc. is now available to help
engineers and manufacturers make more
informed decisions regarding advanced
composites technologies.
Located at www.momentive.com/
epoxyphenoliccomposites the new
website guides visitors through each
market with product performance specifications, case study research and new
product breakthroughs. CW
