Coatings World - November 2013

in the process improve their communications and increase volunteer retention so the organization can more effectively help victims.

• Projeto Estação Vida (Project Life Station), a non-profit organization that provides after-school care, education and counseling for children and teenagers from low-income families so their parents can work. During the half-day care, the organization provides activities such as tutoring, music, dance and computer classes. The children and teens also help care for a garden where they grow produce for the organization’s own consumption. Celanese volunteers will help develop a strategy to increase the garden’s output and sell the surplus to local businesses and reinvest the extra income into Estação Vida’s programs and activities.

•Casa de Hospedagem Betesda (House of Mercy), a non-profit organization that houses low-income female patients undergoing medical treatment. The Celanese volunteers will improve file management processes as guests check in and out each day as well as streamline the process for purchasing and receiving in-kind donations of the products it uses in daily operations so the organization will be more efficient and can focus more on its beneficiaries.

“The key to the program’s success is connections – the 10 employees connecting with each other, the rest of Celanese and the communities where they serve,” Rosswurm added. “Based on initial results, Celanese is definitely making a difference, and our employees are having a great time in the process.”

Allnex Officially Opens
TS&D Lab in Shanghai

Allnex officially opened its new Technical Services & Development (TS&D) laboratory in Shanghai. This facility is planned to bring together Allnex’s key technologies under one roof for synergies and resource sharing in technical developments.

“China is the focal point of our
coating resins business growth strategy,”
said Allnex’s vice president, Asia Pacific,
Siva Iyer. “The new center will integrate
the capabilities of our existing two labo-
ratories in China; it will meet global
safety and environmental standards and
provide modern state-of-the-art lab fa-
cilities for our employees to further help
our customers by faster product and
applications development. Our aim is
also to speed technology transfer from
Europe and America to the emerging
growth regions.”
Frank Aranzana, CEO, Allnex added,
“The opening of our new TS&D labora-
tory is part of Allnex’s strategy to acceler-
ate growth in Asia and further globalize
our business. It also reinforces our posi-
tion as a preferred resin supplier.”

Allnex’s TS&D laboratory is located within an easily accessible modern technology park at Yin Du Road, Shanghai to support its entire coating resins and additives portfolio. This laboratory facilitates paint formulation, technical service, raw material research, resins modification and new resins development.

Novozymes to Supply
Enzyme Technology to
Raízen’s Cellulosic Ethanol
Plant in Brazil

Novozymes has entered into a collaboration agreement with Brazil’s largest sugarcane crusher, Raízen Energia S/A.

As part of the agreement, Novozymes will supply enzyme technology to Raízen’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Brazil, scheduled to be operational by end 2014. The plant will be a bolt-on facility to Raízen’s Costa Pinto sugarcane mill in the state of São Paulo and will have the capacity to produce 40 million liters of cellulosic ethanol a year from sugarcane bagasse and straw. The agreement also provides for Novozymes to supply enzyme technology to Raízen’s second cellulosic ethanol plant, should such a plant be constructed.

Azelis Opens Coatings
Application Lab in Sankt
Augustin, Germany

Azelis opened a coatings application
lab in Sankt Augustin, Germany. To en-
hance technical support and offers its
customers and principals’ access
to a key center of excellence.
Azelis represents many world
leading coatings manufacturers
and the expert lab team aims to incorpo-
rate their high performance raw materials
into guideline formulations that preview
the latest trends and processing tech-
niques, according to the company.
Additionally, work with customers
and principals on specific confidential
projects will enhance in depth sales sup-
port and technical advice for our partners.
Primarily, guideline formulations will
center around water-based systems such
as façade and interior wall paints, wood
lacquers and pigmented primers.

Operating under strict protocols, testing services will include; the measurement of particle fineness, foaming and de-foaming properties, adhesion, washability resistance, gloss reflection and surface properties by microscopic analysis, as well as the characterization of raw materials and formulated compounds.

Clariant Closes Sale of
Textile Chemicals, Paper
Specialties and Emulsions
Businesses

Clariant announced the closing of the sale of its Textile Chemicals, Paper Specialties and Emulsions businesses to SK Capital. The three former Clariant businesses are now operating under the name Archroma. After some adjustments for working capital and for the lower operational performance of some parts of the businesses, the total purchase price consideration of the transaction will amount to approximately CHF 425 million, mainly consisting of a cash inflow of CHF 355 million and the transfer of pensions and other liabilities. Worldwide, 2’900 employees will transfer to Archroma.