exceptionally high UV and
long-term thermal stability in
applications such as polypropylene fibers and tapes. Demand
for solutions based on Chimassorb 2020
has been steadily increasing, and the
technology will grow as the product of
choice for many applications.
AkzoNobel Opens
Bermocoll Cellulose
Derivatives’ Production
Plant in Ningbo
AkzoNobel has further extended its
Ningbo multi-site in China with the completion of a new Bermocoll cellulose derivatives production plant. The new site
is now serving the growing demand from
customers throughout the region.
Based on a natural polymer,
AkzoNobel’s Bermocoll cellulose derivatives are sourced from wood pulp or cotton linters. The main application areas
are water-based paints and building additives. Thanks to their unique water retention properties, they improve the product
performance of water-based paint and
help to further reduce VOC levels, the
company reported.
Werner Fuhrmann, AkzoNobel’s
Executive Committee member respon-
sible for Specialty Chemicals commented,
“Our Ningbo multi-site continues to be
a cornerstone operation for us to deliver
for our customers and help us realize our
growth ambitions in this key region. We
now look to extending our market leader-
ship positions and bring our sustainable,
innovative applications to the building
and construction industry.”
Following the start of production,
AkzoNobel intends to ramp up the ca-
pacity of the plant to its 10,000 MT
nameplate by the end of 2014.
AkzoNobel has invested more than
€400 million in the Ningbo site since
it was established in November 2010.
Occupying a 50-hectare plot, AkzoNobel
is already producing chelates, ethylene
amines, ethylene oxide and organic per-
oxides at its Ningbo multi-site. The prod-
ucts produced in Ningbo serve a number
of markets including the building and
construction, cleaning and detergents,
food, oilfield, personal care and pulp
and paper industries. AkzoNobel cur-
rently employs more than 7,700 people
in China, including 500 in research and
development. Revenue for 2012 was €1.7
billion, the majority being generated from
local demand.
Huntsman Relocates its
Surfactants Business in
Europe
The Performance Products division of
Huntsman Corporation plans to re-focus
its surfactants business in Europe. The
company announced that it plans to transition away from a number of surfactant
assets and product lines that have com-moditized and to focus on developing
and growing the remaining differentiated
surfactants business in Huntsman’s strategic markets. Relevant authorities and
social partners will be fully consulted.
“We expect the restructuring to
be complete by end-2014,” said Stu
Monteith, president of Huntsman’s
Performance Products division. “It will
result in a European surfactants business
more closely aligned to our chosen markets and more integrated with the rest
of the division’s business processes and
chemistries.”
“We are in discussions with potential
partners for certain facilities and every effort will be made to ensure a smooth and
seamless transition for customers and
other stakeholders,” he added.
It is estimated that approximately
250 Huntsman Performance Products
European positions could potentially be
affected by these changes during the next
18 months. Upon completion Huntsman
expects the annual EBITDA benefit will
be approximately $20 million.
Huntsman’s surfactants business in
other parts of the world as well as other
product lines in the Performance Products
division (including amines, maleic anhydride and carbonates) will not be affected
by the proposals.
Dow to Increase its Polyol
and Copolymer Capacity at
Freeport, Texas Facility
Dow Chemical Company will increase
its polyol and copolymer capacity at
its Freeport, Texas facilities as a result
of debottlenecking.
“Dow is constantly evolving our tech-
nologies to help our customers grow,”
said Mark Bassett, global business direc-
tor for Dow Polyurethanes. “DMC ca-
talysis will allow our Texas facilities to
meet customer needs in the region, while
boosting global supply of Dow’s world-
class products. This capacity increase
positions Dow to assists customers with
growing demand for polyols and copoly-
mer polyols down the value chain.”
The facilities will use state-of-the art
DMC catalysts to create polyol products
with unique properties. The extra capacity
will expand Dow’s capability to leverage
low carbon ethylene oxide costs in the U.S.
Gulf Coast. It will also enable increased
output of base polyols to be used in the expanded copolymer polyols facility, as well
as extra volumes of flex slab and coatings,
adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE)
polyols to the NAA markets.
Catalytic Process Using
Waste CO2, Shale Gas
Targets Coatings Markets
Novomer Inc., a sustainable materials
company pioneering a family of high-per-
formance polymers and other chemicals
from renewable feedstocks such as car-
bon dioxide (CO2), recently announced
a major new application of its catalytic
innovations. Poised to disrupt a $20 bil-
lion, mature global market, the approach
encompasses the sequestration and con-
version of carbon dioxide and ethane-
rich shale gas into mass market chemicals
such as acrylic acid, butanediol and others
commonly used in paints, coatings, tex-
tiles and diapers, the company reported.
A $5 million dollar Department of
Energy (DoE) Grant supports the ini-
tiative as part of the Clean Energy
Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI), and a
partnership with an industrial gas sup-
plier. The resulting chemicals produced
are existing chemical compounds, giving
Novomer and its partners the ability to
reach pilot scale (2,000 metric tons/yr) in
2015, and full commercial scale in 2017.
This, in turn, could result in the first US
acrylic acid plant built in over 10 years.
Notably, the process being developed
by Novomer and the low cost of the
