Polymer Additives Industry News

Jul 2, 2008 - Albemarle Invests in Cleaner, Safer Magnesium Alkyl Process

SpecialChem Leading catalyst maker Albemarle Corporation is continuing its aggressive focus on sustainable business practices by investing in a new process that is expected to eliminate more than 80 percent of the process-related waste at Albemarle's main organometallics plant, located in Pasadena, Texas, USA. The waste is associated with the production of BEM, an essential component in the manufacture of two of the world's most widely used plastic resins.

Jul 2, 2008 - LANXESS makes First Acquisition in China

SpecialChem With its first acquisition in China, specialty chemicals company LANXESS AG is expanding the Asian business of its Inorganic Pigments business unit. In Jinshan near Shanghai LANXESS is to acquire two production units from its previous cooperation partner Jinzhuo Chemicals Company Ltd, one of which it had already leased since 2007.

Jun 30, 2008 - Suggar's Washing Machines Clean Up the Competition with Stylish, Transparent Top Doors Featuring Polypropylene Clarified with Milliken's Millad® NX8000

SpecialChem Milliken Chemical, a division of Milliken & Company, announced that Suggar, a leading appliance maker in Brazil producing 2,500 washing machines a day, is using polypropylene (PP) clarified with Millad® NX8000 to replace styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) in three of its most popular washer models: the Top Max 5.0, the Viva, and the Viva Max 6.0. By upgrading the existing washer top doors to PP clarified with Millad NX8000, which delivers previously unattainable levels of clarity, Suggar has provided the transparency that customers desire while significantly improving impact resistance for better durability. Further, due to lower density, the clarified PP is equivalent in cost to the SAN resin.

Jun 27, 2008 - Chemson Opens new Production Plant

SpecialChem Chemson has established a new plant at the Arnoldstein/Austria location to produce lead free One-Pack PVC stabilizers. The plant has a production capacity of 10,000 tons per year.

Jun 26, 2008 - Ethanol Coproducts Eyed as Fillers in Plastics

SpecialChem A coproduct of ethanol production could be used as a non-petroleum-based filler in plastics, based on preliminary studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their cooperators.

Jun 25, 2008 - Aussie Soles™ Unveils New Addition: CLINICS

SpecialChem Aussie Soles Group Inc. announced a new addition to its footwear line of products: the "Clinics." The Clinics' sleek and sexy design is highlighted by a slip-resistant tread, an ingenious removable and interchangeable bootie and the latest in AusLite™ Anti-Static polymer foam.

Jun 24, 2008 - Plastic Chrome mimics all the Sizzle, Pop and Shine of Metal - with no Chemical Dips

SpecialChem The power, allure and sheen of chrome that captivates package and product designers and customers alike has been translated by Ampacet into a chrome-alternative color masterbatch developed for use in extrusion and injection blow-molded bottles used for containers, cosmetic packaging, automotive accessories, appliances and housewares.

Jun 23, 2008 - Enhanced Polyamide Non-Halogenated Flame Retardant

SpecialChem Techmer PM has just completed development of an improved version of the company's PNM13319 polyamide non-halogenated flame retardant (FR) concentrate.

Jun 20, 2008 - PHS Washrooms Launches SteriTouch Range - a UK First in Washroom Hygiene

SpecialChem The UK's leading washroom service provider PHS Washrooms has launched a UK first in washrooms hygiene - a range of products that incorporates an anti-bacterial additive as standard, to ensure the highest levels of washroom hygiene and designed to drastically reduce the spread of germs and risk of cross-contamination.

Jun 19, 2008 - Nano-Proprietary, Inc. Achieves Flexural and Compression Strength Improvements in Epoxy/Carbon Nanotube Composites

SpecialChem In results independently verified by Texas State University at San Marcos, ANI has achieved an improvement of over 40% in flexural strength and over 30% in compression strength for epoxy/carbon nanotube composites. These improvements were obtained through the chemical and mechanical modification and functionalization of carbon nanotubes in order for them to be accepted and integrated properly into the epoxy matrix.

Jun 18, 2008 - Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) Communicating benefits of Nanotechnology

SpecialChem The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) creates a clear single voice to represent the diverse industries' views in the multi-stakeholder debate on nanotechnology.

Jun 18, 2008 - PolyOne and Eastman Chemical Company Form Strategic Alliance to Compound and Market Eastman Tritan Copolyesters

SpecialChem PolyOne Corporation, a leading global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, announced that it has signed a market development agreement with Eastman Chemical Company designating PolyOne as the exclusive compounder of filled systems with Eastman's new-generation Tritan™ copolyester in North America.

Jun 13, 2008 - RTP Company Expands Its Color Compounding Capacity To Ensure 5-Day Lead Time

SpecialChem The Color Division of specialty compounder RTP Company announced that it has expanded its capacity on a number of fronts for the production of masterbatches and precolored resins. "Additional capacity allows us to meet customer needs more effectively and increases our delivery flexibility," said Jean Sirois, General Manager - RTP Color.

Jun 12, 2008 - Top Healthcare Manufacturer Selects PolyOne's Trilliant&3153; HC PbF Compound to Replace Lead Shielding for "Greener" CT Scanner

SpecialChem To help medical device manufacturers stay ahead of tightening environmental restrictions on the use of toxic lead, PolyOne Corporation, a leading global provider of specialized polymer materials, services, and solutions, developed Trilliant™ HC PbF compounds as lead-free alternatives for radiation shielding. The success of these new materials is highlighted here at MD&M East with PolyOne's announcement that a leading global manufacturer of computed tomography (CT) scanners chose Trilliant HC PbF tungsten-filled nylon 12 compound to replace lead in the collimator blades of its equipment.

Jun 11, 2008 - Class VI Colors for Purell Medical Resins Join Clariant Masterbatches REMAFIN® Line

SpecialChem Plastics processors and developers of medical and pharmaceutical products can now specify color masterbatches that have been specially formulated for use with medical-grade polyolefins made by LyondellBasell under the Purell brand name. Clariant Masterbatches is introducing the new concentrates to the North American market in Booth #1244 at the MD&M-East show being held in New York City, June 3 - 5, 2008.

Jun 10, 2008 - Polyolefins Benefit from Slip with High Stability

SpecialChem Incroslip G is the latest addition to Croda's range of speciality slip agents, offering manufacturers of automotive parts, food packaging films and containers a smart combination of high slip and high stability effects.

Jun 9, 2008 - Cabot Corporation to Build Masterbatch Facility in Dubai

SpecialChem Cabot Corporation announced that it intends to build a carbon black masterbatch manufacturing facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. The plant will have an initial production capacity of 25,000 tons per year with provision to expand to 75,000 tons in the future.

Jun 6, 2008 - Carbolytic Materials Company Develops Carbon Black Alternative From Existing Materials

SpecialChem Carbolytic Materials Company (CMC) has developed a carbon black alternative with the trade name ApexCM™ that provides significant cost reduction opportunities for many manufacturers who use carbon black to reinforce rubber products and tint plastic materials. Reclaimed from scrap tires, ApexCM is an affordable and environmentally sound option. Up to 40% of scrap tires generated annually could be successfully processed, saving critical landfill space.

Jun 5, 2008 - Delta-Energy Receives Innovation Award for Patented DEPolymerization™ Process

SpecialChem Delta-Energy, LLC announced that it is the recipient of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Award for Resource Recovery Technology Innovation for its development of the DEPolymerization™ process, a breakthrough technology to capture all the carbon possible from scrap tire shred.

Jun 4, 2008 - Polymer Technology Group (PTG) to Report Self-Assembling, Antimicrobial End Groups for Surface Modification of Biomedical Polymers

SpecialChem The Polymer Technology Group, Inc., a preeminent biomaterials company, announced that Shanger Wang, Ph.D., will give presentation during the '8th World Biomaterials Congress' in Amsterdam on Thermoplastic Polycarbonate-Urethane with Surface-Active Alkylammonium Chloride End Groups: Antimicrobial Activity, Bulk and Surface Properties, that will include the characterization of a breakthrough polymeric biomaterial with permanently-bonded antimicrobial surface properties designed to reduce medical device-centered infection.

Jun 3, 2008 - Carbon Nanotubes That Look Like Asbestos, Behave Like Asbestos

SpecialChem A major study published in Nature Nanotechnology suggests some forms of carbon nanotubes - a poster child for the "nanotechnology revolution" - could be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled in sufficient quantities.

Jun 2, 2008 - Sumitomo Chemical Expands Production Capacity for Resorcinol

SpecialChem Sumitomo Chemical will build a new production facility at its Oita Works in Japan for resorcinol, a core product of its Fine Chemicals sector, in order to strengthen and expand this business and continue to provide a stable supply for its customers.

May 30, 2008 - Lehigh Technologies Meets Rising Customer Demand With Georgia Plant Facility Expansion

SpecialChem Lehigh Technologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of engineered rubber powder, announced it is adding an additional 60,000 square feet to its Tucker, GA, facility in an effort to meet rising customer demand for its ultra-fine rubber powder.

May 29, 2008 - High-Powered Products in the Rubber Segment

SpecialChem Caoutchouc Caucho Gomma is one of the most significant international trade shows for the rubber and polymer industry, and from May 20 to 22, 2008, the LANXESS Technical Rubber Products (TRP) business unit will be there presenting its diverse range of rubber products for sophisticated technical applications.

May 28, 2008 - Advances in Materials, IML & Tooling Highlight Rotomolders' Meeting

SpecialChem Several new resins and additives that raise part performance and improve processability were launched at the recent 32nd Annual Fall Meeting of the Association of Rotational Molders (ARM) in Detroit. The conference also featured a simple and efficient in-mold labeling system, a unique tooling device to create holes and openings in the mold, and new clamshell and shuttle machines.

May 27, 2008 - ACC Statement on Flame Retardant Materials in Baby Furniture

SpecialChem American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement to address the safety of flame retardant materials found in baby furniture.

May 26, 2008 - SAP and TechniData Release Market's Most Comprehensive Solution for Achieving EU Chemical Regulation Compliance

SpecialChem SAP AG and TechniData AG, the SAP development partner for environmental compliance solutions, have announced the availability of SAP® REACH Compliance, the market's most comprehensive software application for addressing complex tasks required by the European Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) legislation. The first REACH compliance deadline is pre- registration, which runs from June 1, 2008 to November 30, 2008.

May 23, 2008 - Siemens PLM Software Adds Support for the European Reach Regulation to its Teamcenter Suite

SpecialChem Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, announced that it has added support for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, the new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use, to the integrated compliance management capability of its Teamcenter® software portfolio.

May 22, 2008 - New Family of Color Concentrates for PLA Biopolymer Includes Three Series Covering Wide Range of Application Requirements

SpecialChem New color concentrates for use with polylactic acid (PLA) resins and blends help manufacturers of packaging, bags, liners, and other extruded or molded products to meet consumer demand for goods that are biodegradable and based on renewable resources, it was announced at The Packaging Summit by Teknor Color Company (Booth 1416).

May 22, 2008 - SOCMA Tells Key Senate Committee REACH Would Hamper U.S. Innovation

SpecialChem In testimony before the United States Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) urged lawmakers to "thoughtfully consider whether it is necessary or wise to adopt a monolithic new regulatory regime for chemical regulation like the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation."

May 20, 2008 - Nano-Proprietary, Inc. and NanoReady Ltd. Announce Strategic Alliance to Commercialize Metallic Nanoparticles

SpecialChem Nano-Proprietary, Inc., through its subsidiary, Applied Nanotech, Inc. (ANI), and NanoReady Ltd. of Israel announced a strategic alliance for the manufacturing in volume metallic nanoparticles using NanoReady's wet chemistry process.

May 19, 2008 - New Facilities in China, Thailand, Indonesia Expand Clariant Masterbatches' Asian Reach

SpecialChem Clariant Masterbatches has opened a spacious new plant in Chon Buri, Thailand, and significantly expanded an existing facility in Tangerang (near Jakarta), Indonesia. A new manufacturing operation in Guangzhou, China, is scheduled to come online in June 2008.

May 16, 2008 - VT International Corp. Completes Acquisition of Nanotailor, Inc.

SpecialChem VT International Corp. announced that it has completed its acquisition of Nanotailor, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, effective April 30, 2008 in a stock-for-stock, tax free exchange transaction. Nanotailor licensed the rights to a manufacturing process to create Single-Walled carbon nanotubes developed at the National Aeronautical and Space Agency Goddard Space Flight Center.

May 15, 2008 - Development of Blue Light Emitting Materials for Full-Color Organic EL Display

SpecialChem Toray Industries, Inc. announced that it has succeeded in developing blue light emitting materials, boasting the world's highest levels of efficiency and pure color emissions, for use in full-color organic EL displays.

May 14, 2008 - Alliance Carbon Black to Be Discussed at Bridgestone Firestone Technical Center

SpecialChem Alliance Recovery Corporation is pleased to announce that Alliance representatives have been invited to attend the Bridgestone Firestone US Technical Center in Akron, Ohio to provide their staff with a presentation, outlining the merits of our carbon black product and the status of our company. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the use of Alliance carbon black in Bridgestone Firestone rubber formulations. The meeting has been scheduled for late May 2008.

May 12, 2008 - Columbian Chemicals Company and Superior Graphite Form Carbon Nanoparticle Alliance

SpecialChem Columbian Chemicals Company and Superior Graphite announced the immediate availability of a new class of ultra-high purity carbon nanoparticles offering significantly improved performance properties. The PUREBLACK" Carbon line of products offers a blend of the technologies and economic advantages of both graphite and carbon black to provide customers with innovative solutions in a variety of demanding applications.

May 9, 2008 - Agreement Between Clariant and Milliken Launches Special Effect Masterbatches Featuring ClearTint® Transparent Colors

SpecialChem Users of clarified polypropylene (PP) now can have both sparkling clear colors and dazzling reflectivity with ENIGMA®-reflections special effects from Clariant Masterbatches. A recent North American sales and marketing agreement joins Clariant effects technology with the unique ClearTint® transparent colorants from Milliken & Company, and makes those masterbatches available even in small lot sizes.

May 8, 2008 - New One-Year Subscription to SPE and SpecialChem’s Learning on Demand Offers Unlimited Access to 150+ Recorded Presentations

SpecialChem The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and SpecialChem announced that their new Learning on Demand, an online service providing access to talks by experts