Kerr-McGee closes Mobile synthetic rutile plant

Additives for Polymers July 2003

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According to BASF, Uvinul 3030 has unusuallyhigh thermal stability and low volatility, makingit highly suitable for use in plastics that areprocessed at high temperatures, such as polycar-bonate, polyethylene terephthalate and polyethersulfone. Excellent compatibility with polycar-bonate also means it is ideal for high-transparen-cy applications, such as window panes.

In other news, BASF reported sales growth of7.2% for the first quarter of 2003, while incomefrom operations before special items rose by15.4%. The sales climb was due to significantincrease in volumes, particularly for theChemicals and Plastics & Fibers segments, and ahigh oil price. Lower costs and more efficientprocesses also played a major part in ensuring thatall segments increased earnings compared withthe same period in 2002, according to chairman ofthe board Jürgen Strube. However, second-quartersales and earnings are expected to increase onlyslightly compared with previous year.

Contact: BASF AG, D-67065 Ludwigshafen,Germany; tel: +49-621-60-0; fax: +49-621-60-42525; e-mail: info.service@basf-ag.de; URL:www.basf.de

Avecia’s antimicrobial for plastics achieves EPAregistrationAvecia Biocides has been awarded US EPA reg-istration for its Vanquish™ 100 plastics antimi-crobial. Already on the market in Europe, Asiaand Latin America, the achievement of EPAregistration means that Vanquish 100 now hasglobal regulatory status and can be introducedin US and other key markets.

Vanquish 100 antimicrobial is based on a dual-purpose preservative and effects molecule andhas broad spectrum activity. It both inhibitsdeterioration of plastics and prevents bacterialand fungal surface growth. The active ingredi-ent is nBBIT (N-butyl-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one), a liquid active containing no arsenic, tinor chlorine. According to the company, this isthe first new biocidal active ingredient to beregistered as a preservative for plastics in theUSA in the past five years.

The antimicrobial is used in low dosage levelsand applications span polypropylene, polyeth-ylene, PVC, silicones and polyurethanes.Proven product applications include preserva-tion of polyurethanes in shoe soles, automotivepolymers and silicone sealants, and antimicro-bial protection of PVC products, Avecia reports.

Contact: Avecia Inc, PO Box 15457, 1405 FoulkRoad, Wilmington, DE 19850-5457, USA; tel:+1-302-477-8000; fax: +1-302-477-8120;URL: www.avecia.com/biocides

Kerr-McGee closes Mobile synthetic rutile plantKerr-McGee Chemical LLC closed its syntheticrutile plant in Mobile, AL, USA on 5 June. Theclosure, announced at the beginning of the year(Additives for Polymers, March 2003,p. 3), is part of the company’s ongoing efforts toenhance operating profitability. As a result ofongoing supply chain initiatives, the syntheticrutile feedstock can now be purchased more eco-nomically than it can be manufactured at Mobile.

The company took a charge of about US$10million in the first quarter for closing the plant,and the remaining cost of closure, includingdecommissioning expenses, will be taken as anadditional charge of about $15 million in thesecond quarter. The move should save the com-pany $25 million to $30 million annually begin-ning in 2004. Kerr-McGee said that it had con-sidered selling the plant but eventually decidedthat closing it was the best option.

Contact: Kerr-McGee Corp, PO Box 25861,Oklahoma City, OK 73125, USA; tel: +1-405-775-5012; fax: +1-405-775-5027; URL:www.kerr-mcgee.com

MARKETSGlobal demand for carbonblack markets slated to grow3.5% yearlyAccording to a recent study from theFreedonia Group, the global carbon blackmarket will rise 3.5% annually from the cur-rent level of 7.2 million tonnes/year to reach