July 2007 Additives for Polymers5

NEWS

products are used where easier dispersion is desired, MMMS says. MagShield products are used in a vari-ety of markets including building and construction; wire and cable; electrical and electronics; furniture; and automotive. Applications include composite panels; roofing products; low-smoke, zero-halogen, primary and jacket insulation; plastic lumber; electri-cal connectors and cable boxes.

Contact: Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties LLC, 2710 Wycliff Road, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA. Tel: +1 919 781 4550, Web: www.magspecialties.com

Chemtura sells organic peroxides business

To place greater focus on its core busi-nesses, Chemtura Corp has signed a defini-

tive agreement to sell its organic peroxides business to German company PERGAN GmbH in an all-cash transaction for an undisclosed amount. Included in the deal will be Chemtura’s Marshall, TX, USA, manufacturing facility, which employs approximately 40 people. The transac-tion, which requires the approval of certain reg-ulatory bodies, is expected to close by the end of July. The organic peroxides business being sold had 2006 revenues of approximately US$20 million.

According to Chemtura chairman and CEO Robert L. Wood, the sale is a small but important step in the restructuring of the company’s Plastic Additives port-folio. ‘We are divesting product lines where we don’t have competitive advantage to better focus on areas where we do,’ he says. Wood believes the sale should benefit both customers and Marshall employees. Proceeds from the sale will be used primarily for debt reduction. Primarily used as polymerization initiators, organic peroxides are also used as crosslinking agents for rubbers and polyolefins.

PERGAN is a world-class supplier of organic per-oxides and other polymer additives to the polymer production and processing industries. It already has organic peroxide facilities in Germany and China and, as a result of the proposed purchase, will now gain a position in the North American market.

Contact: Chemtura Corp, 199 Benson Road, Middlebury, CT 06749, USA. Tel: +1 203 573 2220, Fax: +1 203 573 2800, Web: www.chemtura.com

Or contact: PERGAN GmbH, Schlavenhorst 71, D-46395 Bocholt, Germany. Tel: +49 2871 99020, Fax: +49 2871 990250, Web: www.pergan.com

Albemarle opens regional office in Dubai

Albemarle Corp has opened a new regional sales office in Dubai to meet growing

demand for its products in India and the Middle East. Demand for catalysts, polymer additives such as flame retardants and antioxi-dants, and other speciality chemicals is grow-ing in the region as countries are beginning to build and operate refineries to upgrade crude oil, process petrochemicals, and manufacture plastics and other downstream products.

‘India and the Middle East represent significant centres of future world economic expansion and tremendous prospective business development opportunities for Albemarle,’ says Huub Cuijpers, Albemarle managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Establishing a perma-nent presence in Dubai will allow the company to further enhance its level of service delivery and collaboration with existing clients, and position it for continued success in this important region, he adds.

Ahmad Khalifeh has been named managing director of the Albemarle Middle East office. He is currently general manager of Jordan Bromine Co, a joint venture between Albemarle and Arab Potash Company. Khalifeh is joined by Remi Argiro, Albemarle sales manager for refinery catalysts in the Middle East and India, and Mohammed Sabri, Albemarle business development manager for poly-mer additives and fine chemicals.

Contact: Albemarle Corp, 451 Florida Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801-1765, USA. Tel: +1 225 388 7402, Fax: +1 225 388 7848, Web: www.albemarle.com