10Additives for Polymers July 2007

NEWS

Tronox pursues potential sale of Uerdingen TiO2 plant

Tronox Inc reports that the potential sale of its Uerdingen, Germany, titanium diox-

ide (TiO2) pigment facility is proceeding as planned. The company has narrowed the list of potential buyers and begun the next phase of the process.

‘With a talented workforce and our recent investments to reduce costs and improve operations, this facility is one of the best sulphate TiO2 plants in the world and is well positioned to take advantage of high-margin speciality markets,’ says Tom Adams, Tronox chairman and CEO. Realizing the capital in the Uerdingen plant, its only sul-phate process TiO2 plant, is part of Tronox’s long-term strategic plan to capture opportunities presented by its chloride technology expertise. This sale will enable Tronox to focus resources and cash flow on the further growth of its chloride process TiO2 business, including the previ-ously announced expansion of the Tiwest joint venture pigment plant in Kwinana, Australia.

For the quarter ended 31 March 2007, Tronox reported a loss from continuing operations of US$9.0 million, compared with income from continuing operations in 1Q 2006 of $23.6 million. The latter figure included $12.9 million after-tax income ($20.5 million pretax) related to a reimbursement from the USA for contribu-tion to the costs of perchlorate remediation. The first quarter of 2007 was negatively impacted by lower sales volumes and pricing and reduced production rates that resulted in higher cost of sales, the company says.

The short-term slow down in North America’s housing industry and lower US gross domestic product impacted TiO2 demand in the first quarter, explains Adams. Tronox’s longer-term outlook for the industry is positive. The company projects global TiO2 demand growth in 2007 will be in the range of 2.8% to 3.2% supported by strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region and solid market fundamentals in Europe. Although the weak housing market in North America and continued higher input costs will result in a challenging second quarter, the com-pany remains optimistic that the housing industry will begin turning around midyear.

Contact: Tronox Inc, 123 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, USA. Tel: +1 405 775 5000, Web: www.tronox.com

Senior appointments at Albemarle and Chemtura

Albemarle Corp (www.albemarle.com) has made several changes to its senior leader-

ship team in order to reinforce its efforts to expand existing businesses and target and develop potential new market opportunities worldwide.

The company has appointed John M. Steitz as executive VP and chief operating officer. In this posi-tion, he will oversee all aspects of Albemarle’s market-ing, sales, research and supply chain activities. He will maintain his focus on improving margins, increasing cost efficiencies, promoting innovation in new prod-uct development and ensuring premier service to Albemarle’s clients around the globe. Along with the entire executive management team, Steitz will work to identify new market opportunities and strategic resources while further developing Albemarle’s existing global business relationships. He will report to Mark C. Rohr, Albemarle’s president and CEO.

In addition, John Dabkowski becomes VP of Business Development for Albemarle. He previously served as VP of Albemarle’s Polymer Additives seg-ment and has more than 30 years of global business expertise in speciality chemicals, additives and catalysts. Dabkowski will also report to Rohr. Luc van Muylem replaces Dabkowski as VP of Albemarle’s Polymer Additives segment. He previously served as division VP of Flame Retardants and has more than 30 years of industry expertise. He will report to John Steitz. Steve LeVan, who previously served as chief financial officer for Albemarle’s Catalysts segment, in turn replaces Van Muylem as Flame Retardants VP. He will report to van Muylem.

• Chemtura Corp (www.chemtura.com) has also made several recent executive appointments aimed at strengthening business and functional alignment in its new organization. Eric Wisnefsky has been appoint-ed VP of Strategy and New Business Development (S&NBD), assuming these duties, including merger and acquisition responsibility, from Greg McDaniel, who has become group president of Crop Protection. Wisnefsky joined the company in 1998 and has served as VP and treasurer of the corporation since 2004. Stephen Forsyth, executive vice president and chief

July 2007 Additives for Polymers11

NEWS

financial officer, has been nominated to become treasurer of the corporation in Wisnefsky’s place.

The company has also appointed Dr Janet Chetland as VP, Global High Performance Industries. She reports directly to Polymer Additives group president Anne Noonan. Chetland is responsible for global strategy, imple-mentation and financial results for the high per-formance businesses: Industrial and Petroleum Industries, Fine Chemicals and Polymers, and Catalysts and Inhibitors. She most recently served as Chemtura’s business director, Phosphorus Flame Retardants.

Schulman acquires Swedish masterbatch firm

US compounding and masterbatch firm A. Schulman has acquired Sweden’s Delta

Plast Group, subject to regulatory approval. Delta Plast is a colour masterbatch manufac-turer with plants in Sweden and Belgium.

The business will operate as a division of Schulman’s Polybatch unit under current owner Ake Berg. In addition, Delta will retain its exist-ing trade name and trademark, Schulman says. ‘This acquisition moves our European capabilities another step forward by substantially expand-ing our offerings of colour masterbatches,’ says Schulman’s CEO Terry Haines. According to Schulman, Delta enjoys a high reputation for quality and customer service and operates in a different market sector from its new owner. Delta Plast was established in 1986 and is reported to have a �13 million business in colour masterbatch with annual production of more than 3500 tonnes of material. Its Belgian unit was set up in 2001.

Contact: A. Schulman, Inc, 3550 West Market Street, Akron, OH 44333, USA. Tel: +1 330 666 3751, Fax: +1 330 668 7204, Web: www.aschulman.com

ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES

EU closes environment risk assessment for TBBPA

The technical experts of the European Union’s member states met on 6 March to discuss for

the last time the environmental risk assessment of brominated flame retardant (BFR) tetrabromobi-sphenol A (TBBPA).

TBBPA is the largest volume BFR currently pro-duced and provides fire safety for a wide range of electrical and electronic equipment, including com-puters, cell phones, TVs and printers. Its primary use is as a fully reactive flame retardant in printed circuit boards and as an additive flame retardant in electron-ic housings and polyester applications.

No risk was identified for TBBPA when used as a reactive chemical, such as in the epoxy resins of printed circuit board laminates. Technical experts confirmed a risk for sediment and surface water in some scenarios when TBBPA is used as an additive in ABS plastics. EBFRIP (www.ebfrip.com) believes that these risks are manageable through the BFR indus-try’s Voluntary Emissions Control Action Programme (VECAP) [see ADPO, September 2006 & July 2004]. To date 89% (by volume) of TBBPA additive customers in Europe have already started reducing their emissions. It should be noted that risks were also identified if sludge containing TBBPA is applied to agriculture. In practice, however, this does not happen as sludge from user sites is sent to incinera-tion and controlled landfills.

The lead member state (UK) will now finalize the environmental part of the report based on the 6 March discussions. The complementary human health risk assessment was closed in 2005 and identi-fied no risk. EBFRIP is now working with the UK experts to draft a strategy to reduce the risks identified for the above-mentioned additive scenarios.