Developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry
1
6 MARCH 2013 FOCUS ON POWDER COATINGS topping protective coatings. The US construction chemical industry has an estimated value of $7.7 bn, according to Freedonia. Meanwhile, BASF has started up its first concrete admixtures factory in Russia. The plant is located at the firm’s existing site in the Podolsk District of the Moscow Region. The Russian concrete admixtures market stands at about €140 M/y. BASF’s Construction Chemicals division recently inaugurated its new Construction Center in Toronto, ON, Canada. The facility will cater to customers in the greater Toronto area and the Canadian marketplace. Other related developments are presented. Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012, 17 (12), 40-41 (Website: http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © Rodman Publishing 2012 AkzoNobel inaugurates R&D centre in India AkzoNobel has officially opened the India Analytical Centre (IAC) at its International Research Center in Bangalore. The Bangalore R&D centre will tap the firm’s global and local resources to offer analytical services to coatings businesses in India. The IAC will also be equipped to assess and certify raw materials, intermediates and products in the country. Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012, 17 (12), 43-44 (Website: http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © Rodman Publishing 2012 Developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry This is a mainly technical article about developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry, including materials, equipment and waste. The wood weatherboarding market in France has grown by more than 80% since 2006. The building industry produces 40 M tonnes of waste, 66% of inert waste, 28% of normal industrial waste, 5% of hazardous industrial waste and 1% of waste packaging. Treatment costs €2 bn/y, which is 3% of the building sector turnover. Prospa, France, has a turnover of €10.6 M with 53 employees. Its production capacity is 5000 tonnes/y with a production level of 3425 tonnes/y. It uses 500 raw materials and 1200 formulations to make paints and coatings, with customers such as PSA and Magneto Wheels. The market for industrial paints has decreased by about 15% and for automobile coatings, under the bonnet, by 30%. Original Source: Double Liaison, Dec 2012, (590), 8-14 (Website: http://www.idexpo.com) (in French) © Le Groupe ETAI 2012 Full speed ahead for US chemicals industry In 2012 the focus of the world chemicals industry was on N America. This reflected a slight downturn in growth in Asia, particularly China (although growth in the region was still strong) and stagnation in the European economy. The US chemicals industry took off thanks to the revolution in shale gas which simultaneously cut energy prices and increased the potential of energy resources. The reduction in natural gas prices is encouraging the development of new projects and the relocation of operations. For example, Methanex is abandoning some methanol operations in Chile and transferring production to Louisiana. Dow and ExxonMobil both have major projects planned and Sasol expects to invest $5-7 bn in an integrated complex. According to data from IHS Chemical, operating rates at crackers in N America went from 80% capacity in 2009 to 89.9% in 2011 (compared with operating rates of 77.3% and 81.4% respectively in W Europe). In terms of increases to capacity, N America may come close to 75% of recent performances in the Middle East and China. IHS predicts that N America capacities will increase from 33.4 M to 39.1 M tonnes/y by 2017. Meanwhile downstream petrochemicals companies undertook some of the largest acquisitions in the sector during 2012. Westlake failed in its $1.3 bn raid on Georgia Gulf but PPG acquired Akzo Nobel’s N American decorative paints business for $1.05 bn and sold its commodity chemicals to Georgia Gulf for $2.1 bn. Eastman bought Solutia for $4.7 bn and DuPont sold its performance coatings division to Carlyle for almost $5 bn. However, the US chemicals industry is living a paradox. The US is concerned about the national debt and the financial cliff, and the chemicals industry has announced vast restructuring programmes. Dow is to shed 3300 jobs, DuPont 1500 and PPG 2000. Meanwhile in Europe, Arkema has withdrawn a €70 M project in Pierre-Benite, France and the threat of closure hangs over 2 of Kemira’s 3 factories in France. Metabolic Explorer has decided to cut the size of its workforce. At the same time, there are encouraging signs in France. Versalis may invest €80 M in its butadiene unit in Mardyck and Toray is investing €100 M+ in polyacrylonitrile production in Lacq. The Lacq Cluster Chimie project is planning €154 M investments. Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 14 Jan 2013, (618), 1 (Website: http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (in French) © ETAI Information 2013 Valspar awarded contract to supply coating for Hongkong- Zhuhai-Macao Bridge On 14 Jan 2013 the Valspar Corporation announced that it had been selected as the major supplier of concrete reinforcing steel coatings for the Hongkong- Zhuhai-Macao bridge in China. When completed in 2016, the length of the bridge will span nearly 50 km (30 miles) and is expected to be the world’s
Transcript of Developments by companies in the French pigments and paint industry
6 MARCH 2013
F O C U S O N P O W D E R C O A T I N G S
topping protective coatings. TheUS construction chemical industryhas an estimated value of $7.7bn, according to Freedonia.Meanwhile, BASF has started upits first concrete admixturesfactory in Russia. The plant islocated at the firm’s existing sitein the Podolsk District of theMoscow Region. The Russianconcrete admixtures marketstands at about €140 M/y.BASF’s Construction Chemicalsdivision recently inaugurated itsnew Construction Center inToronto, ON, Canada. The facilitywill cater to customers in thegreater Toronto area and theCanadian marketplace. Otherrelated developments arepresented.
Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012,17 (12), 40-41 (Website:http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © RodmanPublishing 2012
AkzoNobel inaugurates R&D centrein India
AkzoNobel has officially openedthe India Analytical Centre (IAC)at its International ResearchCenter in Bangalore. TheBangalore R&D centre will tap thefirm’s global and local resourcesto offer analytical services tocoatings businesses in India. TheIAC will also be equipped toassess and certify raw materials,intermediates and products in thecountry.
Original Source: Coatings World, Dec 2012,17 (12), 43-44 (Website:http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © RodmanPublishing 2012
Developments by companies in theFrench pigments and paint industry
This is a mainly technical articleabout developments by companiesin the French pigments and paintindustry, including materials,equipment and waste. The woodweatherboarding market in Francehas grown by more than 80%since 2006. The building industryproduces 40 M tonnes of waste,66% of inert waste, 28% of normal
industrial waste, 5% of hazardousindustrial waste and 1% of wastepackaging. Treatment costs €2bn/y, which is 3% of the buildingsector turnover. Prospa, France,has a turnover of €10.6 M with 53employees. Its production capacityis 5000 tonnes/y with a productionlevel of 3425 tonnes/y. It uses 500raw materials and 1200formulations to make paints andcoatings, with customers such asPSA and Magneto Wheels. Themarket for industrial paints hasdecreased by about 15% and forautomobile coatings, under thebonnet, by 30%.
Original Source: Double Liaison, Dec 2012,(590), 8-14 (Website:http://www.idexpo.com) (in French) © Le Groupe ETAI 2012
Full speed ahead for US chemicalsindustry
In 2012 the focus of the worldchemicals industry was on NAmerica. This reflected a slightdownturn in growth in Asia,particularly China (althoughgrowth in the region was stillstrong) and stagnation in theEuropean economy. The USchemicals industry took off thanksto the revolution in shale gaswhich simultaneously cut energyprices and increased the potentialof energy resources. Thereduction in natural gas prices isencouraging the development ofnew projects and the relocation ofoperations. For example,Methanex is abandoning somemethanol operations in Chile andtransferring production toLouisiana. Dow and ExxonMobilboth have major projects plannedand Sasol expects to invest $5-7bn in an integrated complex.According to data from IHSChemical, operating rates atcrackers in N America went from80% capacity in 2009 to 89.9% in2011 (compared with operatingrates of 77.3% and 81.4%respectively in W Europe). In termsof increases to capacity, N Americamay come close to 75% of recentperformances in the Middle East
and China. IHS predicts that NAmerica capacities will increasefrom 33.4 M to 39.1 M tonnes/y by2017. Meanwhile downstreampetrochemicals companiesundertook some of the largestacquisitions in the sector during2012. Westlake failed in its $1.3 bnraid on Georgia Gulf but PPGacquired Akzo Nobel’s NAmerican decorative paintsbusiness for $1.05 bn and sold itscommodity chemicals to GeorgiaGulf for $2.1 bn. Eastman boughtSolutia for $4.7 bn and DuPontsold its performance coatingsdivision to Carlyle for almost $5bn. However, the US chemicalsindustry is living a paradox. TheUS is concerned about thenational debt and the financialcliff, and the chemicals industryhas announced vast restructuringprogrammes. Dow is to shed3300 jobs, DuPont 1500 and PPG2000. Meanwhile in Europe,Arkema has withdrawn a €70 Mproject in Pierre-Benite, Franceand the threat of closure hangsover 2 of Kemira’s 3 factories inFrance. Metabolic Explorer hasdecided to cut the size of itsworkforce. At the same time,there are encouraging signs inFrance. Versalis may invest €80M in its butadiene unit in Mardyckand Toray is investing €100 M+ inpolyacrylonitrile production inLacq. The Lacq Cluster Chimieproject is planning €154 Minvestments.
Original Source: Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 14 Jan 2013, (618), 1 (Website:http://www.industrie.com/chimie/) (in French)© ETAI Information 2013
Valspar awarded contract tosupply coating for Hongkong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
On 14 Jan 2013 the ValsparCorporation announced that it had been selected as the majorsupplier of concrete reinforcingsteel coatings for the Hongkong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge in China.When completed in 2016, thelength of the bridge will spannearly 50 km (30 miles) and isexpected to be the world’s
