Additives for Pampers Augusr 1994

Antistatic agents

US 5,302,668 Antistatic polyacrylate R. Chakrabarti Priority Date: 28 May 1993 Reacting a polyac~late with a dial- k~ol~in~.

Blowing agents

US $306,736 Endothermic blowing agent JM Huber Priority Date: 31 July 1992 A mixture of a poIyc~boxyIic acid and sodium aIuminium hydroxy carbonate.

PRODUCTS

Rare earth compound as pigment for plastics

Rhine-PouIenc in France has devefoped a rare earth compound, cerium sulphide, as a pigment for plastics. The programme was undertaken to find an alternative to cadmium sulphide. The company is using cerium because the sulphide, like that of cadmium, is red. In various mixtures it can be made to show a variety of shades from orange to crimson.

Rhine-Poulenc has signed a co-operation agreement with Ferro Corp to evaluate the feasibility of entering into a joint venture to manufacture and market a new line of pigments for plastics, based on rare earth sulphides. This agreement will utilize the technical, marketing and distribution expertise from Ferro’s Color Division and Rhone- Poulenc’s expertise in rare earth technology. Contact= ~~ne-Po~~enc Chimie, 25 Quai Paul ~ou~~~~, 92408, Caur~evoie Cedex, France. Tel: ~33-476~-02~S~4748-2378. Fax: +33-4768-1444.

New additives source for non-vinyl polymers

Akros Chemicals is expanding the choice for non-vinyl polymer additives in a market which, up to now, has had few major competitors. Although known as Europe’s leading supplier of PVC ~ditives, Akros Chemicais has a broad technoIogy base from which it has developed an extensive portfolio of high performance products that fully meet the requirements of non-vinyl polymer producers.

The products, which include among others; primary and secondary antioxidants, UV stabilizers, metal stearates, antistatic agents and coating agents for expanded polystyrene have been designed for use with the complete spectrum of thermoplastics and thermosets. Marketed under product family names already well known throughout the plastics industry, such as: Lankromark, HaroChem and Lankrostat, individual material grades within each series can be selected to provide a precise fit, both with customer processing needs and end-use requirements. Akros Chemicals, headqu~ered in M~chester, UK, is a joint venture company that combines the polymer additives technology of Akzo Nobel of The Netherlands and Harcros Chemicals of the UK. Contact: Akros Chemicals, Lankro House, PO Box I, Eccles, Manchester, M30 OBH, UK, Tel: i-44-61-789-7300. Fax: +44-61-788- 7886.

Tronox range of pigments in UK

Titanium dioxide manufacturer Kerr-McGee Pigments, which has 230,000 tonnes of capacity in the USA, Australia and Saudi Arabia, has joined in a marketing agreement with Cristal - The National Titanium Dioxide Company of Saudi Arabia. As a result Cristal’s UK distributor, British Traders & Shippers, is now also selling the Kerr-McGee Tronox range of pigments.

6 O1994 Elsevier Science Ltd