news Sirmax to invest in US plant
Sirmax of Italy is to invest U$25.6 million in its first North American compounding plant. The 140,000 sqft (13,000 m2
)
facility is being built on a 26.3 acre (106,000 m2
) brownfield
site in Anderson, Indiana, which was previously used by General Motors. It is expected to be operational by October 2015.
The plant will supply
polypropylene compounds to customers in the automotive and appliance industries. Sirmax signed a US$20 million annual contract with an
Next year’s colour trend predictions
Clariant and PolyOne separately published their plastics colour trend predictions for 2016 during January.
Clariant’s ColorForward guide is now in its 10th year and it aims to help plastic product designers and marketing professionals to “make more informed colour choices”. For each edition, a global panel of specialists picks colours inspired by four global societal trends. Find out more about their ColorFor- ward 2016 choices at:
http://bit.ly/CCF2016 PolyOne’s InVisiO Color
Inspiration 2016 collection of four “influential and emerging colours” also draws on global trends:
http://bit.ly/PICI2016.
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unnamed US-based customer late last year. The company anticipates producing 20,000 tons of compounds generating a projected annual turnover of US$35 million in 2016, rising to reach 60,000 tons by 2020. It says that 50 new jobs will be created at the site. Massimo Pavin, CEO of Sirmax, said that the support and professionalism of the state of Indiana, the city of Anderson and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) influenced the choice of location, which
he described as “in the heart of the automotive sector”. He added: “This is only the first of many steps to increase the productive capacity of the Anderson plant.” Sirmax was formed by the
merger of Maxplast and Sirte in 1999 and it has grown to become one of Europe’s leading technical compound- ers. It operates three plants in Italy and opened a facility in Kutno, Poland in 2006. This has been gradually expanded, including the installation of an 8,000 tonnes/year Coperion
twin-screw extruder in 2013. The company also opened a plant in Brazil in 2013. PP compounds account for
around 85% of Sirmax’s output, with the remainder including PA6/66, ABS, PC/ ABS, POM, PBT and PPO materials. Sirmax is one of the leading independent suppliers to the large appliance market, which accounts for almost 75% of its output. The remaining volume is sold to the automo- tive, electrical and small appliance industries. ❙
www.sirmax.it
Teknor Apex and Arkema form housewrap alliance
Teknor Apex Company and Arkema have formed a strategic alliance to make housewrap film compounds with renewable content and a wide choice of film permeabili- ties. The two companies introduced the materials at the NAHB International Home Builders Show in Las Vegas on 20-22 January. The compounds are based
on Teknor Apex’s Terraloy bioplastic and Arkema’s Pebax thermoplastic elastomer. By varying the biopolymer content, Teknor Apex has developed multiple grades of the blend, which can be used to produce films with various levels of moisture permeabil- ity. Such films can be bonded with non-woven fabrics to form housewraps that allow moisture vapour to escape from homes, preventing mould
COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2015
Teknor Apex and Arkema are working on housewrap film compounds with renewable content
and mildew, yet remaining waterproof. “Working cooperatively with
Arkema, Teknor Apex has extended the applicability of Pebax elastomer in building and construction while retaining its capabilities as a lightweight, versatile, high- performance plastic,” said Edwin Tam, who is the manager of new strategic initiatives for the Bioplastics
Division of Teknor Apex. “We are excited to join
forces with Teknor Apex,” added Laurent Cartier, Arkema’s Pebax TPE sales and business development manager. “Adding biopolymer to Pebax has broadened its breathability characteristics while maintaining good adhesion to fabric.” ❙
www.arkema.com ❙
www.teknorapex.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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