news
BASF expands Ultrason but cuts back in PA
BASF has announced an expansion in global capacity for its Ultrason polyarylsul- phone polymer but is cutting back its PA6 precursor capacity in Europe. Prompted by growing demand, the company is to add a further production line for Ultrason at Yeosu, Korea, by the end of 2017. The move will add 6,000 tonnes/year of capacity, bringing its global total to 24,000 tonnes. BASF makes Ultrason
polyarylsulfone at Yeosu and at its main site at Ludwigshafen in Germany. Both sites also make polyethersulphone, polysulphone and polyphenyl- sulphone, all sold under under the Ultrason brand. Ultrason is used in many
applications in the consumer, electronics, automotive and aerospace industries. For polyarylsulphones specifically, the strongest markets are said
Metabolix exits PHA bioplastics
Metabolix is to sell its IP and some related labora- tory equipment in biopoly- mers to Korean firm CJ CheilJedang for $10m. This deal should be completed this month. The agreement includes
microbial strains, produc- tion and application patents. ❙
www.metabolix.com
8
Emerald upgrades logistics
Emerald Kalama Chemical has completed an upgrade of the logistics infrastruc- ture at its facility in Kalama, Washington State, US, where it makes its K-Flex range of plasticisers and the Kalama series of benzo- ates and intermediates. The investment included
BASF is growing Ultrason capacity at is Korean plant
to be for filtration membranes in technical and healthcare uses, especially in Asia. BASF has also announced
plans to cut caprolactam production in Europe by 20% to 400,000 tonnes/year over the next 18 months to “further strengthen BASF’s PA 6 value chain in a difficult market environment”. Some parts of caprolactam production, plus plants producing the precur- sors anolone and oleum, will
be closed at Ludwigshafen. Around 80 jobs will go but all those affected will be offered other jobs at the site. The move follows BASF’s
cuts in capacity for the PA 6,6 precursor adipic acid in 2013, when it reduced capacity by 20% to 210,000 tonnes/year. Aside from Ludwigshafen, BASF operates PA plants in Antwerp in Belgium, Freeport in Texas and Shanghai in China. ❙
www.basf.com
improvements to docks, more truck-loading facilities and an additional rail line. The company said that all this “will enhance service and operational capabilities by streamlining logistics for customers worldwide”, also enabling it to handle larger quantities. Capacity for K-Flex at the site has been doubled in recent years. K-Flex and Kalama
products are also made at sites in the Netherlands and the UK. ❙
www.kalama.emeraldmaterials.com
Karl Finke expands technical centre
Finke, a German colour masterbatch produc- er, has added new equipment for PET blow moulding at its technical centre at its head- quarters in Wuppertal. The move is a response to growing demand for PET in the premium packaging sector, notably for cosmetics. The company said as a result of the
investment “the translation of colour concepts into production-stage colouring and additive systems will become even faster.” Finke already operates several injection moulding machines and film and sheet extruders at the site, where PE and PP bottles can be pro- duced in mono and co-extrusion processes. ❙
http://finke-colors.eu/en/
COMPOUNDING WORLD | September 2016
Finke can now trial blow moulded applications
www.compoundingworld.com
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