NEWS


AkzoNobel exits from specialty chemicals


AkzoNobel is to sell its Specialty Chemicals business to the Carlyle Group and GIC – Carlyle’s investment partner – in a deal that values the busi- ness at around €10.1bn (representing a cash payment of around €8.9bn). The sale is expected to close before the end of the year, subject to regulatory approvals and consultations. The disposal completes a long-planned move by Akzo Nobel to focus on paints and coatings. The company said that Carlyle Group “has a global presence and the financial capacity to enable the Specialty Chemicals business to achieve its full potential.” It also highlight- ed its extensive experience of investing in chemicals. AkzoNobel Specialty


Akzo Nobel is selling it speciality chemicals business


Sukano/ Omya work on voiding


Two Swiss firms, master- batch maker Sukano and industrial minerals giant Omya, have worked together to create new high performance calcium carbonate voiding agent masterbatches for biaxial- ly-oriented PET and PLA (BOPET, BOPLA) films. The new masterbatches


Chemicals is, through its Polymer Chemistry business, active in many areas of plastics additives and processing aids. Its products include: Antistatic additives, superconductive carbon blacks, flame retardant and other specialty additives used in the production and processing of polymers, masterbatches and other compounds; cross-linking organic peroxide initiators,


organometallics and reactor additives for production of thermoplastics, such as Perkadox, Trigonox and Laurox; Butanox methyl ethyl ketone peroxides for curing thermoset resins and coatings; Kayabrid coupling agents for composites; and single-site catalysts, metal- locenes and other speciality chemicals for polyolefin production. � www.akzonobel.com


Mitsubishi buys Dutch Filaments


Mitsubishi Chemical has acquired Dutch Filaments, a major European maker of 3D printing filaments. MCPP Europe president Ralph Meier


said: “We see the demand from customers of various industries increasing and, with the


acquisition of Dutch Filaments, we are able to not only fulfil their needs but to actively participate in the future of 3D printing development.” � www.mcpp-global.com � www.dutchfilaments.com


are said to “provide benefits in functionality and productivity, enhanc- ing the overall profitability and value of the films”. While CaCO3


is widely


used as a voiding agent in BOPP films, it has not been applicable to BOPET and BOPLA due to issues such as dispersibility and discolouration. Barium sulphate is more com- monly used. According to the development partners, the CaCO3


products can


improve opacity during film orientation and stretching. In addition, BOPET and BOPLA films voided with CaCO3


are


said to exhibit less gloss. � www.omya.com � www.sukano.com


Total Corbion starts Thai pilot


Total Corbion PLA started production of polylactic acid (PLA) at its 1,000 tonnes/ year pilot plant at Rayong in Thailand in December and has since produced a wide range of its Luminy resins for customer sampling. The plant is being used to train operators and adapt to product certifications


and regulatory needs. In time, it will also be used for product development. Total Corbion is currently expanding its lactides and PLA polymerisation plants


at the same site to 100,000 and 75,000 tonnes/yr respectively. The latter should deliver its first commercial volumes in 2H 2018. � www.total-corbion.com


www.compoundingworld.com April 2018 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 5


PHOTO: TOTAL CORBION


PHOTO: AKZO NOBEL


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