NEWS


JV partners reshape in POM


Celanese and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) are planning to restructure their POM joint venture company, Korea Engineer- ing Plastics (KEP), by the end of 2021. KEP, which makes POM


for the Asian market, is 50% owned by Celanese, 40% by MGC and 10% by Mitsubishi Corporation. The new plan sees KEP focus on manufacturing while the two main parent companies will indepen- dently market the products without restriction. The JV partners said the change is a necessary response to globalisation of the POM industry and fragmentation of the marketing supply chain since KEP was set up in 1987. � www.mgc.co.jp/eng � www.celanese.com


BASF compounding cuts


BASF has announced plans to permanently end compounding at its location at Leuna in Germany as part of a review of its global Ultramid polyamide business. The company said the site will be closed by the end of April next year, with activities transferred to its compounding units at Ludwigshafen, Rudolstadt


and Schwarzheide (the latter was expanded in 2017). “Although business performance in recent months has been encourag- ing, sales and earnings in the Ultramid business have been declining for several years,” said a BASF spokesperson. “Our strategy is to continue to expand Performance Materials’ business in Europe profitably in the long term.”


Negotiations have been


initiated with the Leuna works council over the future of the unit, which almost exclusively com- pounds Ultramid PA grades and employs around 100. BASF’s global annual compounding capacity for engineering plastics — PA and PBT grades — currently amounts to 750,000 tonnes. � www.basf.com


Lease option from Bausano


Italian extrusion systems maker Bausano has intro- duced an operating lease financing scheme covering its twin screw granule production systems, which are commonly used for production of PVC com- pound for markets such as medical.


Bausano Marketing Manager Alessandra Grosso said the operating lease model is especially appro-


priate for granule produc- tion lines, which are highly standardised. It is said to offer an affordable option for companies looking to update or expand capacity without resorting to finance agreements or extending lines of credit. The Bausano scheme involves payment of a fixed periodic fee that covers the entire line aside from cylinder and screws, which


are bought outright. “This is a new kind of service that we decided to offer so we can remain even closer to our customers in this particular time,” said Grosso. “Granules perfectly respond to this need as a product with extreme versatility which can be resold to those who deal with it, for example, mould- ing in the medical sector.” � www.bausano.com


Völpker launches into purging compounds


Germany’s Völpker Spezialprodukte, best known for its wax- based process aids, has entered the purging compound market with the launch of Cevo-Clean J-1819. The company said the new purging compound is an internal development and can be used to remove polymer deposits and residues at processing temperatures up to 360°C. Described as a “one-for-all” grade, it functions through a


combination of chemical and physical action and is typically used as a 1:3 blend with the polymer being processed. The purged extrudate can be regranulated and re-used several times. Völpker Head of Business Development Lutz Matthies


expects the new compound to appeal to compounders. “We are convinced of the quality of this product and are sure that it will be very useful for the compounding community. As it is also very price effective and user friendly…fast growth is expected,” he said. � www.voelpker.com


6 COMPOUNDING WORLD | January 2021 www.compoundingworld.com


Cevo-Clean purging compound is a new addition to Völpker’s product line


IMAGE: VÖLPKER


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