NEWS


Clariant exits pigments with Heubach-SK sale


Clariant has agreed to sell its pigments business to a consortium comprised of German pigment specialist Heubach Group and private equity group SK Capital Partners. The deal values the business at €735-780m,


depending on potential earn-out payments, and is expected to close in the first half of next year subject to regulatory approvals. The Clariant pigments business supplies organic pigments, pigment prepara-


tions and dyes to the plastics, automotive and industrial and architectural coatings markets, among others. It generated sales of around €775m in 2020. The combination with Heubach creates a new entity with 3,000 people and annual sales of more than €900m. Heubach CEO Johann Heubach said the fit between the two companies was “perfect”. Clariant will retain a 20%


Clariant sale creates a new €900m global pigments business


stake in the holding com- pany but said the move essentially completes its exit from non-core businesses announced in 2018. � www.heubachcolor.com � www.clariant.com


UniteChem invests in R&D


Chinese light stabilisers manufacturer UniteChem Group has opened a second R&D and innovation centre in Shanghai. Employing 30 people, the centre will provide testing, analysis and process evaluation support to customers.


The facility is equipped with injection moulding, film blowing and casting machines, as well as a high- performance, twin-screw compounding extruder, accelerated weathering and ageing equipment. The company said that


the centre is part of its commitment to invest 5% of total revenues in R&D and is driven by a wish to “further expand the availability of its technical support capabili- ties for customers in Europe and worldwide.” � www.unitechem.cn


Repsol takes on impurities


Spanish petrochemicals firm Repsol, together with French technology provider Axens and energy specialist IFPEN, has developed a new process for chemical recycling of plastic waste that is claimed to remove challenging impurities. Developed at the


Repsol Technology Lab and IFPEN facilities using Axens’ industrial technolo- gies and catalysts, the Rewind Mix process is said to remove impurities such as silicon, chlorine, diolefins and metals from the mixed plastic waste to produce pyrolysis oils that can be fed direct and undiluted into petrochemi- cal units. Pilot testing of repre-


sentative pyrolysis oils has already been successfully completed. The partners now intend to trial the process, which will be licensed by Axens, on an industrial scale in a Repsol facility. � www.repsol.com � www.axens.net


Gabriel-Chemie adds capacity in Russia


Austrian masterbatch manufacturer Gabriel-Chemie has completed construction of its expanded master- batch production plant at Vorsino in Russia. The company has invested around €6m in the facility, which is built on a 27,500m2


been enhanced with a UV-cleaning closed water system and expanded on-site warehousing. A new underwa- ter pelletising system will be installed later this year. According to Gabriel-Chemie, the


site. Two new lines lift annual capacity to 2,000 tonnes while opera- tional and environmental efficiency has


www.compoundingworld.com


site provides space to increase capacity to around 20,000 tonnes annually. n The company has also invested in near-infrared detection technology at its


headquarters location in Austria. This will allow it to provide customers with certification that its colour masterbatch- es can be sorted using industry-stand- ard NIR recycling detectors. “Due to the current demand from various markets, this test is more and more desired for all colours,” said a company spokesperson. � www.gabriel-chemie.com


July 2021 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 5


IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK


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