NEWS


Lanxess investing in dyes and pigment operations


Lanxess is to invest more than €5m to expand capacity for its Macrolex range of soluble organic dyes at its main Leverkusen site in Germany by 25% by the end of the year. Philipp Junge, head of the Rhein Chemie business unit, said the investment was being made “to meet the growing global demand for high-quality dyes for the plastics industry … espe- cially in Asia”. Macrolex dyes are mainly used to colour PS, PC, ABS, PMMA and PET in high-end plastic products such as beverage bottles, electronic devices, car tail-lights and children’s toys. Meanwhile, the company


recently introduced a new line of iron oxide red pigments produced at its plant at Ningbo in China covering the mid and yellow-shade end of the red colour range. The company says the


new grades (Bayferrox 520,


Teknor adds recycled PA in Europe


Lanxess is investing in its Macrolex pigment business


5272, 525 and 530 mid- range reds and 510, TP5278 and TP5279 yello-shade reds) are initially targeted at paint and coating applica- tions but are also expected to find application in the plastics sector. “The first step was the


market launch…in the paint and coatings industry. This is the target industry for this new generation of iron oxide red pigments,” said a Lanxess spokesperson.


“Testing was focused on the new Bayferrox grades in coatings, paints and pastes. But at a later stage our Inorganic pigments busi- ness unit will extend the testing to other industries.” A particular benefit of the


new grades produced at Ningbo is a reduced water soluble salt content, which makes the products suitable for use where corrosion may be a concern. � www.lanxess.com


SABIC ups Noryl/Ultem capacity


SABIC has announced projects in Asia and Europe to increase global capacity for two of its engineering thermoplas- tic materials, Ultem and Noryl. Both are said to be a response to growing demand and follow ongoing expan- sions for both materials at company sites at Mount Vernon in Indiana and Selkirk in New York State in the US. The company said it will add a new


production facility for its Ultem polyetherimide at its Singapore compounding site, pending final government clearance. It intends this


6 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2018


to be online in 1H 2021. It will expand the company’s capacity by 50% from its 2018 baseline, while giving it its first Ultem production in Asia (currently the region is supplied from its plants at Mount Vernon and Cartagena in Spain). SABIC said it will also recommission its polyphenylene ether (PPE) resin plant at Bergen-op-Zoom in the Netherlands by the end of 2019. PPE is the base resin for its Noryl products. This move, it said, “provides customers


SABIC is investing in Noryl and Ultem P


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with a second source of PPE resins globally” and will add more than 40% to global capacity over a 2017 baseline. � www.sabic.com


www.compoundingworld.com


US-based Teknor Apex is now supplying its Chem- lon 500 series of recycled polyamide compounds, available for some years in the US, to Europe customers. The Chemlon 500 range is based on recycled PA 6,6 and includes unfilled, impact-modified and glass-reinforced com- pounds supported by Teknor Apex’s upstream recycling capabilities. They are targeted at automotive, office furniture and other applications where cost savings or mandates for recycled content are important. According to the company, the Chemlon 500 compounds provide “a high degree of lot-to-lot consistency and yield finished products that exhibit good surface appearance and dimen- sional stability”. � www.teknorapex.com


PHOTO: LANXESS


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