NEWS


Clariant masterbatch revenues weaken


Clariant posted its Q3 results last month, revealing a near static sales result for the first nine months at CHF3.72bn (€3.38bn) but a 5% decline in revenues—2% in local currencies—for its Masterbatch and Pigments units. These are now listed as discontinued operations as plans progress to dispose of them during 2020. “For the first nine months as well as in the third quarter of 2019, sales in discontinued operations (Masterbatches and Pigments) declined by 2% in local currency, negatively impacted by the weakened economic environment,” the company said. “The EBITDA after


exceptional items decreased in absolute value year-on-year in both the first nine months as well as in the


IMCD buys in India


Netherlands-based chemical distributor IMCD has completed the acquisition of Indian firm Monachem Additives and its subsidiary Addpol Chemspecialities. Monachem recorded


sales of about €10m in its 2018-19 financial year and employs 22 staff. It will be integrated into


IMCD’s Advanced Materi- als business by the end of the year. � www.imcdgroup.com


www.compoundingworld.com


units. He declined to comment on the detail of any discussions but said the company expected to close deals in 2020. Various financial media


Clariant CEO Hans Bohnen


third quarter, due to the sales contraction and increased one-time costs required by the separation and carve-out of the discontinued businesses.” Slowing markets are likely


to make a sale more challenging. However, at K2019 Clariant CEO Dr Hans Bohnen said “multiple parties” were interested in acquiring the Masterbatch and Pigments business


have linked PolyOne with the Clariant negotiations, although it is also said to be attracting interest from private equity investors. Compounding World also understands that events are being watched closely by some smaller masterbatch producers hoping to bid for parts of the Clariant business should a trade buyer need to address regulatory competition demands. Clariant announced the


closure of the sale of its Healthcare Packaging business to Arsenal Capital on 31 October for CHF308m (€280m). � www.clariant.com


Italmatch invests in FRX


Italian speciality chemical group Italmatch has made an unspecified investment in FRX Polymers, a US- based company


specialising in halogen- free flame-retardant additives based on polymeric phosphonates. FRX Polymers’ materials


are used in textiles, PUR foam and coatings, polycarbonate blends and alloys and other thermo- plastics.


Both parties said that


they expected the deal to unlock technical synergies between their respective products. Marc Lebel, founding CEO of FRX Polymers, said the company will also gain access to Italmatch’s global sales network. � www.italmatch.com � www.frxpolymers.com


Cutting the cost of carbon


4M Carbon of Tennessee, US, and Spain’s Montefibre Carbon Fibre are close to finalising a letter of intent to establish a partnership, which includes a


manufacturing joint venture in the US that will, they claim, be capable of producing the world’s lowest-cost industrial- grade carbon fibre. The venture will combine Montefibre’s ultra-large tow precursor technology, which is backed by Spanish government investment and


4M Carbon and Montefibre hope to bring their cost-cutting technologies together


reduces precursor costs, with 4M’s fibre production technology. The latter is claimed to reduce initial investment in a


manufacturing line by 50% and to cut operating costs by 30%. � www.4mio.com � www.montefibre.es


November 2019 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 5


PHOTO: CLARIANT


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86