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Chemicals news The latest from the industry
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New developments in the Chemicals industry
Airedale Chemical sets its sights on Europe
UK-based specialist chemical manufacturer, Airedale Chemical, is employing an ambitious strategy to explore sales potential in European markets with an initial focus on Germany and France. It will implement its new European-focused strategy with the help of European-based chemical specialists to introduce Airedale Chemical to key industry leaders within strategically targeted countries.
Daniel Marr, head of marketing at Airedale Chemical, explains: “We have been consolidating our position as one of the UK’s leading speciality chemical companies over the last decade and we’re now perfectly placed to conquer Europe with our history, expertise and strong values. It is an incredibly exciting time.
One of the company’s primary objectives will be to grow Airedale Chemical’s BPR (Biocidal Products Registration) approved peracetic acid, often used as a disinfectant in the food and beverage, agricultural and industrial cleaning sectors, to European countries including Germany, France and Slovenia.
Daniel added: “The uncertainty surrounding Brexit at the moment presents challenging conditions but with the insight, experience and knowledge the team brings we feel well-placed to make great strides into Europe over the next 12 months.” Visit: www.airedalechemical.com
K+s investing in salt brine field in the netherlands
Independent minerals company K+S Aktiengesellschaft is to develop a new off-shore brine field by drilling a new cavern at its Dutch production plant, Frisia Zout BV in Harlingen, further implementing the group’s Shaping 2030 strategy.
Frisia Zout is the largest vacuum salt plant in the K+S Group, serving electrolysis plants of the European chemical industry and producing a comprehensive range of high purity salt specialties for a variety of industrial applications. All brine for the vacuum salt production stems from solution mining and comes from salt caverns at a depth of about 3000m.
Based on a new mining permit from the relevant mining authorities in the Netherlands, K+S is developing a new off-shore brine field deep below the Wadden Sea close to the plant. The new brine field will be located near the port entrance of Harlingen, the so-called Havenmond area, and will be developed by directional drillings from shore in 2019. It will be fully operational by the end of 2020 and allow for a production increase of about 25%, bringing the production to a level of about 1.2 million tonnes per year. Visit: www.k-plus-s.com
Clariant introduces new range of label-free emulsifiers
Clariant is launching two new emulsifiers suitable for replacing traditional alcohol ethoxylate emulsifiers in metal working fluid formulations. The new products Emulsogen® MTP 020 and Emulsogen MTP 030 join Clariant’s well-known Emulsogen MTP 070 to create an innovative new range of hazard label-free low foaming emulsifiers for the industry.
The new Emulsogen MTP 020/030/070 range combines an outstanding sustainability profile with performance-boosting properties that sets it apart from existing nonionic emulsifier options for cutting fluids. Extensive laboratory tests confirm that Emulsogen MTP 020/030 and 070 outperform traditional emulsifiers. Emulsogen MTP 020/030 and 070 are multifunctional additives offering excellent emulsification power, low foaming properties, lime soap dispersing power and lubrication. Each product has its unique performance profile, enabling the cutting fluid formulators to select the right product for each individual performance requirement. The products perform well even with increasing fluid application pressures.
Ralf Zerrer, Head of Strategic Marketing and Innovation at Clariant BU Industrial & Consumer Specialties, said: “With our two new low foaming emulsifiers Clariant now offers the metal working industry a unique range of highly-sustainable low foaming non-ionic emulsifiers for boosting the performance of cutting fluids, even under tough operating conditions.” Visit: www.clariant.com
BASF has launched a pioneering stir-in pigment for automotive coatings, that provides enhanced colour depth, flop, and sparkle. eXpand!™ Red (eH 3427), marketed under the Colors & effects brand, is the first pigment to result from the strategic partnership between BASF and landa labs.
“By bringing this technology to our customers, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to offering a revolutionary generation of Colors & effects pigments that meet the requirements of the automotive coatings industry,” said Paul Verhoeven, eXpand!™ business leader at BASF.
The blue-shade red pigment features both high transparency and high tinting strength for more intensive shades with lower scattering. Compatible with modern automotive coating systems, eXpand!™ Red is the first of its kind suitable for outdoor applications. The small particle sized stir-in pigment is easily dispersible and cuts the time involved in the production process as opposed to conventional milling methods; this lowers costs significantly. Visit: www.basf.com
INDUSTRYnEWs
Total and Saudi Aramco to build giant petrochemical complex
Total and Saudi Aramco – a leading integrated energy and chemicals company – have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a giant petrochemical complex in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The project represents an investment of around $5 billion.
The complex will be integrated downstream of the SATORP refinery, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco (62.5%) and Total (37.5%) in Jubail, in order to exploit their operational synergies. The complex of the new refinery will comprise a mixed-feed steam cracker (50% ethane and refinery off-gas) with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year of ethylene and related high-added-value petrochemical units. In addition, the cracker will feed other petrochemical and speciality chemical plants, amounting to a $4 billion investment by third party investors. Around 8000 local jobs are expected to be created by the project, which will produce more than 2.7 million metric tonnes of high value chemicals. Visit: www.total.com
Advanced thermoplastic materials from sABIC
AT the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, SABIC highlighted a number of innovative applications jointly developed with our customers, enabled by its unique product offering of high-performance thermoplastic solutions. The thermoplastic offerings – comprising resin, sheet, film, filament and foam compositions – are compatible with a range of processing techniques such as injection molding, thermoforming, additive manufacturing and composite manufacturing.
Among other things, SABIC highlighted its competency in hybrid composite manufacturing through the presentation of the latest seat backs and arm rests produced using this method. This automated manufacturing approach combines the processes of laminate forming and over-moulding with thermo-composite material, saving significant production time in forming, assembling and bonding of laminates and thermo-composite plastics. The innovative process also enables considerable weight reduction by enabling replacement of metals with composite materials.
SABIC’s LEXAN™ LIGHT F6L300 sheet is the lightest thermoplastic sheet available. With a pioneering closed cell structure, it can be thermoformed into complex 3D parts with very thin walls – down to 0.6 mm. Applications include seating parts, cockpit dashboard enclosures, cabin partitions, luggage compartments and passenger service units. Visit: www.sabic.com
carbon fibre bogie frame wins JEc 2018 composites awards
AN optimised lightweight carbon fibre bogie frame project has been named winner of the rail category in JEC 2018 Composites Awards in Paris.
Rail vehicle bogies made from recycled carbon fibre could lead to major savings for operators, with a 50% reduction in weight meaning a huge reduction in track wear and energy and maintenance costs. Now, a research team at the University of Huddersfield will carry out exhaustive tests to ensure that the concept can fulfil its potential.
The University is home to the Institute of Railway Research (IRR). It has joined a consortium that includes ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd and Alstom Transport and the Sensors and Composites Group, University of Birmingham. The consortium chose Magma Structures as their preferred manufacturer. Magma has produced carbon composite masts for some of the world’s largest superyachts and specialised carbon pipes for the highly-regulated offshore industry.
The University of Huddersfield’s IRR helped with the concept specification and it will be constructed by Magma using recycled carbon fibres from ELG. It will then be tested by the IRR in the first half of 2019. Visit: www.hud.ac.uk
WACKER opens production site for silicones in South Korea
Wacker Chemie AG has opened a new production site for silicone elastomers in South Korea. The plant is located around 100km south-east of Seoul at Jincheon. In moving to the new site, WACKeR is significantly expanding its production and therefore its position as a leading silicone manufacturer in the region. Some €15 million has been invested in the new production site.
Asia is already one of the group’s most important sales regions. “We generate around 40% of our sales in Asia. our operations in South Korea play a key role here,” said executive board member Christian Hartel.
The centrepiece of the new site is a 13,000m2 production building. Silicone sealants for the construction industry and speciality silicone elastomers for electronic applications will be manufactured in separate facilities. The production lines have been equipped with cutting-edge manufacturing technology that enables fully automatic and therefore highly efficient production processes. Visit: www.wacker.com
