Cathay Industries to expand iron oxide pigments production in Tongling

Leading global iron oxide pigment manufacturer Cathay Industries is set to expand its iron oxide pigments production facility in China. Following recent expansions at its Yixing site, the company is strengthening its manufacturing capabilities at its flagship site in Tongling, China, in a joint venture with Tonghua Group (Rely Science & Technology Co Ltd).

Cathay Industries Group CEO, Mr Terence Yu said: "This move signifies the next phase of our global growth and development strategy, while demonstrating leadership in the market in terms of both technology solutions and environmental responsibility and sustainability.” This phase 2 expansion will add 20,000t/yr of high-performance iron oxide pigments to the 65,000t site’s current capacity using our leading technology, while meeting the highest environmental standards. With the ever-increasing pressure on global manufacturing facilities to operate responsibly, this expansion will provide the long-term sustainable supply the market requires.

Already awarded silver status from corporate social responsibility certifier ECOVADIS, Cathay has implemented sustainability plans to achieve its gold status. The expansion supports the Cathay Group’s transformative growth strategy, globally, particularly the consistent growth of its high-quality Cathaycoat product range, which already provides advanced solutions in the highly technical and demanding coatings and paint markets. Mr Yu said: "With advancements to our proven iron oxide production technology, we will break new ground with a new range of high-chroma red iron oxide pigments, which are proven to effectively replace copper as reds in both solvent and waterborne systems. This will position Cathay as the leading supplier of high-performance pigments with unique and sustainable product offerings. Our high-purity expansion complements the company’s dedicated high-purity plant in Valparaiso (IN), USA, and is designed to meet the strict cGMP criteria set by IPEC-PQG." This marks an industry first in China. "Consistent with our Valparaiso plant, the new high-purity facility will be a dedicated stand-alone facility inside our Tongling operation. This will be the first iron oxide pigments manufacturing facility in China to meet the cGMP principles in the personal care, food and pharmaceutical industries, providing additional high-quality regional support for this fast-growing market," Mr Yu added.

Phase 2 of the expansion will provide: 10,000t/yr of high-quality precipitated yellow iron oxide for coatings and paints; 5000t/yr of high-quality precipitated red iron oxide for coating and paints and 5000t/yr of cGMP high-purity pigments (yellow, red, black). Phase 2 expansions have commenced and commissioning of the new facility is targeted for Q1, 2018.