September In Brief

WAC2012 Paris
FEICA is holding the 8th World Adhesive & Sealant Conference (WAC2012) from September 18-21, 2012, at the Marriott Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center in Paris, France. This global conference takes place every four years alternating between Europe, USA and Asia. The World Adhesive Conference’s official slogan is: ‘Creating the Future’.
Over three days, September 19-21 there are four sessions: Towards a Sustainable Future; The Technology Revolution; Secure Raw Material Sourcing; and Creating Value – Entrepreneurship … Design … Innovation. For more information: www.wac2012.org

Pipework project completed
Barrier Ltd, industrial paintings and coatings specialist, has completed one of its largest pipework projects – delivering 18km of dual coated pipeline for a gas installation in South Wales.
The Wallsend-based company was engaged by Rudolph Flender GmbH & Co on behalf of utility company Wales & West. The pipes are to be installed as part of a gas pipeline from Llanwrin to Dolgellau.
Barrier utilised two innovative coating systems to protect the pipework. First, a fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) was applied to the exterior by heating the pipes to 250˚C. The FBE powder melts on to the pipe creating a bonded seal while the pipes are rotated until the coating reaches a thickness of 400µm. The interior was coated using an epoxy flow coat to a thickness of 50µm.

PPG Atlanta support centre earns award
The Atlanta application support centre operated by PPG Industries’ aerospace business has been recognised by Northrop Grumman Corp as a 2011 Platinum Source Preferred supplier for quality and performance in providing coatings, sealants and value-added services.
This marks the sixth time PPG Aerospace’s Atlanta centre in Kennesaw, Ga, USA, has received the award.

World demand for speciality silicas to rise
World demand for speciality silicas, which include precipitated silica, fumed silica, silica gel and silica sol, will grow at a healthy 5.6% annual pace to 2.8Mt in 2016. Volume demand will be bolstered by rising use in the rubber market due to increasing use of silica in tyre treads and higher levels of tyre production, and by recovery in the manufacturing sector.
In both value and volume terms, the market will improve from the 2006-2011 period, when it was negatively impacted by the global economic recession of 2009. However, due to market maturity in a variety of applications in the developed world, Western Europe, Japan and the USA will experience limited gains. These and other trends are presented in World Specialty Silicas, a study from The Freedonia Group, Inc.
www.freedoniagroup.com

Oxea expands capacities for carboxylic acids
Oxea has again expanded its production capacity for carboxylic acids within only a very short period of time. The company successfully increased the production performance of the carboxylic acid plant in Marl, Germany, beyond target by 20%. Oxea now serves the continuously rising global demand for carboxylic acids with this increased capacity. Carboxylic acids can be used for manufacturing speciality plasticisers, among others. Oxea plans to bring on-stream another state-of-the-art carboxylic acid plant in Oberhausen, Germany, at the end of 2012.

Michelman appoints Chemical Partners as distributor
Michelman has added Chemical Partners, headquartered in Brussels, with a logistics office in Antwerp, Belgium, as a distributor in the North African and Middle Eastern region. The relationship allows Chemical Partners to offer its customers Michelman’s best-in-class surface modifiers designed for paint and coating formulators.

New report on polyurethane
A report has been added to ResearchMoz Reports database: Polyurethane Chemicals and Products in EMEA 2012 – Volume 4 End-Use markets. IAL Consultants is completely updating its in-depth market report on Polyurethane Chemicals and Products in Europe, Middle East and Africa. The report will feature an executive summary.

Huntsman to expand USA MDI manufacturing plant
Huntsman Corporation has commissioned engineering design studies to increase its global capacity for the manufacture of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) through investment at its Geismar, Louisiana site.

Breathe freely with photocatalysis
The inhabitants of cities and urban areas have to struggle with air pollution every day. Especially nitrogen oxides, which are formed by the combustion of fossil fuels in automotive engines but also by home heating, are very harmful. These pollutants do not only affect the health, they are in addition involved in the formation of ozone and summer smog.
According to the German Federation for applied Photocatalysis, solutions to this problem are photocatalytically active building materials such as house paints and paving stones. Their effect is due to a special titanium dioxide (TiO2), whose function has been approved by long-term laboratory and field tests. In addition to nitrogen oxides, various other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), solvents, formaldehyde or different fats and acids are decomposed by the photocatalytically active building materials.

Oxea price increases
Oxea has increased off-list prices effective September 1, 2012, or as contracts allow: USA, Canada and Mexico: n Propanol US$0.05/lb; n Propyl Acetate US$0.05/lb; South & Central America n Propanol US$110/mt; n Propyl Acetate US$110/mt.

Clariant Q2 performance
Clariant has announced sales of CHF 1.978bn in the second quarter 2012, up 6% compared to CHF 1.870bn yr-on-yr. Sales in local currencies were 8% higher as reported and rose 2% excluding acquisitions. Overall, the performance of the company is as expected at the beginning of the year.
Clariant expects further sales growth in local currencies and a sustained profitability for the full-year 2012 compared to 2011, assuming the global economy stabilises at current levels in the second half-year.
Raw material costs are expected to increase in the low-single digit range, while exchange rates should remain stable compared to the beginning of the year.

ASTM launches journals
ASTM International, known worldwide for its 13,000+ technical standards and its thousands of related publications, is launching two new journals: Advances in Civil Engineering Materials (ACEM) and Materials Performance and Characterization (MPC).
Advances in Civil Engineering Materials (ACEM) publishes articles on the properties and performance of materials such as concrete, asphalt, steel, polymers and polymeric composites, and wood for use in pavements, bridges and buildings, and other related applications.
Materials Performance and Characterization (MPC) seeks articles about both the theoretical and practical aspects of the structure, processing, properties and performance of materials used in mechanical, transportation, aerospace, energy systems and medical devices.
These materials include metals and alloys, glass and ceramics, polymers, composite materials, textiles and nanomaterials.

Huntsman to expand USA MDI manufacturing plant
Huntsman Corporation has commissioned engineering design studies to increase its global capacity for the manufacture of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) through investment at its Geismar, Louisiana site.