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Carpet reclaim system awaits legislation or subsidy April 30, 1999
A closed loop system to recover more than 1 million tonnes a year of carpet waste is waiting to become economically feasible. The trigger would be European legislation to end the landfill option for carpet waste disposal. To speed the situation the carpet industry could introduce a waste disposal levy on new carpets to subsidise carpet recycling.
These are the conclusions of the three-year RECAM (REcycling of CArpet Materials) project carried out by a consortium of DSM, Enichem, a body representing the European carpet industry and other research organisations.
Every year in Europe 1·6 million tonnes of carpet waste go to landfill (70 per cent) or municipal incineration. The report says that it should be possible to collect more than half of Western Europe's carpet waste to reclaim nylon 6, nylon 66, polypropylene and wool, while the lower grade materials could go to energy recovery, yielding 8 million gigajoules of energy (the annual consumption of more than 100,000 households).
The carpet manufacturers' organisation GuT of Germany has carried out pilot projects to collect and sort carpet using carpet identification equipment developed by DSM, and DSM and Enichem have developed chemical recycling processes that only require size reduction to recover caprolactam from nylon 6 carpets and cracker feedstock from polyolefinic (mainly polypropylene) and elastomeric carpet wastes.
At the end of this year DSM will start up a commercial carpet recycling plant in the USA able to process 100,000 tonnes of nylon 6 carpet into caprolactam. Enichem is working on the conversion of polyolefinic and elastomeric carpet waste into a cracker feedstock for the production of olefins and envisages a plant that can handle both polyolefin/elastomer based packaging and carpet waste.
Difficult start for BASF April 30, 1999
BASF has reported a 'difficult start' to business in 1999. Its plastics businesses 'generally held up well' against continuing price pressure, but downward pressure on polyolefins contributed to a 12·4 per cent decline in overall European sales. Polyurethanes and PVC increased earnings in the first quarter and styrenics turned into profit.
Additions to EVC management board April 30, 1999
European Vinyls Corporation has appointed two new board members. David Rolph, formerly emulsion PVC business manager, becomes responsible for polymers, technology and environmental affairs and Marino Uberti, previously responsible for the group's packaging business, becomes director responsible for compounds and rigid film.
Promotion for Demag Hamilton sales director April 30, 1999
Sales Director of Demag Hamilton, Klaus Lehwald, is returning to Germany as managing director of Demag Ergotech's Wiehe plant which builds the company's smaller injection moulding machines. He will be taking over from Helmar Franz, who was recently appointed executive managing director of Demag Ergotech.
ECC bought April 30, 1999
Clay fillers manufacturer English China Clays has been bought by IMETAL and will join Dry Branch Kaolin, Georgia Marble and Rio Capim Caulim in a newly-formed Pigments & Additives Group, managed by Dennis Rediker, former chief executive of ECC.
Beside-the-machine palletising robot April 29, 1999
A novel palletising system from Virginio Nastri in Italy is now available from BPI Machines. The Robo 2000 has a conveyor feeding an X-Y distribution robot mounted in a frame standing over two, three or five pallets, depending on size. Boxes or bags are loaded on to the pallets, and the robot counts parts into each one. When the boxes are full the pallets can be removed, or the machine frame can be raised for a second tier of boxes to be loaded.
The robot is programmable for each box to be filled at differing positions to prevent 'pyramiding', and for boxes to be skipped in the sequence to enable loads to be mixed on each pallet.
Klöckner-Werke has rationalised its rigid films production companies by renaming Kalle Pentaplast Klöckner Pentaplast. This aligns the company with Klöckner Pentaplast of America reinforcing the brand as a worldwide supplier of identical products from different locations. Together the two companies employ 2,400, have sales of nearly DM 1·3 billion, and have an annual output of 300,000 tonnes.
Dates announced for the next K show April 28, 1999
The next Düsseldorf exhibition will not be K01, it will not even be K1. Messe Düsseldorf has opted for the full Millennium-correct date and is calling the fair K2001. The dates have been set for October 25 to November 1, and it is promising to be the biggest yet, with an additional hall on the Rhine-side site increasing the available space by 10 per cent to 230,000 square metres.
Invitations to exhibit will go out early next year, with the deadline for acceptance of May 31, 2000.
Beer bottles pose threat to PET recycling April 28, 1999
The use of PET bottles for beer is likely to make bottle reclamation more expensive, according to a study carried out by PCI Consulting Group's PET Packaging, Resin and Recycling. In a new report PCI says that while many of the barrier materials now being tested for beer bottles can be sorted from PET, the separation process will increase recycling costs, and this cost increase may be substantial, depending on the number and type of barrier systems used.
In addition, existing end use markets will not be able to absorb significant additional volumes of green or amber RPET, making finding new markets a key issue.
Growth in the collection of PET bottles for recycling is growing rapidly. A survey by PCI showed that 770,000 tonnes of bottles were recovered in 1998, and this is expected to increase 14 per cent to 880,000 tonnes this year.
Reclamation is growing at different rates around the world: PCI's report predicts a 30 per cent increase in collection volumes in Europe this year, and says that Italy and France now account for 56 per cent of the total. Spain is expected to increase its recovery rate dramatically over 1998.
Korean and Taiwanese totals are likely to fall this year, but the Japanese total is forecast to grow by a third. In North America the rate of recovery is expected to remain stable, implying growth in the volume of bottles collected.
Another multinational company has joined with Cambridge Display Technology in its quest to produce data display screens using light-emitting polymers. Hewlett-Packard has signed a cross-licensing agreement with CDT giving each company access to the other's technology. Both companies will research ways of marrying HP's expertise in silicon and optoelectronics with CDT's LEP technology. The target is high density displays with more vibrant colours, wider viewing angles and lower manufacturing costs than current liquid crystal technology allows.
Indentec bought by Zwick subsidiary April 28, 1999
Indentec Hardness Testing Machines has been bought by the Highbright Group, which was itself taken over last year by German testing equipment manufacturer Zwick Roell. As with the other Highbright testing equipment companies - Dartec (static and dynamic testing machines and systems), Rosand Precision (flow and impact testers) and Kelsey Instruments (aerospace and automotive testing equipment) - Indentec is to retain its name and operate as an autonomous organisation. Trevor Sidaway, who founded the company in 1976, continues as managing director.
CPFilms goes to Solutia April 27, 1999
The Courtaulds Performance Films business, bought seven months ago by Akzo Nobel as part of Courtaulds plc, is being sold on. Now called simply CPFilms Inc, it is being bought by Solutia for $200 million. CPFilms' main product lines include window film with the brand names Vista, FormulaOne Performance Automotive Film, Llumar and Gila. Other products include films used in medical devices, satellites, computer touch screens and displays for electro-luminescent watches. Manufacturing is at sites at Runcorn and in the USA.
Solutia sees particular synergy with its own Saflex interlayer film business.
Borealis toughens its stance on compounds April 27, 1999
Borealis is realigning its polyolefin compounds business with the closure of a plant in Germany and the opening of a plant in Brazil.
The German closure is of the Norderstedt plant north of Hamburg which makes PE and PP compounds incorporating elastomers, fillers and stabilisers mainly for the automotive, appliance, pipe and coating sectors. The plant has a capacity of 32,000 tonnes, but Borealis says it is achieving low capacity utilisation and is not competitive. The plant's output will be replaced with production from other sites in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France and Italy.
The Brazilian plant will be operated in association with OPP Petroquímica, South America's largest petrochemical resins producer, with whom Borealis has signed an alliance agreement. The intention is to produce enhanced polyolefin compounds for sale in South America, in response to the increased globalisation of the two companies' customers for performance products.
Urethane prepolymer expansion April 19, 1999
Uniroyal Chemical Company is to expand production of its Adiprene PPDI cast urethane prepolymers by the end of this year. The company says there is increased demand for low free PPDI urethane prepolymers, which are characterised by lower viscosity, longer pot life and lower free monomer content. Applications include wheels, textile machinery, hydraulic seals, drive belts, roll covers, hydrocyclones, belt drives and sheave liners.
Kestrel Injection Moulders and Hampton Mouldings in £8 million takeover April 19, 1999
A new company has been set up to buy Kestrel Injection Moulders and Hampton Mouldings from Money Controls (formerly Quadramatic).
The new company, Integral Plastics, is headed by Greg Mullins as chief executive and Tim Hearley as non-executive chairman. Greg Mullins comes from Mayflower, which he joined from Waddington after restructuring the Plastona business. Tim Hearley is chairman of Rolfe & Nolan and a number of private companies.
Backing for the £8 million acquisition comes from venture capitalist Close Investment.
Kestrel, based in Plymouth, is an injection moulder supplying, principally, telectronics companies including Toshiba, Sony and Panasonic. Hampton, based in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, is a composites molder whose core business is making gas and electricity meter boxes. Integral has plans to expand the businesses into the UK commercial automotive and off-road equipment markets.
IMI bid welcomed by Polypipe April 19, 1999
Pipe manufacturer Polypipe has welcomed a takeover bid by IMI which values Polypipe at £337 million. If the deal goes ahead Polypipe will be added to IMI's Hydronic Controls division which includes plumbing and heating interests. These are mainly metal based, so the addition of Polypipe would give a new direction for expansion. Polypipe executive chairman Keith McDonald would join the board of IMI as a non-executive director.
Polyester fibre co-operation April 18, 1999
Another major polyester manufacturer has involved itself in joint ventures to make and sell fibres and associated products.
DuPont has linked with Alpek and Teijin to make and sell polyester filament yarn in the Americas, and with Sabanci to sell filament, staple, resins, intermediates and related products throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The Sabanci agreement involves two British DuPont plants, at Wilton and Pontypool, and Uentrop in Germany. Sabanci brings in its Garforth texturing plant and several sites in Turkey.
The two companies would be equal partners in the joint venture, which would have revenues of $1 billion and employ around 4,500 people.
LCI and Maag pumps in the same stable April 18, 1999
LCI Corporation of the USA has sold its Fluid Systems Division, which makes polymer gear pumps among other things, to Textron, also of the USA, which owns Swiss-based gear pump manufacturer Maag.
Global extension to PP compounds licensing arrangement April 18, 1999
Exxon Chemical has joined the Mytex polypropylene compound cross-licensing arrangement, extending it to the Asia-Pacific region. The Mytex deal is an arrangement between Mytex Polymers of the USA, Japan Polychem Corporation and DSM of Holland to make PP compounds using each other's processes based on Mitsubishi Chemical technology, with the prime aim of supplying a worldwide standard compound to vehicle manufacturers.
Exxon's involvement will see the creation of Mytex Asia Pacific in Singapore, producing compounds with PP from Exxon's 275,000 tonnes Singapore plant due on stream in late 2000.
New Metocene mPP grade for injection moulded packaging April 18, 1999
A metallocene-catalysed polypropylene has been introduced by Targor as 'in terms of cost, the first favourable alternative to homopolymer polypropylene and high-density polyethylene for injection moulded packaging'. The new Metocene X 50210 has three attributes making it particularly suitable for packaging, says Targor:
Its oxygen barrier is 10 - 35 per cent better than that of conventional polypropylene catalysed with Ziegler-Natta catalysts.
Warpage is even lower than controlled rheology polypropylenes, such as peroxide-degradable, narrow molecular weight distribution grades.
It has a good price-performance ratio.
Water barrier properties are equivalent to those of conventional PP, and while it is not completely transparent, its haze is 20 per cent lower than that of conventional homopolymer polypropylene.
Oxygen barrier properties are such that packaging made from X 50210 can store its contents longer, or wall thickness can be reduced, says Targor.
Applications foreseen for the material are typified by yoghourt and dessert tubs.
A further potential lies in the manufacture of packaging for industrial products, such as video cassettes, because of the material's transparency and its ability to be moulded stress-free, so there is no subsequent warpage.
Acrylics merger completed April 18, 1999
The merger between the two methacrylates specialists Röhm and Agomer has been completed, following the merger in February of the two parent companies, Hüls and Degussa to form Degussa-Hüls.
The new acrylics company has been named Röhm GmbH, and has 4,400 employees and annual sales of more than DM 2 billion.
Swiss hot runner manufacturer to start US production April 18, 1999
Swiss hot runner manufacturer Unitemp is to set up a manufacturing plant in the USA. Its US subsidiary Softline Corp will start construction this summer, and initial production is scheduled for early next year.
The company says there is 'enormous demand' for hot runner systems, primarily from the automotive industry and its suppliers, and the need for ever faster deliveries could only be met by on-the-spot manufacturing.
Water contact testing accreditation April 18, 1999
LGC - formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist - has been designated by the Drinking Water Inspectorate as one of two UK centres able to carry out Regulation 25 testing on materials used in the treatment and supply of drinking water. Regulation 25 of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 controls processes, substances and products used in the treatment and provision of public water supplies and applies to all materials, treatment chemicals and products used in contact with drinking water.
ICI's latest move to quit the plastics business April 16, 1999
ICI has taken another major step towards the exit door of the polymer industry. It is selling its polyurethanes business and is looking for a buyer for acrylics.
The polyurethanes business, along with titanium dioxide, aromatic chemicals and ICI's share of the Wilton olefins supply business, is being bought by Huntsman Corporation of the USA. Huntsman has also expressed interest in buying the acrylics business but ICI says it is 'assessing a range of disposal options' for this.
The £1·7 billion deal with Huntsman will see the setting up of a new company, Huntsman ICI Holdings (HICI), in which ICI will hold a 30 per cent stake for a minimum of three years. Huntsman is adding its US propylene oxide assets, valued at around £560 million to HICI, bringing the total value of HICI up to £2·26 billion. ICI values its 30 per cent at £300 million.
In detail the businesses being moved into HICI are:
Polyurethanes - three sites in the UK, the Netherlands and the USA; capacity 770,000 tonnes of polyurethanes, 545,000 tonnes of polyurethane raw materials; debt-free valuation £1,050 million.
Titanium dioxide - companies in North America, Europe, Malaysia and South Africa; capacity 570,000 tonnes; debt-free valuation £500 million.
Aromatics and olefins - aromatics, hydrogen and North Tees logistics businesses; capacity 1·2 million tonnes; olefines supply excluding ICI's 80 per cent of the joint venture with BP; capacity 865,000 tonnes of ethylene; together valued at £150 million.
The sale of these materials businesses is part of ICI's strategy to move from industrial chemicals towards speciality chemicals and paints. Since it bought Unilever's speciality chemicals businesses in 1997 ICI has sold more than 40 industrial chemical businesses.
GenCel buys Solent April 16, 1999
Injection moulder GenCel Group has bought Solent Technical Mouldings of Southampton. The acquisition brings to more than 80 the number of injection presses in the group, which also includes GenCel Cyroma in Banbury, GenCel Aldersgate at Verwood and GenCel Manta in Shoreham.
JV to sell Corterra April 8, 1999
Shell Chemicals has set up a joint venture with fibre specialist KoSa in the USA to sell fibres and yarns made from Shell's Corterra polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and the polymer itself in North and South America. The new venture is called Corterra Polymer.
KoSa is the company which bought Hoechst's worldwide polyester business last year.
Nissei opens UK support office as big electric machine installation starts April 7, 1999
Nissei has opened a service office in Milton Keynes to support its machine installations in this country. The trigger has been the order for around 20 electric machines from a Japanese company setting up a plant in the Midlands in the information technology sector.
The office will be home for a service engineer, formerly based at Nissei Europe in Brussels.
Nissei says there is increasing interest in Europe for electric injection moulding machines, although before the current order - which was placed in Japan - only one electric machine has been sold, to East Surrey College.
According to Nissei's UK sales agency, Trendpam, there are more Nissei hydraulic machines in the UK than anywhere else in Europe.
Nissei Europe NV (UK Branch) is at Unit 11, Heathfield, Stacey Bushes Industrial Park, Milton Keynes. The telephone number is 01908 316625, fax 01908 316626.
Boost for T & D Plastech's sales team April 7, 1999
T & D Plastech has promoted Mark Halford to sales and marketing director. Ray Appleby has been promoted to business manager for trade and technical mouldings, and Geoff Burrow has joined the company as technical sales manager.
Arrk rationalises April 7, 1999
Prototyping specialist Arrk is to merge its two UK subsidiaries. Earlier this year it bought Formation in Gloucester and set up shop in Formation's premises as Arrk Formation. Now the company is to move the project advisers and production staff of Arrk Europe from London to Gloucester to consolidate as Arrk Formation, leaving the London operation purely as a sales base.
DSM to turn off 70,000 tonnes of polypropylene April 4, 1999
In common with moves by Montell and
Targor, DSM Polypropylenes is closing down a 70,000 tonnes polypropylene plant at Gelsenkirchen in Germany this month following improved productivity at other facilities on the site and at Geleen in the Netherlands.
After the plant closure DSM's polypropylene capacity will total around 800,000 tonnes. In the second quarter of 2000 this capacity will be boosted to over 1 million tonnes by a new 250,000 tonnes plant at Gelsenkirchen.
Laser welding can be used on clear plastics April 3, 1999
TWI - The Welding Institute - has developed a process for laser welding transparent plastics. Laser welding of plastics is done by making one of the materials opaque to the laser, so that when the laser is fired through the transparent material it is absorbed by the opaque material at the interface between the two, causing the opaque material to heat up and melt, while the transparent material absorbs heat by conduction and also melts, thereby creating a weld. Transparent and opaque in this context do not mean transparent and opaque to visible light, but to the laser, so a material transparent to the laser could be pigmented.
However, according to TWI, the laser absorbent material is most likely to be made opaque by the addition of carbon black or some other absorber that also renders the material optically opaque.
What the Institute has done is to adapt an almost colourless dye - such as the Filtron dyes produced by Gentex Corp - which is an efficient laser light absorber. This can be compounded into the plastic, but can also simply be painted or printed on to the joint interface, or can be formed into a thin film which is placed in the joint.
The result is an 'almost invisible' weld between two clear plastic components.
Targor gears up metallocene catalyst production April 3, 1999
Targor is taking a leap forward in the metallocene catalysts business by building a 100 tonnes/year plant (sufficient for around 1 million tonnes of polypropylene) due to start production next year. The company says the plant, at Ludwigshafen in Germany, will be the first commercial facility in Europe for the manufacture of metallocene catalysts for the production of polypropylene.
Catalysts will be both sold and used internally - Targor is converting part of its Wesseling, Germany, plant to make Metocene metallocene polypropylene - but they will also be used outside mPP production. Targor says that according to impartial estimates around 20 per cent of standard polypropylene will be made with metallocene catalysts by the end of the next decade, with improvements in application and processing properties over materials polymerised with conventional catalysts.
Capacity expansion at Telford Extrusions April 3 , 1999
Window profile extruder Telford Extrusions has increased capacity by installing a Krauss-Maffei KMD 114-26 extruder with Vobau downstream equipment configured for twin strand production. The new 26 D extruder is capable of 500 kg/hr, substantially more than the 23 D machines installed previously.
Telford Extrusions, part of the Epwin Group, was started in 1989 and now runs 22 extruders on its main site and 10 nearby, producing more than 12,000 tonnes of profile a year.
Eleven of its extruders are from Krauss-Maffei and the latest investment also includes a 90 mm 26 D extruder, compatible with an existing 90-23, and a smaller machine.
PTFE hose takeover April 3, 1999
Major PTFE-lined hose producer Astraflex has bought the business of one of its competitors, PTFE Flexibles, from the FHS Group of Slough. The acquisition adds specialist product lines such as large bore hoses for chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical applications.
Astraflex is to move the PTFE Flexibles manufacturing operation from Northampton to its own factory at Normanton in West Yorkshire, and will rename the Belgian sales and distribution subsidiary Astraflex BVBA. The FHS Group retains involvement with a long term distributorship for Astraflex hoses.
Astraflex is a subsidiary of US-based Teleflex which employs more than 13,000 people at 80 sites, supplying products and services to the automotive, marine, industrial, aerospace and medical markets worldwide.
New sales boss at Ferromatik Milacron April 2, 1999
Ferromatik Milacron has restructured its marketing and sales department with the promotion of Hermann Plank to manager of marketing and sales, overseeing the existing regional sales departments.
Allibert sold to US company April 2, 1999
The Sommer Allibert Group is selling its materials handling business, which includes Sommer Allibert (UK) and a 50 per cent stake in Allibert Contico, to Myers Industries of Saint Louis in the USA for FF 580 million plus the assumption of existing debt. Myers is to buy the remaining 50 per cent of Allibert Contico from Contico International.
Sommer Allibert (UK) has been renamed Allibert Equipment and will continue to operate under the Allibert Handling banner, making plastics containers, pallets and tanks.
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