Hepworth sale agreed

January 30, 2001 - Another major British pipe extruder is moving into foreign ownership. Following the takeover of Glynwed's Pipe Systems business by Etex of Belgium, Hepworth plc, which owns Hepworth Building Products which in turn operates Hepworth Plumbing, is to be bought by Vaillant of Germany.
     The takeover follows a bid in December last year valuing the company at £692 million. Hepworth's directors have now accepted the bid and recommended acceptance to shareholders.
     Vaillant is primarily involved in the heating appliance business, in which Hepworth is active with brands including Glowworm, Saunier Duval, AWB and Protherm. The addition of Hepworth to Vaillant will produce what is probably Europe's biggest heating appliance manufacturer. In 1999 Vaillant's turnover was Eur 850 million while Hepworth turned over Eur 450 million in its heating technology business. Vaillant has since also bought the Italian manufacturer BPK.
     However, Hepworth's heaters business accounted for just under half its 1999 turnover, and employs only around 2,500 of its 6,200 staff. Vaillant has not been forthcoming over its plans for the rest of Hepworth's operations, which in addition to the plumbing, rainwater and water services pipe systems include moulded plastics building products, clay-based products and sand extraction. The company has, however, confirmed that there will be some cost-cutting after the takeover.

Ozone-friendly blowing agent for trial

January 30, 2001 - Honeywell Fluorine Products Europe is now making semi-commercial quantities of its HFC-245fa blowing agent available for trial by European foam producers. Hydrofluorocarbon HFC-245fa is a non-ozone depleting blowing agent designed primarily to replace hydrochlorofluorocarbon HCFC-141b in rigid insulating foams. HCFC-141b is being phased out under the terms of the Montreal Protocol.
     A commercial scale plant for producing HFC-245fa will start up in Geismar, Louisiana, USA in mid-2002.

PolyOne to shut more compounding plants

January 29, 2001 - The latest move in PolyOne's cost cutting programme is to shut down four compounding plants in the USA, and more closures are likely. When it was set up last year by the merger of M A Hanna and The Geon Company PolyOne set a target of a $50 million annual improvement in earnings by 2002 by rationalisation and new business directions. At the end of last year it closed the Victor International compounding plant in Coventry and moved the business to its Manchester masterbatch site. A couple of weeks ago PolyOne realigned its US distribution set up, focusing on four regional centres and eliminating 20 jobs.
     Today it announced plans to close compounding plants in Conroe (Texas), Denver (Colorado), Glen Rock (Pennsylvania) and San Fernando (California). These plants are all part of PolyOne's Plastic Compounds and Colors Group. Other sites have been designated to take over the work.
     Chairman and chief executive officer Thomas Waltermire said: 'Today's announcement is based on the (evaluation) team's first recommendations. Once team members have completed their comprehensive evaluation of all our PCC manufacturing sites, we anticipate additional announcements.'
     Closure of these four sites will eliminate about 65 of approximately 75 jobs. The benefit to pre-tax earnings from the closures will be around $6 million a year.

DuPont accelerates fluoropolymer investment and puts up prices

January 29, 2001 - DuPont has increased the prices of its fluoropolymers and additives by 5 - 10 per cent for Teflon FEP, PFA and Tefzel ETFE to 10 - 12 per cent for Teflon PTFE depending on product grade. The increase is to compensate for higher raw material and energy costs, but DuPont is also investing heavily in its fluoropolymers businesses. In 1999 the company started a new pilot plant in the USA, followed by a $40 million development plant, and began a seven year $275 million worldwide investment in fluoropolymer production. $45 million of this investment was earmarked for Europe in the 1998 - 2001 period, and DuPont has now brought forward a further $10 million to be spent this year at Dordrecht in the Netherlands.
     Dordrecht is also where DuPont Dow Elastomers makes Viton fluoroelastomer, and where the company has just announced a $50 million two-year investment in new grades of Viton.

UK springboard for niche nylon compound expansion

January 29, 2001 - German nylon compounder Frisetta Polymer has now opened for business in the UK as part of two-pronged expansion, firstly into the UK and later this year with a subsidiary company in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
     Frisetta is a family-owned firm making nylon compounds, just over half of which go to the electrical/electronic sector, 20 per cent to automotive, and the rest to a variety of small use industries. Its compounds are all based on PA 6, 66 or 6/66, and as well as moulding grades, Frisetta makes materials for powder coating. It focuses on niche materials such as halogen- and phosphorus-free flame retardant grades in a range of colours.
     There are already several well-established nylon compounders in this country and Frisetta sees no future in competing on a 'me too' basis. So, for instance, it will be offering a flame retardant glass-filled PA 66 without halogens or phosphorus, which it says is otherwise not available. Also in the range is a material which Frisetta has been making for five years and says is probably only made by one other company. This is a cross-linkable nylon containing additives which react under beta or gamma radiation to turn the material 'virtually into a thermoset' with high heat resistance. The drawback here is that the irradiation is a post-moulding process requiring a specialist company, and they are few and far between in Britain. This material is in use in Switzerland in the communications industry, and also in France in automotive.
     At present Frisetta has 16,000 tonnes of annual capacity on 12 Werner & Pfleiderer twin screw lines. It tends to under-utilise this capacity in order to retain flexibility for short orders of special grades, so for instance its 2000 output of 11,650 tonnes was 15 per cent over target. Delivery time is quoted as 2 - 4 weeks, and UK orders will be filled directly from Frisetta's Utzenfeld factory: there is no plan as yet to carry stocks in the UK.
     But the company is going through an expansion phase, hence the export drive to Britain and the USA. Last year Frisetta invested Eur 13 million as the first stage of an expansion which will take it to 20 - 22,000 tonnes by the end of next year, and in the longer term up to 40,000 tonnes. It has already set up offices in France, Spain and Italy, and addition of the UK and USA to its sales territory is intended to ramp this year's output up to 15,000 tonnes. Frisetta expects to manufacture in the USA when annual sales reach 3 - 5,000 tonnes.
     Frisetta sources most of its base nylons from major Western European suppliers, and another entry on the expansion wish list is to set up its own polymerisation plant. The company is also aiming to get the Underwriters Laboratory white card to enable it to carry out UL testing in its own laboratories.
     UK contact: Chris Litherland, 01722 339101.

BASF increases polystyrene prices as market forecasts turn to gloomy

January 29, 2001 - BASF is increasing the price of its Styropor polystyrene by DM 0·20/kg on February 1. As well as the oft-quoted justification for a price increase of dwindling margins, BASF is anticipating a 'significant shortage' of precursors.
     This underlines the findings of a study by Chemical Market Associates into the styrene and styrene derivatives markets, which concludes that over the next two years demand is going to outstrip capacity and the market will tighten. The report says that after several years of steady growth in capacity poor investment returns put a brake on new projects and no new capacity additions are expected until the second half of 2002. This means that continuing growth in demand will push operating rates to an average 97 per cent, and with some capacity turned off for maintenance, demand could exceed the capacity to supply.
     However, beyond 2003 planned new capacity expansions will swing the pendulum the other way, capacity will exceed demand, and 'relatively strong earnings for the next two years will be followed by a period of much reduced earnings as the market searches for a new point of equilibrium'.
     One bright spot is that Western Europe looks like becoming a net exporter of styrene. This would mean that previous situations when worldwide demand has forced European users to bid high for spot material are less likely to occur, bringing more price stability.
     A similar pattern has evolved in polystyrene. The report says that excessive capacity additions leading to major rationalisation and restructuring over 1997 - 99 are the main reasons why producers have seen their margins erode. There are now fewer opportunities for further restructuring which should increase stability and bring better margins. Margins will also benefit from the tighter supply expected because major capacity additions are behind schedule.
     EPS will follow a similar, but more marked pattern as its growth rate is around 1·5 times that of polystyrene.

Etex + Glynwed = a new force in plastics pipe

January 29, 2001 - A new European leader and major world player in plastics pipe systems will be formed by the acquisition by the Belgian Etex Group of Glynwed's Pipe Systems business. The Etex brands of Marley (UK and Germany), Nicoll (France, Belgium and Italy), Jimten (Spain), Girpi (France), Redi (Italy), Hunter (UK), Sanit (Germany) and Canplas (Canada) will be joined by Glynwed's Friatec (Germany), Durapipe (UK), Fip (Italy), Astore (Italy), Akatherm (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany), Ipex (Canada, USA), Enfield (USA), Philmac (Australia, UK), and Viking Johnson (UK).
     Approval will be needed from the anti-trust authorities in Europe, the USA and Canada, but there is not expected to be a problem with competition regulations as the pipe businesses of the two companies are broadly complementary. The Etex companies produce non-pressure systems and sanitary products and Glynwed Pipe Systems specialises in fluid supply under pressure.
     Etex is to pay £786 million for the Glynwed pipe business with completion expected in March - assuming approval by Glynwed's shareholders. Last year Pipe Systems achieved sales of £607·3 million - more than three quarters of Glynwed plc's turnover - returning an operating profit of £67·3 million before exceptional costs of £6·7 million.
     After the sale Glynwed will be left with its Consumer & Foodservice business, which in 1999 achieved sales of £192·8 million and an operating profit of £19·4 million before exceptional costs of £2·6 million. It is planning to change its name to Aga Foodservice Group plc, reflecting its best-known brand name in this sector.
     During the past three years Glynwed has realigned to become a major engineering group focused on Pipe Systems and Consumer & Foodservice operations. It has sold a number of mainly low-growth, metals-based businesses, raising some £300 million, and has invested over £500 million in acquisitions.
     Tony Wilson, Glynwed's Chief Executive, will go with the Pipe Systems business to become Chief Executive of the enlarged Etex plastics division. Another Glynwed board member Andrea Catanzano will also become a senior member of the Etex management.
     Etex Group, which is based in Brussels, is a privately owned international building materials group whose principal products are plastic building and plumbing products, roof covering products, flooring products, cement board and plasterboard. Its principal markets are in Western Europe and the Americas but the group operates in 36 countries on all continents through 130 industrial and commercial companies employing 25,900 people. Operating income last year was Eur 244·3 million, on turnover of Eur 2,675 million.

Victrex enters the fuel cell arena

January 29, 2001 - Victrex - best known for its ex-ICI PEEK polymer business - is becoming involved in the development of proton exchange membranes for fuel cells. This is an emerging technology in which hydrogen and oxygen are reacted without combustion to generate electricity.
     Victrex is joining with fuel cell specialist Ballard Power Systems of Canada to develop and manufacture two separate ionomers (proton conductive polymers) for use in membranes for Ballard fuel cells. The two companies will develop the manufacturing processes for Ballard's proprietary ionomer and collaborate on the development of a low cost ionomer from Victrex.
     The initial development period will last up to four years during which each party will fund its own costs. Victrex does not expect its costs to exceeed £0·5 million in the first year. On the successful completion of the development phase for each ionomer, including the development of volume manufacturing processes and qualification of the ionomer for commercial applications, Victrex will operate pilot facilities to manufacture these ionomers for use in Ballard fuel cells.

Mitsui to sell Topas in Japan

January 29, 2001 - Ticona has established a Japanese outlet for its Topas cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC). Its partner in the development of Topas, Mitsui Chemicals, becomes exclusive distributor in Japan with non-exclusive rights in some other Asian countries. Mitsui also makes COC, which is branded as Apel and will be sold alongside Topas, but with different target markets.
     Ticona is to handle marketing and distribution in Asia Pacific with Singapore as the regional headquarters. The area excludes Japan and includes the Indian sub-continent.

Bayer quits acrylic fibre production

January 29, 2001 - Bayer has completed its withdrawal from acrylic fibres by selling the Dralon business unit of Bayer Faser to the recently-formed Neuss, Germany-based Dralon subsidiary of the Italian Fraver Group. The sale includes the acrylic fibre production facility at Bayer's Dormagen site and Bayer's remaining interest in Faserwerke Lingen, in which Fraver already owns a 30 per cent stake.

BP adds new technology to its for sale list

January 23, 2001 - Whoever buys BP's Gronau film plant in Germany will get the added bonus of a novel structural thermoplastic sheet technology.
     Coincidental with the announcement of its decision to sell its plastics processing businesses, BP bought the worldwide rights to the hot compaction technology invented at the University of Leeds and developed by Vantage Polymers, which now continues as a research company.
     Hot compaction makes 'self-reinforcing' thermoformable polypropylene sheets by partially melting bundles of fibres and pressing them so that the molten material fuses to form a sheet retaining the alignment of the original fibres. This gives the sheet toughness and rigidity comparable with carbon and glass fibre-reinforced materials, but at lower weight and with the benefit of full recyclability.
     BP has bought the rights to this technology through British Technology Group, and the agreement includes an accelerated earnings clause as an incentive to bring the technology to market. BP is reported to be 'making significant investment' and expects the first line to be commissioned this year at Gronau.

DuPont Dow invests in improved fluoroelastomers

January 23, 2001 - DuPont Dow Elastomers has started construction of a plant to make new speciality types of Viton fluoroelastomer in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. The aim is to meet more stringent environmental regulations, low temperature sealing requirements, and more aggressive engine oils and additives.
     The company will invest $50 million in the new facility and proprietary technology over the next two years to launch new speciality fluoroelastomers. Operation is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2002, with up to 10 new products becoming available in the first year.

Increased heat cure elastomer output

January 23, 2001 - A new line for heat-cure elastomers has come on stream at Rhodia Silcones' Saint-Fons site in France. It has cost around FFr 30 million and is intended to support Rhodia's network of Mix & Fix Centers which produce and sell silicone elastomers as ready-mixed compounds or as pre-catalysed masterbatches.

Clean room investment by Metflex

January 23, 2001 - Schlumberger Group subsidiary Metflex has invested £70,000 in a clean room to enable it to handle coloured rubber compounds without the risk of cross-contamination.
     The 25 m² room includes an extruder, four presses and a hydraulic pack, and is expected to practically eliminate blemishes on components caused by dust in the environment, which is one of the biggest causes of rejects for coloured components.
     Metflex recently spent £200,000 on two new rubber injection moulding machines.

Ex-Critchley extrusion job goes to Ravenscroft

January 23, 2001 - Ravenscroft Plastics has won a three-year contract worth in excess of £3 million to supply Tyco, an American-based corporation, with a complete range of profile extrusions for use in the electronics industry. The range was formerly produced by Critchley and was put out to tender after Tyco bought Critchley in March last year.
     Ravenscroft transferred all the plant and equipment into two factory units in Tewkesbury and retained many of the Critchley work force.
     Ravenscroft's sales increased 23·5 per cent in 2000 against 1999 and the company expects that upward trend to continue through 2001.

Formal conclusion to Mikron's Axxicon takeover

January 23, 2001 - The Mikron Technology Group of Switzerland has completed its takeover of the Dutch Axxicon Group. Mikron operates in two business segments - production equipment and components - and will incorporate Axxicon in its production equipment business as an independent division focusing on mould technology. The head office of Axxicon will remain in Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Senior sales appointment at United Packaging

January 23, 2001 - United Packaging has appointed Steve Slater as sales director - flexible materials, responsible for sales of polypropylene packaging film as well as tape and twine. He has been working with the company for the past three years.

Bayer plans Chinese PU coating investment

January 23, 2001 - Bayer is to build a plant for polyurethane coating materials in the People's Republic of China. The first phase of the $110 million scheme will become operational in 2003 and will provide capacity for 11,500 tonnes of TDI- and HDI-based polyisocyanates. This will be followed by a plant for the HDI precursor, which will complement the 30,000 tonnes plant already under construction and expected on-line in 2002 at Leverkusen, Germany.

DSM quits stock shapes and expands engineering plastics

January 21, 2001 - DSM has taken another step in its progress towards a future as a specialities rather than commodity materials company with the sale of its plastics shapes business and expansion of its speciality nylon production.
     The sale of DSM Engineering Plastic Products (EPP) is to Swiss-based Quadrant Holding which owns Symalit, which extrudes semi-finished and finished products from fluoroplastics, primarily for the automotive industry. In recent years Symalit has bought two glass mat thermoplastic businesses, Elastopreg from BASF subsidiary Elastogran and the GMT business of Borealis. The addition of the EPP business is expected to give a new international base to the composites business.
     EPP employs 1,085 people in 16 countries, including an operation in Welwyn Garden City.
     DSM's Engineering Plastics business does have a future within the reshaping group, with the manufacture of performance materials including nylons, thermoplastic polyesters and polycarbonate. Capacity for Stanyl nylon 46 at Geleen in Holland has just been increased by 30 per cent, and the company is considering a further increase for 2002 to meet current global growth in high heat polyamides of 20 per cent. With the new plant has come a new grade of Stanyl, a high flow grade intended for use in electronic connectors.

UV specialist offers wider approach

January 21, 2001 - A company specialising in UV curing technology has been set up to offer a broader service than it says is currently available from existing suppliers. Integration Technology sees itself as a systems integrator rather than an equipment manufacturer, and as such is able to supply turnkey systems using the most appropriate components, freeing itself from being tied to a limited product range or only having limited application experience.
     Integration Technology has been set up by two former directors of Spectral and the team claims 25 years of experience in industrial UV applications. Standard UV curing products are available and the company also offers a bespoke manufacturing service, and consultancy covering project management and the optimisation of existing lines.
     Background information at the company's web site.

Laser companies unite

January 21, 2001 - Rofin-Sinar has bought Baasel Lasertech, creating one of the world's largest producers of industrial lasers and application systems. In the UK Rofin-Sinar of Hinckley and Baasel of Daventry have combined as Rofin-Baasel UK at new offices in Daventry.

Bayer to increase EPDM production

January 18, 2001 - Bayer is planning to increase its production of EPDM with a Eur 100 million investment in Germany and the USA.
     In Germany it is to add a third production line to its Marl facility, increasing capacity from 60,000 to 115,000 tonnes. And in the USA it is to modernise its Orange, Texas plant to bring capacity up to 70,000 tonnes. Worldwide capacity will reach 185,000 tonnes in 2003.

New MD for Hubron Manufacturing

January 18, 2001 - Hubron Manufacturing Division, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of black masterbatches, has promoted Keith Simms from sales director to managing director. He has been with the company since 1994.
     Pater Flannagan has been promoted to sales manager and Julia Mason to purchasing manager.

EU approval for Vopak bid to buy E & E

January 18, 2001 - The takeover of Ellis & Everard by Royal Vopak has been given European Commission clearance. Although the two companies have overlapping interests in chemicals distribution in the UK and Ireland and in polymers distribution in Scandinavia, the EC found that their combined market share would remain low and that there was sufficient competition in both sectors.

Senior appointment at Ticona

January 18, 2001 - The new chief operating officer of Ticona is Stefan Sommer, who moves up from executive vice president responsible for the company's core and growth businesses as well as global marketing and sales.

BP Amoco plans to sell downstream manufacturing

January 18, 2001 - BP Amoco is planning to sell two groups of companies making plastics packaging, engineering components, fabrics and fibres as it builds up its core activities as a primary producer of fossil fuel-related materials and withdraws from making products from them.
     The two business groups include a number of companies making packaging film, blow moulded containers and technical products, assemblies for the appliance and automotive industries, agricultural films and netting and the largely US-based fibres and fabrics unit which is the world's largest producer of carpet backing and also makes woven and non-woven geo-textiles and woven fabrics for packaging. Between them these businesses turn over around $1 billion. No identifiable bidders have yet appeared, nor has BP Amoco set down prices, but it expects to complete the disposals during this year.
     There are 19 sites up for sale, spread around the world, which include the HyBar flexible packaging, printed films and barrier films business at Darton in the UK; carpet backing plants at four sites in the USA, and also in Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Germany and Hungary; packaging and agricultural film production at four sites in Germany; and a technical blow moulding plant in the USA with another in Germany.
     The sale also includes BP's 51 per cent stake in Arjobex, which has plants in the USA, France and at Clacton in the UK, and the 50·1 per cent stake in a Chinese woven fabrics operation.
     BP Amoco's withdrawal from these downstream businesses is in line with its growth in recent months in PP and HDPE through an agreement with Solvay and the takeover of Bayer's share in the Erdölchemie polyolefins joint venture.

Bayer sells titanium dioxide interests

January 18, 2001 - Bayer has sold its 20 per cent interest in Kerr-McGee Pigments in Germany to another Kerr-McGee German subsidiary, Kerr-McGee Chemical for Eur 25 million.
     The balance of the company was already held by US titanium dioxide producer Kerr-McGee Chemical, which is exercising an option to buy Bayer's shareholding after 2000. Bayer bought into the operation in 1998 in order to safeguard its TiO₂ supply.

Film company restructures by division

January 18, 2001 - Wolff Walsrode, the Bayer processing subsidiary, is restructuring its films operations. They are being divided among four market-specific subsidiaries Covexx Films Walsrode (coextruded, laminated, printed and flexible multilayer films); Epurex Films (thermoplastic elastomer and other technical films); CaseTech (sausage skins); and Walothen (biaxially oriented polypropylene). The four companies will be managed by a further company, Probis, which will also oversee the newly formed chemical company Wolff Cellulosics.
     As part of the restructuring operation Wolff Walsrode is seeking partnerships, ideally with multi-national companies with similar product ranges, through joint ventures, equity stakes or outright takeovers.

E & E takeover nears conclusion

January 10, 2001 - Dutch-based chemicals distributor Royal Vopak is now close to total ownership of Ellis & Everard, the British-based chemical distributor which owns Distrupol in the UK and Performance Polymers in the USA.
     The purchase offer was made last November and Vopak has steadily secured E & E shares to the extent that it now owns or has acceptances for 92·8 per cent of the company.
     Acquisition of E & E will add a strong commodity chemicals portfolio to Vopak's specialities business. It will also give entry to the polymers market, an area in which it says it has 'long had an interest to participate'. Vopak is, in fact, already active to some extent in polymers through the extensive range of additives sold by its subsidiary Univar of Croydon.

DSM and BP to research polyolefin catalysts

January 10, 2001 - DSM, which is currently looking for a partner to share its petrochemicals, PE and PP businesses, has joined forces with BP to develop new catalysts for polyolefins.
     The two companies are collaborating with a number of other technology partners to develop high throughput experimentation (HTE) techniques for polyolefins. HTE allows many precise experiments to be run in parallel and reduces development time for new polyolefin products. The two companies will then use the results independently: they have stressed that they will not work together in developing new polyolefins.

Dow buys into Korean epoxy producer

January 9, 2001 - Dow Chemical has bought a slice of one of the major world markets for epoxies. It has acquired 80 per cent of Pacific Epoxy Co in Korea from Saehan Industries, which retains the remaining 20 per cent.
     Pacific Epoxy produces around 12,000 tonnes a year of converted epoxy resins including brominated, solid and solid-solution, used in applications such as protective coatings, electronics and specialities. Dow says that the Republic of Korea has one of the largest consumption rates for epoxy resins in the world, with more than 60,000 tonnes sold in 2000.

UV stabiliser/antiox price increases

January 9, 2001 - UV stabilisers and antioxidants from Great Lakes Chemical have increased in price in Europe. The specific increases are 7 per cent for all UV stabilisers and Anox PP18, Anox 20 and Alkanox 240 antioxidants. The price of Anox NDB (non-dusting blends) has gone up between Euro 0·8 and 1·7/kg depending on composition and quantity.

New PO process under development

January 9, 2001 - Degussa-Hüls has joined with Krupp Uhde to develop a new process for making propylene oxide - a base material for polyurethanes and polyesters. The new process yields PO through the catalytic oxidation of propylene with hydrogen peroxide. Degussa-Hüls is the world's second largest producer of hydrogen peroxide with an output of 430,000 tonnes worldwide.
     Apart from creating a new outlet for a major product, the new process offers a route to PO without by-products. Current production of propylene oxide is either by the chlorohydrine process, which generates a chlorine-containing waste liquor, or the POSM propylene oxide/styrene monomer process which generates large quantities of styrene monomer. The new process is also said to be cheaper.

Linpac sells out of water-soluble films

January 7, 2001 - Food packaging materials and containers manufacturer Linpac Plastics is selling its water-soluble film manufacturing subsidiary Aquafilm to Cast Film Europe, owned by Cast Film Technology of the USA.
     Aquafilm specialises in the manufacture and distribution of soluble films made from polyvinyl alcohol for use in healthcare, agrochemicals and textiles. The sale enables Linpac to concentrate on its core food packaging business.

Palram opens in the USA

January 7, 2001 - Palram Industries, the Israeli-based thermoplastic sheet manufacturer which also has plants in Durham and Doncaster, has opened a plant in the USA at Allentown, Pennsylvania.
     Production of Suntuf corrugated polycarbonate sheet starts this month. Suntuf is sold as a greenhouse covering, as a skylight when integrated with corrugated metal roofing, and as a multi-purpose material for home improvement. Additional products and production lines will be added later.

Wavin expands in Scandinavia

January 2, 2001 - Dutch-based pipe giant Wavin is buying a Norwegian pipe extrusion company. It is to take over the pipe division of Icopal, which has plants in Norway, Sweden and Poland and sales of around Eur 40 million. Over the past 10 years Wavin has bought pipe companies in 13 European countries, mostly in the East. The Icopal acquisition is its first in Scandinavia and its second largest to date.

Efficiencies from injection lead to price cuts

January 2, 2001 - Two rubber injection moulding machines installed by Schlumberger Group company Metflex in Blackburn have replaced 10 compression presses making gaskets. The 190 tonne horizontal Maplan machines cost £200,000, and have brought savings in manufacture enabling Metflex to cut its prices. The machines were supplied with automatic unloading and tooling and bring to eight the number of injection moulding machines at the plant.

DSM inches towards the exit

January 2, 2001 - DSM's withdrawal from commodity plastics has started. Last September the company announced a long term plan to become a substantially specialty chemicals-oriented company and to find a partner with whom to merge its polyethylene, polypropylene and hydrocarbons business groups.
     On January 1 it took the first step by combining DSM Polyethylenes, DSM Polypropylenes and DSM Hydrocarbons into DSM Petrochemicals. The new grouping employs around 2,200 people at sites in Geleen (Netherlands) and Gelsenkirchen (Germany). It is controlled by Frans Noteborn from the polypropylenes business and Jan-Hessel Kruit from DSM Hydrocarbons. The director of DSM Polyethylenes, Just Fransen van de Putte, has been appointed corporate vice president of DSM, Partnership Petrochemicals.

EU gives new approval for MDKM takeover

January 2, 2001 - The acquisition of Mannesmann Demag Krauss-Maffei by Siemens has been given European Commission approval - for the second time. Approval was given in August for the takeover jointly by Siemens and Bosch, but later the two companies decided that sole control would be vested in Siemens, so the takeover had to be re-submitted to the EC.
     The takeover is part of Mannesmann Vodafone's process of withdrawing from business sectors outside telecommunications. Its five engineering subsidiaries Dematik, VDO, Sachs, Rexroth and Demag Krauss Maffei were gathered under an intermediate operating company, Atecs Mannesmann, and a bid for the businesses was accepted from a consortium of Bosch and Siemens. Now four of them have ended up under Bosch control, with Mannesmann Demag Krauss-Maffei being taken over by Siemens.
     Siemens has already decided not to keep the plastics machinery businesses, and the whole group of six companies was put up for sale in November.

Plastic corks 'threaten bird life'

January 2, 2001 - A new slant on the environmental damage laid at the door of the plastics industry comes in a report commissioned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Far from blaming the production and use of plastics from causing environmental damage, the report sees danger for some species of birds because trees are being left standing.
     The culprit is the plastic wine cork. The RSPB report says that in five years plastic corks have taken 5 - 7 per cent of the global stopper market, and that this will reach 15 per cent by 2015. This will cause a surplus in the cork market, forcing down prices and putting farmers out of business. This in turn would threaten the cork oak forests in Spain and Portugal which are the natural habit for birds such as the booted eagle, black kite and turtle dove.

BASF buys more precursor capacity

January 2, 2001 - BASF has bought part of an Italian producer of polymer base materials. Through BASF Antwerpen in Belgium it has bought (subject to approvals) SISAS group's activities in Feluy, Belgium. Among the production facilities acquired by BASF are 92,000 tonnes of phthalic anhydride (used in plasticisers and polyesters), 95,000 tonnes of plasticisers and 125,000 tonnes of butanediol (used in PBT and polyurethanes). BASF already claims to be the world's largest butanediol producer.

PVOH production increase

January 2, 2001 - Environmental Polymers Group is ramping up production of its Depart mouldable polyvinyl alcohol used for biodegradable applications. It is hiring more staff with the intention of starting 24 hour/seven day production in March.

Japanese PBT plant

January 2, 2001 - Mitsubishi Chemical Corp is to increase production of PBT. It is planning a 60,000 tonnes plant at its Yokkaichi plant in Japan, due on stream by the end of 2002.

BASF increases styrenics prices

January 2, 2001 - BASF has increased the price of its styrene copolymers by Eur 0·15/kg. Specifically the increase affects Terluran ABS, Ronfalin ABS, Luran SAN and Luranyl PPE/HIPS.