Nylon reclaim plant is mothballed

August 30, 2001 - The joint DSM/Honeywell nylon recycling plant in the USA has been shut down indefinitely. DSM says it has encountered higher than expected production costs which, together with the current economic situation for caprolactam, have led to the decision to suspend the plant.
     The Evergreen plant, in Augusta, Georgia, was opened in November 1999 with the intention of reclaiming 45,000 tonnes of caprolactam from around 90,000 tonnes a year of nylon 6 carpet scrap. However, it has only been running at around 60 per cent capacity and DSM and Honeywell say investment is needed to bring production costs down to a more acceptable level. During the next few months the work force will be reduced by about 90, and when it is decided to restart the facility, process improvements will be implemented.

Plan to reclaim PVC in Japan

August 30, 2001 - Solvay's Vinyloop PVC reclamation process is to be sold in Japan by Kobe Steel if feasibility studies agreed by the two companies show potential. Vinyloop is solvent-based, using biodegradable solvents in a closed loop process to separate PVC from other components and regenerate PVC of a quality equivalent to the original product.
      www.vinyloop.com.

Polyolefin nanocomposite saves weight in exterior automotive part

August 30, 2001 - A polyolefin nanocomposite is being used to make an exterior step component for 2002 model General Motors mid-sized vans in the USA.
     The nanocomposite has been produced under a development agreement with GM by Basell and Southern Clay Products. It is a TPO filled with ultra pure smectite clay, the significant aspect of the technology being that the clay particles are only around a nanometer thick - conventional fillers for thermoplastic olefins are 1,000 times thicker. This means that the surface area of the clay filler is very much greater than other additives such as talc, giving property improvements at only a fraction of the conventional filler level. A TPO with a 2·5 per cent nano filler is as stiff and much lighter than parts with 10 times the amount of talc. Basell says that weight savings can reach 20 per cent depending on the part and the material that is being replaced by the composite.
     The structure of the nanocomposite being used by GM was developed through work by GM itself, which devised a way to peel apart the thin clay flakes to achieve the high surface area. GM has taken the unusual step of entering a mutual confidentiality agreement with Basell and Southern Clay, and Basell has been granted an exclusive license on GM's process to make the composite.
     michelle.talmo@basell.com.

Tampoprint moves to expand

August 30, 2001 - Tampoprint has moved its Alfa Tools printing machine manufacturing division into a new plant at Westerheim in Germany. The original site, about 1 km away, had become too small, so the company has built the new 7,000 m² facility, which has a 3,000 m² assembly area with Eur 1 million worth of new machining centres. The plant will make around 1,500 machines a year when it reaches full capacity.

Mold-Masters expands in Europe

August 30, 2001 - Mold-Masters is increasing production space at its Baden Baden plant in Germany by around a third and installing new plant to increase its production of hot runner systems for sale in Europe and the Near East.

BP to shut ageing Wilton LDPE plant

August 30, 2001 - BP is closing its LDPE plant at Wilton at the beginning of October. The company says that the age of the 100,000 tonnes plant and related high production and maintenance costs, together with competition from newer, larger plants make it unprofitable.
     BP will maintain supply of LDPE from third party sources, and from its Erdölchemie plant in Germany.
     The Wilton high pressure autoclave plant was built in 1973 by ICI and acquired by BP in 1982.

APV Baker consolidates extruder division

August 30, 2001 - APV Baker's Industrial Extruder Division has moved from Newcastle-under-Lyme to Peterborough, where the extruders have been built for some time. With the move comes the setting up of a customer trials and product development facility at Peterborough for both production and laboratory extruders. The address is: Manor Drive, Paston Parkway, Peterborough PE4 7AP. Tel: 01733 283000, fax 01733 283004.
     www.apvbaker.com.

More PE price increases

August 27, 2001 - Another polyethylene producer is increasing prices because of poor returns in recent months. Dow Europe is increasing prices for its Dowlex, Attane, Elite and Aspun materials by DM 0·20/kg on September 1.

BASF to increase sulphone polymer production

August 27, 2001 - BASF is increasing its capacity for sulphone polymers at Ludwigshafen in Germany from 3,000 to 5,000 tonnes, with the expansion due on line by the autumn of 2002. The company makes Ultrason S polysulphone and Ultrason E polyether sulphone which are used primarily for high heat applications such as automotive oil circulation system components, headlight reflectors and housings and microwavable household items.
     www.basf.com.

Wider availability of phosphorus flame retardants

August 27, 2001 - Dead Sea Bromine Group and Daihachi Chemical Industry are to join forces to sell phosphorus-based flame retardants. Dead Sea Bromine is the world's largest producer of elemental bromine, and makes bromine based flame retardants. The deal with Daihachi gives it a phosphorus-based product line for applications where phosphorus products are seen as more environmentally-friendly when incinerated. Daihachi benefits from an increased presence in the European and North American markets.
     www.dsbg.com.

Macfarlane withdraws from films with sale to US group

August 27, 2001 - Macfarlane Group is planning to sell its plastics film division to Tyco Plastics of the USA for $70 million. The sale follows Macfarlane's abortive attempt to buy British Polythene Industries last year. Failing to add BPI meant that Macfarlane could not achieve the market position it saw as necessary in the films business, so it has decided to quit the business altogether and focus on its Packaging Division, to which it has added National Packaging Group and A1 Packaging during this year. The sale to Tyco does not include Macfarlane's Irish injection moulding business.
     www.macfarlanegroup.net.
     www.tyco.com.

PE price increase from Basell

August 17, 2001 - Basell is increasing its European polyethylene prices by Eur 100/tonne from September 1 to counter the erosion in profit margins over the past couple of months, particularly in LDPE. The company is also planning to reduce temporarily its LDPE and HDPE capacities in Aubette (France) and Wesseling (Germany).

New management structure at Vita Thermoplastic Compounds

August 17, 2001 - Vita Thermoplastic Compounds has adopted a 'management by function' structure. The functional elements of the company will be run by three business managers responsible to managing director Chris Hopkinson. Business development manager Tony Bestall becomes UK sales and marketing manager, Vita Thermoplastic Polymers business manager Gary Pollard takes on operations responsibilities for the company's three units, and Jackdaw Polymers general manager Paul Tonks becomes manager responsible for European strategic development and European sales.

Flambeau buys French product line, lock, stock and blow moulding machine

August 17, 2001 - Flambeau EuroPlast, which until early last year was Blowspeed, has bought a line of blow moulded products and the equipment to make them from Sotralentz in France. The product range is cases for power tools, electronic instruments, guns and other equipment. To mould them the company has bought two blow moulding machines and all their ancillary equipment and tooling. It has also bought the order book, and plans to continue to supply Sotralentz's former customers. Flambeau's parent company, US-based Nordic Group, is one of the biggest suppliers of these cases in the USA.
     Flambeau sees this acquisition as a step towards Europe. It already exports more than 60 per cent of its production to the Continent, aided by the takeover last year of its neighbour in Ramsgate, injection moulder L & P Plastics.

Bayer plans plant cuts - and signs Chinese investment contract

August 17, 2001 - In addition to the price increases threatened by Bayer to counter its dramatic fall in profits despite rising sales, the company is also to cut Eur 700 million in costs from its polymers business.
     Against a background of severe economic consequences in its healthcare business from the withdrawal of its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipobay/Baycol and now claims for damages being made in the US courts, Bayer is seeking to cut costs group-wide by Eur 1·5 billion a year by 2005. The savings in the polymer business will come from closing 15 production plants - mostly outside Germany and in the USA - and reducing its workforce by 1,800 - 5 per cent globally. There will also be a 'portfolio optimisation' of all the business groups in the polymers segment.
      Shortly after announcing its worldwide plant cuts, Bayer signed the agreement with Shanghai Chlor Alkali Chemicals to build the joint venture polycarbonate plant in China planned in 1999. This will cost in the region of Eur 300 million and is part of an integrated chemical site which will be 'the most significant single investment in the history of Bayer' at Eur 3·3 billion.

BMC shuts down and reopens in a smaller format

August 17, 2001 - Blow Moulding Controls has gone into voluntary liquidation, and a new, leaner company has been set up to carry on parts of its former business. BMC has been making leak testers for around 18 years, and also represents Moog for its blow moulding control equipment. The unhappy state of the indigenous UK blow moulding industry through investment by international companies, and the effect on the supply sector of these companies sourcing their equipment outside the UK, had left BMC with little to do but support equipment in the field under free service agreements.
     Now BMC founder and managing director Robin Enderby and a few key engineers have formed a new company, BMC Controls, at smaller premises. The company will continue to make equipment and to represent Moog, and will also run a support operation.
     The new address is: Silk Mill Lane, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire GL54 5HZ, telephone 01242 604040, fax 01242 603987, e-mail robinenderby@btinternet.com.

Now TPE can be overmoulded on acetal

August 17, 2001 - Ticona is claiming a commercial first for a system of overmoulding acetal with a thermoplastic elastomer. The natural lubricity of acetal makes it very difficult to stick anything to it. But work done jointly by Ticona and Kraiburg TPE has overcome this, and Kraiburg has produced a version of its Thermolast-K adhesion-modified styrene block copolymer which bonds to Celcon or Hostaform acetal copolymer during two-component moulding. The bond is said to exceed the tear strength of the elastomer.
     The potential for this development lies mainly in the addition of seals and gaskets to acetal parts, cutting the cost of assembly, or in the addition of a shock or sound damping element.
     Earlier this year DuPont announced a similar break through. It has been working with Pongs & Zahn Plastics International and the two companies have produced a combination of a modified Delrin acetal and a modified Ponaflex styrene-based TPE which can be used in two-component mouldings.

Bayer and Borealis continue profit pressure from feedstocks

August 9, 2001 - High raw materials costs continued to undermine profitability in polymers production in the second quarter of this year, with companies reporting first half increases in sales over last year's first half, but returning reduced profits.
     Bayer increased sales in its polymers business by 9 per cent to Eur 5·7 billion, but operating profit fell 28 per cent to Eur 0·4 billion. Looking on the bright side chairman Manfred Schneider said the raw materials situation is predicted to ease slightly before the end of the year, and the economic climate should improve early in 2002. 'Irrespective of this we will implement further price increases to restore margins to satisfactory levels.'
     At Borealis turnover also rose 9 per cent, to Eur 1,969 million, in the first half, but operating profit fell 65 per cent to Eur 39 million. The company said average market prices for polyolefins were down 7 per in the second quarter compared with 2000, while the cost of naphtha was up 15 per cent, leading to a 10 per cent reduction in margins.
     Borealis is not quite as optimistic about the future as Bayer, and predicts weak demand during the rest of the year reflecting a slow down in overall economic growth rates, and with margins remaining under pressure.

Study into use of recyclate in automotive polymers

August 9, 2001 - A project to establish generic specifications for polymers containing recyclate for automotive applications is to be carried out by the British Plastics Federation and the CARE Group (Consortium for Automotive Recycling) with funding from the Department of Trade and Industry. It will attempt to devise generic standards from information gathered from all stages of the automotive chain from raw materials suppliers to end of life shredders, and then test and validate materials containing recycled plastics against these standards.
     After materials validation the project will test applications, and eventually set up a web site and hold a conference and seminars to report findings.
     Initially the project will examine 20 and 40 per cent talc-filled polypropylene containing 25 per cent post consumer recyclate, and then go on to cover rubber modified PP, injection and blow moulding grades of HDPE, ABS, and 30 per cent GF nylon 66. It is hoped that after the initial project materials including PVC, PC/ABS, TPE, PUR and PMMA will be added. Information.

Coilers for varying lengths

August 9, 2001 - Extruders producing odd lengths of profiles or hose in coils now have a UK source of coiling equipment. Generally coiling is done manually or on a simple coiler built in-house. Uponor Group company Unicor Extrusionstechnik builds a range of coilers for this type of work, and these are now available in the UK through B A Thorne (Machinery).
     The basic machines are turntable coilers from 80 to 120 cm diameter with cutting, changeover and tension-free coiling from outside to inside or vice versa. Multi-layering is possible together with interleaving of virtually any material. The process is controlled by a dancer arm which feeds a signal to a Siemens PLC.
     More complex equipment is available with multiple stations, automatic changeover, banding, foil wrapping, boxing and other options.

Higher heat LCP from Ticona

August 9, 2001 - A more heat resistant version of Vectra liquid crystal polymer has been developed by Ticona and Polyplastics. The new T-Series has a heat deflection temperature at 1·8 MPa of 300 degC, compared with 276 for the E130i grade which has similar mechanical properties and melt flow characteristics. The new grade is intended for electronics components, for which higher heat resistance is needed to withstand lead-free soldering techniques for surface mounting.

Davis-Standard to close ex-Betol extrusion plant

August 8, 2001 - Davis-Standard is to close its former Betol small extrusion line factory at Luton and move manufacturing to Germany. Somewhere around 50 jobs will be lost - 75 per cent of the workforce. Manufacturing will cease by the end of the year, but the company will maintain a sales office in the area.
     Davis-Standard bought Betol from the EIS Group in 1998 and planned to make it a European manufacturing centre for its extruder range. The reason for the closure is given as 'consolidating resources' and follows the announcement in July by Davis-Standard's parent company Crompton Corporation that it is to embark on a restructuring programme to cut $60 million from its overheads. The company's profits plunged 66 per cent in the second quarter over the second quarter 2000 on sales down 10 per cent, largely through the decline in the US automotive business. However the drop included a 27 per cent drop in polymer processing equipment sales 'caused by an industry-wide decline not seen in the past 20 years' leading to a loss of $4·3 million. Announcing the cost-cutting programme chairman Vincent Calarco said: 'We have identified facility consolidation opportunities and workforce reductions that will yield significant savings over the next 18 months'.
     The production of profile, tubing and small extrusion systems as well as the assembly of twin screw extruders will be moved to Davis-Standard's former Er-We-Pa plant at Erkrath in Germany, where it makes extrusion coating, blown and cast film, sheet and wire and cable equipment. It was to Erkrath that Davis-Standard moved KU-KA-MA and Bernex-Müller production when it bought the companies in 1999 and 1998.

Gas injection companies merge and patent new process

August 8, 2001 - Britain's two major gas injection technology companies have become one with the purchase of Gas Injection by BI Group, which also owns Cinpres. The two companies have been merged as Cinpres Gas Injection and GIL's directors have taken control, with Terry Pearson as chairman and Nick Pearson as managing director. Former Cinpres MD Steve Jordan becomes a consultant. All manufacturing has been transferred to the GIL plant at Middlewich in Cheshire.
     The new company has already filed patents on a new process it terms PEP - Plastic Expulsion Process. This is an alternative to other melt overflow processes in that instead of the gas pushing excess melt into an overflow cavity as it is metered into the mould, the cavity is first filled and the gas allowed to pressurise the melt before valves are opened to allow the melt to be expelled from the mould cavity to one or more overflow cavities. This transfers the focus on melt ejection from the timing of the gas injection to the timing of the valve opening.
     CGI says this gives significant advantages including better replication of cavity surface detail without flow and sink marks; more accurate, consistent and higher volumes of plastic expelled; and more easily controlled moulding conditions.
     PEP is one of several 'alternative' gas injection techniques brought into the new company from Gas Injection. Others include the external gas moulding process which has long been a Gas Injection speciality. CGI also has water injection, developed by Cinpres and GIL's associate Factor in Germany, and the Scorim process developed initially at Brunel University.

Eastman names the name for its PET business

August 8, 2001 - Eastman is to rename its PET business Voridian. Earlier this year Eastman announced plans to split into two new companies focused on speciality chemicals and plastics on the one hand, and PET plastics and acetate fibres on the other. The speciality chemicals and plastics business will continue to be called Eastman Co.
     Voridian will operate nine plants in seven countries on three continents, as well as two contract manufacturing sites in Asia and one in North America.

Conoco rebadges carbon fibres

August 8, 2001 - Conoco has renamed its carbon fibres business Conoco Cevolution, with the 'evolution' part reflecting the development of new CF technologies within the company. These include a series of high performance mesophase pitch-based fibres noted for their durability, light weight, strength and conductive properties; a highly crystalline speciality graphite product; and an evolving family of related speciality carbon-based materials with a new and different morphology.
     Conoco's carbon fibre business was set up less than two years ago - in January 2000 - and is currently building its first commercial carbon fibre manufacturing plant in the USA, which will come on stream in the first half of next year with a capacity of around 4,000 tonnes.

Sarnatech invests in twin shot moulding

August 8, 2001 - Three more twin-shot injection moulding systems have been installed by bearing manufacturer Sarnatech BNL at its Knaresborough factory. The Engel and Netstal machines, along with robotic handling, have cost £400,000, and are being used to add TPE surfaces to thermoplastic mouldings.
     One application is for a shaft for Hewlett Packard computer scanners. The shaft is moulded in semi-aromatic nylon as a replacement for metal, and is then over-moulded with elastomer rollers. The parts are exported to Singapore where the scanners are assembled. Sarnatech is also producing soft touch components such as power tool handles for Black & Decker.

1,400 tonne gas-assist machine for Showpla

August 8, 2001 - A 1,400 tonne Mega H injection moulding machine with gas injection, a CNC de-mould robot with a multi-sprue cutting device, granulator and conveyor have been sold by Sandretto to Showpla mouldings for the production of large electronic components. Eight of the 20 machines at Showpla now have gas injection which is enabling the moulding of large fascia panels and associated components without witness marks from ribs and bosses.

New factory to accommodate new compounding line

August 8, 2001 - Whitaker Technical Plastics has moved to a new custom-built factory to accommodate a new twin screw compounding line. The company has bought a 58 mm NFM Welding Engineers line - the first of its type to be installed in Europe - to develop compounds incorporating fillers, additives and modifiers, and polymer alloys. The new line cost more than £500,000 and includes water baths, pelletisers, air knives and packaging facilities.
     The company's existing range of static dissipative and conduct products will continue to be made on a 48 mm Prism twin screw line.
     Whitaker's new factory is at Unit G4, Redwood Court, Springwood Way, Tytherington Business Park, Macclesfield, SK10 2XH. Telephone and fax numbers are unchanged.

Non-burning PE film for car door liners

August 8, 2001 - A polyethylene film which it is claimed could help make cars safer has been developed by Alpha Packaging Films in Speke, Liverpool. The film, known as FRG, contains a halogenated polyphosphate flame retardant and is intended for use in door liners.
     It was developed at the request of a company supplying door liners to British motor manufacturers. The industry safety standard calls for liners not to burn more than 100 mm in 60 seconds. Alpha says its FRG film does not burn at all.
     The halogenated polyphosphate flame retardant, supplied by Wells Plastics, was used as an alternative to antimony trioxide or other heavy metal synergists to prevent the generation of toxic fumes. Testing to the German dioxin ordinance has shown that the FRG does not contain or generate levels of brominated dioxin or dibenzofurans.

Alliance to develop long glass PU

August 8, 2001 - Owens Corning and Bayer have formed an alliance to develop long fibre glass reinforced polyurethane components for the automotive industry. Bayer has the polyurethane expertise and, through its Hennecke subsidiary, technology for polyurethane processing, while Owens Corning contributes glass fibre technology and robotic placement systems.
     This is the latest in a series of strategic alliances set up by Owens Corning. In 1998 it joined with DSM in investigating long glass fibre reinforced polypropylene, and earlier this year joined with two automotive composites specialists.

GE in Asian ABS joint venture plan

August 8, 2001 - GE Plastics is planning to increase its stake in the Asian ABS market by consolidating its joint venture with Ube Industries into a joint venture with Mitsubishi Rayon. GE, through GE Japan, has a 49 per cent stake in Ube Cycon, which has a capacity of 100,000 tonnes of ABS in Japan. Ube Cycon is expected to have a majority share in the joint venture with Mitsubishi, which has 66,000 tonnes of ABS capacity.

Italian magnetic platens for the UK

August 8, 2001 - Magnetic clamping systems built by Rivi Magnetics of Italy are now available in the UK from Brian Ward (Manchester). Rivi makes the Gemini and Lion permanent electromagnetic platen systems which can be used on both compression and injection moulding machines at up to 210 degC continuous.

Tod moves mass transit

August 8, 2001 - Composite engineering specialist W & J Tod has moved its Mass-Transit Division to a 22,000 sq ft factory at Lopen, South Petherton, Somerset, three miles from its former location adjacent to the company's Aerospace Components Division at Crewkerne.

Composites investment for wind energy

August 8, 2001 - Hexcel Composites has commissioned a new $9 million plant at its Neumarkt, Austria, site. The plant will make HexPly high weight, large volume fibre-reinforced pre-preg materials, mainly for wind turbine production. Hexcel says it was the first company to supply pre-pregs for wind turbine manufacture more than 10 years ago, when it developed materials for Vestas Wind Systems of Denmark. Hexcel is anticipating building a North American plant to meet domestic demand from the wind energy industry.

State aid for Greek PP plant

August 8, 2001 - The European Commission has given the go-ahead for Greek state aid for the construction of the country's first polypropylene plant. Eur 38 million will be given to Hellenic Petroleum for the two-site plant, with propylene produced at Aspropyrgos and polymerisation taking place at Thessaloniki.

Plastics and fibres shine at BASF

August 8, 2001 - Growth in fibre intermediates output at Seal Sands and in sales of polyurethane systems contributed to an 8 per cent growth in sales by BASF's UK Plastics and Fibres division in the first half of this year - despite a fall in sales of other plastics products, primarily to the automotive and electronics sectors. Sales of the division were £151 million compared with £140 million in the same period last year. All other BASF UK divisions showed a reduction in sales over the period.

BASF to increase production of melamine foam

August 8, 2001 - BASF is to build a plant for Basotect flexible open-cell melamine foam at its Schwarzeheide site in Germany. The plant will have a capacity of 170,000 cu m/year and will also provide facilities for outside companies to set up foaming processing facilities on the site. Major uses of Basotect include sound deadening and heat shields in the automotive industry, acoustic ceiling and wall panels, pipe insulation, and acoustic and thermal insulation in the aerospace industry.