Materials: Arkema Introduces High-Efficiency MBS Impact Modifier, Moves To New HQ

MATERIALS
MATERIALS The latter activity has been generating losses for a

number of years as a result of steadily falling demand,
increasingly stringent regulations and rising raw material
Arkema introduces costs, and Vlissingen’s management are therefore pro-
posing to close this manufacturing line. This plan would
high-efficiency MBS impact entail an overall reorganization of the site, and would
modifier, moves to new HQ result in the loss of 57 jobs from the current headcount
of 154. A redundancy plan will be negotiated locally
A rkema Inc has added an opaque, high-effi-

ciency grade to its line of Clearstrength® MBS
impact modifiers. Intended for use in injection
with the trade unions.
Arkema achieved sales of 1.488 billion in 1Q 2007,
level with the same period in 2006. A 3.5% increase in
moulding, opaque sheet and profile applications, average sales prices together with organic volume growth
new Clearstrength 859 impact modifier imparts of +1.2% compensated for the reduction in volume
up to 20% higher impact strength compared to resulting from restructuring measures (-1.9%) and nega-
traditional opaque impact modifiers, according to tive currency conversion effects (-2.6%). EBITDA was
the company. up 20% to 134 million compared to 112 million
The new impact modifier maintains excellent process- in 1Q 2006, while quarterly net income was up nearly
ing characteristics, and is a drop-in replacement for fivefold to 44 million from 9 million last year, con-
other MBS impact modifiers, Arkema says. According firming the company’s swift transformation, Arkema
to Mike Cherubini, market manager for modifiers at says. Business overall was steady, with sound demand in
Arkema’s Functional Additives division, the increased Europe and Asia.
efficiency of Clearstrength 859 over other traditional Performance Products sales remained stable at 463
MBS impact modifiers ‘could mean reduced costs for million, up 3.2% at constant exchange rate, and despite
improved performance’. the urea formaldehyde resins closures. This improve-
Clearstrength 859 impact modifier is manufactured ment results from an increase in unit selling prices and
with tight process and quality controls, which ensure in volumes across all business units. In line with 2006,
excellent lot-to-lot consistency. This contributes to the when the priority was to restore the competitiveness of
uniformity of PVC and CPVC compounds. The com- this segment, EBITDA increased 35% to 54 million,
pany has applied for NSF, CSA, FDA and UL approvals while EBITDA margin stood at 11.7% compared to
for the new product. 8.6% in 1Q 2006. However, results for the Functional
In other company news, Arkema inaugurated its new Additives segment were affected by the US construction
headquarters in the Défense Ouest office complex in market slowdown and increased tin prices.
Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, France on 19 June. The
company decided to relocate its historical headquarters Contact:
from Paris La Défense to achieve a significant reduc- Arkema Inc, 420, rue d’Estienne d’Orves, F-92705 Colombes
tion in its real estate costs, as part of its drive to boost Cedex, France. Tel: +33 1 4900 8080, Fax: +33 1 4900 8396,
competitiveness and transform its organization [ADPO, Web: www.arkemagroup.com
February 2007]. The design of the new offices provides
a modern, functional and friendly working environ-
ment, Arkema says.
The company is also planning to reorganize its
Clariant adds natural colour
Vlissingen site in the Netherlands in order to restore and additive masterbatches for
the facility’s competitiveness. Part of the Functional biopolymers
Additives business unit, the site manufactures addi-
tives for PVC processing, including impact modifiers,
processing aids and heat stabilizers. It also manufactures
a range of additives for the glass-coating sector as well as
W ith biodegradable and compostable
biopolymers increasingly in demand for
‘green’ packaging and consumer goods applica-
a line of tin derivatives for agrochemicals. tions, Clariant Masterbatches is introducing a
2
Additives for Polymers September 2007
MATERIALS
new family of all-natural colorants and additives called ‘compostable’. These standards generally do not
for use in these environmentally friendly poly- include a requirement for leaving zero non-degradable
mers. Based on natural materials like flowers, residue, which has been taken to mean that conven-
the new RENOL®-natur colour masterbatches and tional colorants (even inorganic materials) can be used
CESA®-natur additive masterbatches are biode- in otherwise biodegradable polymers. However, many
gradable and renewable, making them ideal for customers now want either to avoid the use of any
marketers who emphasize conservation and sus- materials that do not break down completely in the
tainability, the company says. environment or to find sustainable solutions made
Until now, users of green polymers such as PLA from renewable resources, Clariant says. All of the new
(polylactic acid), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), PHB RENOL-natur colours meet or exceed the EN 13432
(polyhydroxybutyrate) and starch-based resins have standard for biodegradable plastics packaging, and
generally had to use conventional, synthetic colorants, European food-packaging approvals are expected in the
additives and carrier resins that are mostly derived near future, according to the company.
from fossil fuels and are not so environmentally friend-
ly, says Clariant. ‘When the materials are composted, Contact:
the polymers themselves may break down to their nat- Clariant Masterbatches Division, Rothausstrasse 61, CH-4132
ural components, but the colorants and additives do Muttenz 1, Switzerland. Tel: +41 61 469 6170, Fax: +41 61 469
not. While this is a relatively minor issue now, it may 6597, Web: www.clariant.masterbatches.com
become more acute as consumption increases’, explains
Chris Pandis, global head of packaging for Clariant
Masterbatches. However, RENOL-natur and CESA-
natur are derived mainly from plants, and are believed
Milliken unveils ‘first cost-
to represent the first commercial introduction of col- effective’ PE nucleating agent
our and additive masterbatches that are all-natural and
made entirely from sustainable resources.
Available RENOL-natur colours include red, orange,
yellow and green, while blue is in the final stages of
M illiken Chemical will launch a new grade
of its Hyperform HPN-20E nucleating
agent for polyethylene this autumn at the
development. Orange curcuma comes from the root of Düsseldorf K 2007 show. The company claims
the spice plant turmeric, and yellow urucum is found the new product will make cost-effective prop-
in flowers that grow in tropical regions like Brazil. The erty modification of PE ‘a first-time reality for
greens come from chlorophyll and other plant sources, converters, resin and masterbatch producers’.
while the natural carmine red colorants are derived According to Milliken, the new agent can opti-
from the cochineal insect. These colours can be com- mize similar properties to the existing Hyperform
bined to create additional shades and tones. Physical product range, including productivity, quality,
properties, such as lightfastness, are not as high as thermal expansion coefficient and mechanical
would be expected from non-renewable pigments, so properties.
they are not suitable for all projects, the company says. The K 2007 show will also see Milliken introduce
‘RENOL-natur colours are very earthy and organic- a new Millad clarifying agent grade NX8000 for use
looking, some with excellent clarity’, says Pandis, ‘so in polypropylene. With the new grade, the company
they are perfect for marketers who want to distinguish claims to have achieved a new breakthrough level
sustainable packaging from similar products made with of haze reduction compared with existing clarifiers,
conventional polymers’. Carrier resins can include any together with other benefits such as good thermal
of the popular biopolymers. Processing characteristics properties, impact resistance and cost effectiveness.
are said to be similar to those associated with conven- Milliken believes that the enhanced performance of
tional masterbatches. NX8000 will expand the potential for further sub-
Most existing international standards require bio- stitution of inherently clear plastics and glass with
degradation of 60% within 180 days along with polypropylene, opening up ‘previously unexplored
certain other criteria for the resin or product to be product areas’.
3
September 2007 Additives for Polymers

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MATERIALS

MATERIALS The latter activity has been generating losses for a

A rkema Inc has added an opaque, high-effi-

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