6 NOVEMBER 2010

F O C U S O N P O W D E R C O A T I N G S

the division has implementedmeasures such as price increasesand product mix modifications toimprove profitability. Jotun Paintscontinues to show the goodgrowth it has seen for some timenow, and sales are particularlygood in Vietnam, Indonesia andOman. New markets such asLibya and Pakistan are alsoreporting healthy growth. All ofthe divisional units in JotunPowder Coatings are expected toreport a solid growth in 2010 interms of sales, despite thespiralling raw material costs.Jotun has invested NKR 295 Mthus far in 2010.

Jotun Financial Status Jan-Aug 2010, 1 Oct2010, (Jotun A/S, Sandefjord, Norway, tel:+47 33 45 70 00, website:http://www.jotun.com)

BASF India completes acquisitionof Ciba India

BASF India Ltd has completed allthe legal formalities in itsacquisition of the Ciba group ofcompanies in India, after theBombay High Court accordedlegal sanction to the transaction.The merging entities involved inthe acquisition include, Ciba IndiaLtd, Diamond Dye-Chem Ltd andCiba Research (India) Pvt Ltd.With the merger of thesecompanies with BASF India,about 350 employees of Ciba willbe integrated into BASF India inApr 2010. The combined entitywill have a wide range of productportfolio in the specialitychemicals segment. It will offer adiverse range of products frompaper chemicals, UV stabilisers,antioxidants, to coating effectsand care chemicals. As part ofthe transaction, the integration ofthe Ankleshwar manufacturingfacility into BASF India will serveto strengthen the company’spaper chemicals business inIndia, and the former Ciba’sstate-of-the-art facility atChandivali in Mumbai, will serveto be a hub of research activitiesfor BASF India in the country.

Chemical Weekly, 6 Apr 2010, 55 (34), 124

100th Anniversary at Benda-Lutz

The metallic pigment producer,Benda-Lutz Werke GmbH, inNussdorf, Austria celebrated its100th Anniversary on Sunday 19Sep 2010. The Benda-Lutz Groupproduces and supplies metallicpigments to various coatingindustries worldwide includingpowder coatings, printing inks,protective paint systems, andindustrial coatings.

Since 1910, metallic pigments,especially for silver and goldeffects, and zinc flakes forcorrosion protection, have beenproduced at the same site in theprovince of Lower Austria. Thecompany was founded as a jointventure between Mr FerdinandLutz and the establishedNuremberg, Germany CompanyGeorg Benda. The main productlines in 1910 were Christmas treeornaments and bronze powder,which were sold especially in themarket of the Austro-HungarianEmpire.

The event filled history and thedevelopment of the company intoan international group withsubsidiaries in Poland, the UnitedStates and Russia was describedat an official ceremony in thecompany’s historic courtyard. TheGovernor of Lower Austria, thelocal Chamber of Commerce, andthe town of Nussdorf gavepresentations and awards, withmore than 300 employees,families and friends attending thecelebration.

Press Release from: Benda-Lutz WerkeGmbH, Germany, website: http://www.benda-lutz.com (24 Sep 2010)

Perstorp plans to double output atUK site

Speciality chemicals companyPerstorp, supplier of caprolactoneand its derivatives, hasannounced that the investment todouble the production capacity ofits Warrington, UK site is on trackto reach completion by the end ofthe year and begincommissioning in early 2011. Thefull capacity expansion is

expected be on stream in thesummer of 2011. According to thecompany, the market forcaprolactone-based technology isgrowing rapidly by more than5%/y. Caprolactones are used incoatings, adhesives, sealants andelastomers applications.

Press release from: Perstorp, Sweden, tel+44 (0)1 419 727 6700, website:http://www.perstorp.com (11 Oct 2010)

NEWPRODUCTS

Chemrez introduces new eco-friendly products

Publicly listed green chemicalcompany Chemrez TechnologiesInc recently launchedChromaFresh, a new colorant forpaints. Chemrez saidChromaFresh enables paintcompanies to heed consumers’clamour for non-hazardous paintswithout hurting their pockets orbeing short-changed on quality. Itfeatures a wide range of coloursused in tinting and is compatiblewith both solvent-based enameland water-based paints. It is alsofree of hazardous volatile organiccompounds and alkyl-phenolethoxylate.

Press release from: Chemrez TechnologiesInc, 65 Industria Street, Bagumbayan, QuezoCity 1110 Metro Manila, Philippines, tel: +632 635 0680, fax: +63 2 637 6099, email:info@chemrez.com, website:http://www.chemrez.com/ (25 Sep 2010)

Azom fights fire

Azom has launched a GreenSeries (GS) range of products,which are produced entirely fromGRAS feedstocks, have no VOCand do not need halogen totrigger their higher fire-retardantcapacities. They are formulatedusing the in-house chemistry ofFlame Seal Products. The GSproduct line-up offers excellentchar forming protection againstheat and flame throughadsorption or coating of theproduct. The range includes 13