Malaysian Government hopes to sellpalm oil to Russia, boost exports toUkraine

The Government of Malaysia isplanning to enter into a marketingagreement with Russia in order toexport palm oil to Russia. PrimaryIndustries Minister Datuk Seri Dr LimKeng Yaik said that this would helpRussia to buy palm oil of Ringgit 190M from Malaysia under the Palm OilCredit Payment Arrangement.Malaysia is now in the final stage ofsigning the deal with Russia.Malaysia plans to expand newermarkets in palm oil trading as well asconsolidate old markets by increasingthe availability of the credit scheme tocountries that require credit and forthem to import palm oil by contratrading. It has also granted $10 M inpalm oil credit payment arrangementsto Ukraine importers and expects thisto increase the export of Malaysianpalm oil to Ukraine. The MalaysianGovernment also believes that itcould greatly increase exports of palmoil in the future if the Ukrainian port ofOdessa were developed allowingaccess across the Black Sea to theUkraine and neighbouring countries.

The Star, 7 Jul 2003 & 21 Jul 2003 (Website:http://www.thestar.com.my)

SURFACTANTSBASF sells off Gurnee surfactants site,NA silicones business

BASF has agreed to sell its ester,alkoxylates and silicones surfactantmanufacturing site at Gurnee, Il, toPetroferm Inc for an undisclosed sum.Gurnee is one of five surfactantsproduction sites operated by BASF inthe US. Petroferm subsidiaryLambent Technologies Corp willoperate the plant and supply BASFwith surfactants under a long-term tollmanufacturing agreement. BASF willtransfer 102 employees, at theGurnee site, to Petroferm. Privatelyheld, Petroferm is a surfactanttechnology company specializing inindustrial detergents, products for theoil industry, surfactants, emulsifiersand halogen-free flame retardants.Lambent Technologies manufacturesa variety of materials, includingalkoxylates, esters and numerous

custom synthesized molecules.Acquisition of the Gurnee site bringsLambent’s surfactant and estercapacity to more than 50,000 tonnes/y.

In addition, Lubrizol Corp is buyingBASF’s North American basedsilicones business for an undisclosedsum. As a result of these deals, BASFis withdrawing from the N Americansilicones market. It plans to continuemaking surfactants for the detergents,cleaning, coating and foodstuffsmarket in N America.

Press release from: BASF, 3000, Continental Drive, NMount Olive, NJ 07828, USA. Tel: +1 800 227 3746.Fax: +1 973 426 3912. Website: http://www.basf.com(14 Jul 2003) & Chimie Hebdo, 21 Jul 2003, (222),10 (in French)

Cognis launches new polymers andsurfactants

Cognis Care Chemicals of Ambler,PA, recently launched new productsat the New York SCC Supplier’s Day.Included in the firm’s productlaunchings are Eumulgin HPS, a highperformance solubilizer for easyintegration of lipophilic substances,Cosmedia SP sensorial skin carepolymer, AP/deo systems, botanicals,Plantapon S mild protein surfactantand Plantapon APG surfactant.

HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jul2003, 40 (7), 138

Household cleaners boosted byLambent’s Syngard

Lambent Technologies of FernandinaBeach, FL, has introduced the Syngardline of silicone-based surfactantsunder its range of HI&I formulations.Syngard WD-A and Z neutralizeodours and are not irritating inaqueous systems. Syngard containsa molecule substantive to hardsurfaces and fabrics. Syngard CP-I isa silicone carboxylate, which has anaffinity for fragrance oils in substratessuch as wood, paper and fabrics.

HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry, Jul2003, 40 (7), 138

Lenco Soap’s Rhode Island facility infull swing

Lenco Soap of Warren, RI, reportsthat the firm’s Rhode Island facility isnow in full production operation. Thefacility produces speciality privatelabel soaps in quantities ranging

between 500 and 500,000 bars. Thesoaps produced in the facility arebased on natural ingredients atfunctional levels. The facility alsooffers various packaging capabilitiesand also produces triple-milled soaps.

HAPPI, Household & Personal Products Industry,May 2003, 40 (5), 153

Russian synthetic detergents in 2002

In 2002, Russian production ofsynthetic detergents was up 10.9%compared with 2001. This compareswell with the overall increase inproduction for chemical products inRussia of just 1.6% in 2002. Thefollowing companies reportedincreases in production: AngarskHousehold Chemicals Plant (42.9%),Nefis Cosmetics (20%), Khenkel Yug(13.7%), ZAO Aist (12%), AO Soda(6.5%), AO Pemos (3.3%). Marketleader Novomoskovskbytkhim saw itsmarket share increase from 20.3% to28.5%, and its production increase by55.9%. The largest falls in productionwere reported by AO UralskiyeSamotsvety (-19%) and AO Era (–11.8%). Across the industry as awhole, capacity utilization was lessthan 50%. Henkel is also involved indetergents production in Russia, withannual sales of about €105 M in theregion. Around 10% of Russia’sannual $338.9 M worth of exports toUkraine are detergents.

Interfax Chemicals, May 2003, (95), 16 (InterfaxInformation Services BV. Tel: +1 (303) 368 1421. Fax: +1 (303) 368 1458. E-mail: america@interfax-news.com. Website: http://www.interfax-news.com)

ASSOCIATEDPRODUCTS

Fosagro to buy Fosfor

Fosagro, a large Russian producer ofapatite concentrate and phosphatefertilizers, is planning to buy Fosfor.Fosagro controls 5 large fertilizerplants in the region. Fosfor (Tol’yatti,Samara region) has a monopoly ofRussia’s yellow phosphate and is thelargest producer of tripolyphosphateraw material for detergents production.Fosfor production capacity is 3000tonnes/mo. In 2002 it produced 1800tonnes/mo of sodium tripolyphosphate.In Dec 2002 Fosfor was closed due to

SEPTEMBER 2003 3

F O C U S O N S U R FA C T A N T S