Notch recently updated its annual report on the global rubber chemicals industry, The Rubber Chemicals Market Update. The report provides detailed coverage of antidegradants/antioxidants (6PPD/IPPD, TMQ, and other antioxidants), accelerators, and other chemicals (including tackifiers, adhesion promoters, reinforcing resins, retarders and antiscorch agents, homogenizing agents, peptizers, and blowing agents). The October 2017 issue is 39 pages with 18 tables covering demand by product, market, and region, production capacity for leading suppliers, recent and proposed capacity expansions, and pricing. The report also includes rubber chemical sales in US$ by company and major product segment. The PDF report includes a separate Excel spreadsheet that provides extensive additional data, including regional tables. Contact Notch at info @ notchconsulting.com for details and subscription options.
November 20, 2017
Notch updates Carbon Black & Specialty Black reports
Notch Consulting has recently updated both of its reports covering the global carbon black industry: The Carbon Black World Data Book and World Specialty Blacks. These reports are described in detail below.
Carbon Black World Data Book: The most widely read and authoritative report available on the $10B global carbon black market. The most recent edition was published in July 2017 with quarterly updates through April 2018 and monthly carbon black prices through May 2018. The Data Book provides detailed data on carbon black capacity, production, utilization, and demand by market and type for the world and 26 leading countries. This report covers rubber and specialty furnace blacks.
World Specialty Blacks: Covers the global market for specialty blacks, which are premium grades of carbon blacks used in non-rubber applications. Data provided include specialty blacks demand, prices, market value, production capacity by company and plant, major grades & product lines, and market share by company. World Specialty Blacks is an addendum to the Carbon Black World Data Book, and subscribers to the Data Book receive a special discount on this report. The data encompass the following types of carbon black: specialty furnace blacks (i.e., all furnace blacks used in non-rubber uses); modified furnace blacks (e.g., Ensaco); thermal blacks (including medium and fine thermal black; acetylene blacks; gas & lamp blacks; and superconductive blacks (e.g., Ketjenblack). Markets covered include plastics, conductive polymers, inks & toners, paints & coatings, and other markets.
Contact Notch at info @ notchconsulting.com for details and subscription options for either of these reports.
November 11, 2017
GRI to open Sri Lanka ag tire plant in January
Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) is prepared to bring on stream in January the radial agricultural and construction tire plant it is building in Badalgama, north of Colombo. Located next to its existing solid industrial tire factory, GRI broke ground on the $40 million facility in late 2016.
The 1.25 million sq.-ft. plant will have a rated capacity of 25 metric tons a day, making it the largest factory in Sri Lanka dedicated to making specialty tires and the first to produce radial agriculture tires, according to GRI.
All the products made at the new plant will be destined for export, the company said.
Referenced article found here.
Himadri Speciality looks to invest ₹628 crore for brownfield expansion
Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd, a Kolkata-based integrated specialty carbon company, is looking to invest ₹628 crore for brownfield expansion of its carbon black and advance carbon material units in West Bengal.
According to Anurag Choudhary, CEO, Himadri Speciality, the details regarding the proportion of debt and equity for the capital expenditure would be finalised within a month.
The estimated investment for scaling up its carbon black unit by 30,000 tons a year to 1.5 lakh ton would be close to ₹148 crore. The remaining ₹480 crore (out of ₹628 crore) would go towards 20,000 tons a year capacity addition at its advance carbon material unit.
Referenced article found here.
Grace Announces 2018 Price Increase for Silica-Based Materials Technologies Products
W. R. Grace & Co. has announced a six percent price increase for silica-based and molecular sieve products sold through its Grace Materials Technologies, effective January 1, 2018.
This pricing action will enable Grace to sustain investment in the best-in-class manufacturing capabilities, increasing regulatory compliance requirements, and R&D demanded by customers across the broad spectrum of industries the company serves.
Read the press release here for a full list of affected products.
Cancarb names COPCI as distributor for France
Cancarb Ltd. has chosen COPCI S.A.S. as its authorized distributor for Thermax brand thermal carbon black in France, effective Feb. 15.
“Our new partnership with COPCI S.A.S. will re-energize our efforts in marketing Cancarb’s Thermax® products in France,” said Ken Tate, Cancarb President. “COPCI will offer Cancarb’s customers a superior customer service experience, as well as technical assistance and complementary products. COPCI is owned by Cancarb’s German distribution Nordmann, Rassmann GmbH providing the advantages of a more pan-European presence.”
Read the full press release here.
November 2, 2017
Cabot Corporation to Acquire Tech Blend
Cabot Corporation has announced it is purchasing Tech Blend, a producer of black masterbatches based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, for approximately $64 million. The acquisition extends Cabot’s global footprint in black masterbatch and compounds; provides a platform to serve global customers and grow in conductive formulations; and offers Tech Blend resources and capabilities to support growth.
The company will be managed as part of Cabot’s global specialty compounds business within the Performance Chemicals segment.
“This bolt-on acquisition is a great example of our ‘Advancing the Core’ strategy,” said Cabot President and Chief Executive Officer Sean Keohane. “This acquisition will not only strengthen our global leadership position in black masterbatches and compounds and provide a platform from which to better serve global customers, but it will also support our strategy of driving application innovation with our customers.”
Read the full press release here.
China moves toward uniform tire labelling
With the EU introducing plans in 2012 to inform consumers about a tire’s noise, wet-braking and rolling resistance performance, and Japanese, South Korean and US variants following shortly after, China, the world’s largest tire market is close to releasing its own labelling system. The question is which system? Two versions of labels were seen at the recent Tire+ exhibition in Shanghai, and there may be others.
While China has decided to gradually introduce uniform tire labelling, in practice this means the implementation of a voluntary labelling system in 2017, with some sources reporting that it will become mandatory in 2018. While the government might want labels on tires by the end of 2018, a definitive label has not yet been chosen.
As with all international tire labelling systems, Chinese labels must overcome obstacles in terms of legal definition and testing regime. The China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA) sponsored label, by validating definitions and standards that already exist, is the most direct approach. If a product qualifies for a European tire label, this data can then be used on the Chinese tire label. Since the CRIA is the domestic industry’s largest and most influential association and is quasi-governmental, it is most likely to set the new standard.
While the layout and criteria for the Chinese label resembles the European label with the addition of the CRIA logo, the Chinese label adds a QR code. This allows consumers to access further information using their smartphones, and can be updated in real-time, especially helpful for recalls and other related road safety issues.
A second version of the Chinese tire label is from China Great Tire Rating Assessment (CGTRA) and also features a QR code. The CGTRA design also features treadwear as a fourth category graphically displayed on the label.
So which label will win?
The costs associated with Chinese labelling depend very much on which option you go for. If the label variant requires its own testing, this is clearly a far more expensive option. However, the CRIA system – which is based on validating existing tire label test data – will inevitably be more much affordable. Add in the fact that this association-based system has integrated links to industry and it seems likely that that this label will prevail ahead of its one or two competitors.
Sourced article found here.
Konimpex opens new logistics center in Poland
Konimpex Ltd., a distributor of raw materials and chemicals for the tire and rubber sector, has opened a new logistics center in Kolo, Poland.
“The logistic operation supports the supply of black and white parts, for carbon black and other materials respectively,” said Konimpex. An ‘up-to date’ decanting station is already in operation along with other enhanced materials-handling and warehousing capabilities, added a company statement.
Established in Poland in 1989, Konimpex is a distributor of products including carbon black and synthetic rubber, serving the global tire and rubber sector.
Recently the company has started offering new logistics services, in addition to its distribution activities, including the delivery of fillers for the tire industry.
Referenced article found here.
November 1, 2017
Trelleborg launching smart wheel for agricultural equipment
Trelleborg Wheel Systems has developed a sensor-based smart wheel called ConnecTire that it said enables data-sharing at multiple levels, reducing the risk of tire slippage on the rim.
ConnecTire monitors two key variables—tire pressure and temperature—in real time and relays the data to both tractor and farm mainframes via Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, Trelleborg said.
“ConnecTire is about ensuring efficiency and sustainability,” said Piero Mancinelli, research and development director at Trelleborg Wheel Systems. “Tires are required to work intelligently and to be at the right pressure at all times.”… “Being able to be in control of these allows farming operations to reduce inefficiencies,” Mancinelli added, noting that the system allows operators to set their target tire pressure and then monitor how that pressure deviates from the target and act accordingly.
ConnecTire will be on display at Agritechnica 2017, Nov. 12 to 18 in Hanover, Germany.
Read the full press release here.