of which CZK 266 M was devoted toenvironmental improvements and thecompany has been authorised to usethe Responsible Care logo.

Hospodarske Noviny, 10 Mar 2004, 48 (49), 20 (inCzech)

Germany: Eckart Werke – pearlescent& metallic pigments

Eckart Werke claims to be the world’sleading manufacturer of special effectpigments, with annual sales worth€300 M and a workforce of 1200.Thanks to substantial investment at itsGerman production facilities, EckartWerke has created 200 new jobs inGermany and has finally resolved along-running dispute with the IGMetall trade union regarding standardworking-hours. It has also finallydecided to join the German ChemicalIndustry Association (VCI).

Farbe und Lack, Mar 2004, 110 (3), 100 (in German)

Germany: Ruetgers & Nihon Jyoryu –organic pigment feedstocks

Ruetgers Chemicals and NihonJyoryu Kogyo have established a jointventure to make anthracene andcarbazole at Castrop-Rauxel,employing newly developedtechnology which promises to reduceunit manufacturing costs by 50%. Thiscould have important ramifications forthe pigments industry insofar asanthracene and carbazole aresignificant feedstocks for themanufacture of certain organicpigments.

Chemical and Engineering News, 22 Mar 2004, 82(12), 11-12 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)

Germany & UK: Clariant – azo pigments& leather chemicals

As part of its ongoing cost-cuttingcampaign, Clariant has announcedthe closure of an azo pigments plantat Knapsack (Germany) and of aleather chemicals plant at Beverley,near Hull (England). Both plants willbe closed by the end of 2005.Production at Beverley will betransferred to facilities at Selby, whichhas been designated a “centre forphenol chemistry.” About 25 of theemployees at Beverley will move toSelby, but the other 120 will lose theirjobs. The azo pigments unit closure at

Knapsack will mean the loss of 71jobs, reducing the total workforce atthis site to 429. To compensate forthis closure, capacity will be increasedat Clariant’s other azo pigmentsplants, especially those in Asia.

Clariant’s latest campaignenvisages reducing the corporateworkforce from 27,000 to 23,000 bythe end of 2005, with the aim ofcutting down the group’s massiveoutstanding debt. 1500 jobs will go inmanufacturing, 1250 in infrastructureand services, 800 in general servicesand 450 in supply services. (See also‘Focus on Pigments’, Oct 2003, 5-6).Meanwhile, recently announcedfinancial results for full-year 2003were better than anticipated. Net profitwas SFR 161 M, including SFR 32 Mfrom the sale of the cellulose ethersbusiness to Shin-Etsu. EBITDA(earnings before interest, tax,depreciation and amortisation)profitability was 11.4% on total salesrevenue of SFR 8.5 bn. The Pigments& Additives division reported EBITDAprofitability at 13.5% on sales of SFR1.745 bn, while the Masterbatchdivision reported EBITDA profitabilityat 11% on sales of SFR 1.041 bn.

Neue Zuercher Zeitung, 25 Feb 2004, 225 (46), 13 (inGerman) & Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 1 Mar 2004, (246),13 (in French) & Chemical Week, 31 Mar 2004, 166(11) & Chemical and Engineering News, 5 Apr 2004,82 (14), 19-20 (Website: http://www.cen-online.org)

Iran: Rangdaneh Sirjan – pigmentpreparations & masterbatches

Rangdaneh Sirjan Co has recentlyupgraded its facilities for producingmasterbatches and additives for thesynthetic fibres sector. The companycan now produce up to 4500 tonnes/yof pigment preparations, up to 3500tonnes/y of colour masterbatches andup to 1500 tonnes/y of additivemasterbatches.

Chemical Fibers International, Feb 2004, 54 (1), 10

Japan: Ishihara – TiO2

In November ‘JCW’ reported thatIshihara Sangyo Kaisha (ISK) wasimplementing debottleneckingmeasures to increase TiO2 pigmentcapacity at its Yokkaichi site. (See‘Focus on Pigments’, Jan 2004, 5).The company operates both sulfate-and chloride-route plants here, therespective capacities of which were

last reported as 86,000 tonnes/y and68,000 tonnes/y. Apparently, thesecapacities were slightly stepped upduring 2003 and ‘JCW’ recentlyreported that ISK plans to increase itstotal capacity at Yokkaichi from156,500 tonnes/y to 160,000 tonnes/yby the end of 2004.

The company recently launchedthree new TiO2 pigment products, thetechnical features and potentialapplications for which are discussedin the February article. ISK hasalways been prominent in the Chinese market, where currentconsumption is assessed as being ofthe order of 400,000 tonnes/y. ISK’snew sales office in Shanghai shouldhelp the company to increase itsmarket share here. Perhapssurprisingly, ISK sees only limitedgrowth potential for worldwide usageof photocatalytic TiO2.

ISK has begun commercial-scaleproduction of nanoparticulate zincoxide at Yokkaichi, with the cosmeticsindustry as a primary sales target forthis material. The goal is to achievesales of 50 tonnes/y within threeyears. Meanwhile, ISK’s PerformanceChemicals division is developingspeciality products for liquid crystaldisplays, plasma display panels andrechargeable batteries.

Japan Chemical Week, 26 Feb 2004, 45 (2259), 1,3,11 & 11 Mar 2004, 45 (2261), 2 & 18 Mar 2004, 45(2262), 12 & 1 Apr 2004, 45 (2264), 2

Morocco: Managem – zinc & cobaltoxides

Managem – the country’s largestmining group – is keen to build up itsbusiness in speciality minerals andchemicals. The company has set itselfa target to derive 25-30% of its salesrevenue from these products by 2009.Until now, Managem has been mainlyinvolved in zinc and cobalt metalproduction. With production at justover 100,000 tonnes/y, Managemaccounts for 8% of total world cobaltoutput.

Its 20,000 tonnes/y zinc oxide plantat Guemassa came on-stream in2002. It has been running at about 65-85% capacity, with output mainlychannelled to the rubber industry.Managem also sells zinc oxide for usein fertilisers, lubricants, cosmetics,catalysts, ceramics and animal feeds.It is also mounting a major sales drive

MAY 2004 5

F O C U S O N P I G M E N T S