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need for two pellet types, which can lead to sepa-ration, settling and other quality issues, the new patent-pending technology improves consistency batch-to-batch and within individual parts.

The new LNP Verton Xtreme range consists of three grades – XC for enhanced colour, XFR for flame retardance and XW for weatherability. Verton XC com-pound is currently available in nylon base resins, while Verton FR compound is available in PC/ABS resins. The third grade, LNP Verton XW compound, is based on GEP’s Geloy resin, an advanced amorphous terpolymer of acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA) resin, and will be avail-able in 3Q 2007. According to the company, the XW compound will deliver ‘exceptional resistance to UV light and weathering, and is an excellent candidate material for truck and agricultural equipment components’. All three new LNP Verton Xtreme compounds combine rigidity with outstanding strength and resistance to impact failure in a wide array of applications, GEP says. The new prod-ucts also deliver an excellent balance between cost and performance in structural applications, it says.

Contact: GE Plastics, One Plastics Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201, USA. Tel: +1 413 448 7110, Web: www.geplastics.com

COMPANY STRATEGIES

Chemtura undertakes strategic restructuring of antioxidants business

Chemtura Corp has announced plans to restruc-ture its global supply chain for standard anti-

oxidants in order to position itself to be more com-petitive in the world plastics market and to more effectively serve its global customers. The restruc-turing supports Chemtura’s overall objectives of reducing costs and optimizing its global manufac-turing footprint, while maintaining the company’s strong commitment to the antioxidants business.

This restructuring, which includes the closing and/or divesting of selective sites in Europe, as well as poten-tial investments in other parts of the world to meet customer needs better, will result in pre-tax charges,

principally severance costs, of approximately US$15–20 million and accelerated depreciation of approximately $30–35 million in the second and third quarters of 2007.

During 3Q 2007, Chemtura intends to close the pro-duction facilities for standard antioxidants at Pedrengo and Ravenna in Italy and also proposes to shut down two intermediate chemical products at Catenoy in France. The intermediates produced at Catenoy are used at Pedrengo. Approximately 125–135 employees would be affected at Pedrengo, about 25–35 at Ravenna and around 35 at Catenoy. According to Anne Noonan, president of Chemtura’s Polymer Additives Group, sig-nificant gains in productivity have been made in recent years at Pedrengo and Ravenna, but those gains have been overshadowed by increasing operational and raw material costs. As a result, ‘the current manufacturing position for standard antioxidants at these sites contin-ues to fall below profit expectations,’ Noonan explains.

The products affected by the closures of the Italian sites are Anox® 20 and Anox PP18, which are both hin-dered phenolics, and phosphite antioxidant Alkanox® 240. To replace these products and ensure consistent supply to customers, Chemtura will continue to supply these antioxidants through a combination of local sourc-ing agreements and through the company’s own large, global manufacturing network, which includes facilities in the USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

‘These strategic changes underscore the need for com-petitive sites,’ comments Chemtura chairman and CEO Robert L. Wood. These restructuring measures will give the company a stronger, more-competitive manu-facturing base, which is necessary for success in a very competitive global marketplace, and will allow it to take advantage of growth opportunities in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Wood says. Overall, Chemtura’s global restructuring initiative [ADPO, June 2007] is progress-ing well, Wood reports, but adds that the company will continue to examine and strengthen its global manufac-turing footprint to reduce costs, increase efficiencies and serve customers more effectively. • In other recent news from Chemtura, the company

has appointed Mark Chrisman to the position of VP, global sales, for its Polymer Additives group. His responsibilities include plastic additives, flame retardants and brominated performance products. Chrisman has worked for Chemtura and its predecessor Great Lakes for a total of seven years,

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NEWS

most recently serving as the global commercial direc-tor for flame retardants and brominated performance products. His new post is part of Chemtura’s new ‘for-ward’ strategy [ibid, June 2007].

Contact: Chemtura Corp, 199 Benson Rd, Middlebury, CT 06749, USA. Tel: +1 203 573 2220, Fax: +1 203 573 2800, Web: www.chemtura.com

Altana expands effects pigments business with Wolstenholme acquisition

Germany’s Altana AG, which now concen-trates on the speciality chemicals business,

is to acquire the worldwide effects pigments business of UK company Wolstenholme Group Ltd for a purchase price of 24 million. In 2006, Wolstenholme achieved sales of about 29 million in this business area. Financial investor Rutland Partners LLP is the majority owner of the compa-ny, which was founded in 1938. The acquisition is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

The acquired business comprises bronze and alumin-ium pigments, as well as printing inks based on these pigments, for the graphic arts, coatings and plastics industries. The business will be integrated into Eckart, Altana’s Effect Pigments division, which was acquired in 2005 [ADPO, September 2005] and generated sales of 339 million in 2006.

Altana will not take over Wolstenholme’s production plants and employees in the UK. Instead, Eckart will increase production capacities accordingly at its main factory in Guntersthal, Germany. Wolstenholme will continue to produce the metallic pigments on behalf of Eckart until the transfer of production has been fully completed. The company says it will invest about 10 million in the medium term in the Guntersthal site in order to take over the production from Wolstenholme. According to Matthias L. Wolfgruber, Altana’s CEO, the acquired business is a perfect fit for the company. In addition, the transaction underlines Altana’s growth ambitions, he says. The company currently operates 31 production facilities worldwide and achieved sales of about 1.3 billion in 2006.

Contact: Altana AG, Abelstrasse 45, 46483 Wesel, Germany. Tel: +49 281 670 8, Fax: +49 281 670 376, Web: www.altana.com

Spate of price increases for polymer additives and titanium dioxide pigments

Tin-based thermal stabilizers are once again subject to price increases, due in particular to

the high cost of tin. Increasing raw material and energy costs, as well as tight supply situations and the need for reinvestment, are also among the factors responsible for additional price rises across a range of polymer additives.

Arkema’s Functional Additives Business Unit (www.arkema.com) has introduced a 7% price increase for its Thermolite® Tin Stabilizers product line in Europe, effective from 1 July 2007. These products are based on mono- and di-alkyl tin systems, and are designed for rigid and transparent PVC applications, in particular for food and pharmaceutical contact. In addition and from the same date, Stannica LLC (www.stannica.com), a joint venture between Albemarle Corp and Arkema and a leading producer of both organic and inorganic tin intermediates used in the production of PVC heat sta-bilizers, will raise the prices of its organotin intermedi-ates by up to 15% globally. These and all listed pricing changes are subject to the terms of existing contracts.

Arkema has also raised prices for its Luperox® methyl ethyl ketone peroxides range, used as polymer crosslink-ers, cure agents and polymerization initiators. From 1 July, a 6% price increase is being implemented on these products in Europe and 10% in the Middle East and Africa. In addition, the company has raised prices for its Evatane® high content ethylene vinyl acetate (HC EVA) by 80/tonne from 1 April and by a further 150/tonne from 1 July. The HC EVAs are used in wide-ranging industrial applications including the production of masterbatches.

Clariant (www.clariant.com) has introduced price increases across several of its divisions from the begin-ning of July. The increases range from 5% up to 30% depending on the specific product. In the Pigments & Additives division the affected product lines are polymer additives, flame retardants, pigments, preparations and