Clariant supports China’s Plastic Industry

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, emphasizes its commitment to supporting the changing needs and future growth of China’s plastics industry at its Chinaplas 2014 press conference in Shanghai today. The company identifies latest supply- and service-related investments and solutions that respond to the megatrends affecting the region, and local needs for more innovative and sustainable products for end-markets such as packaging and Electrical & Electronics (E&E).

Clariant’s established operations in more than 18 major cities across Greater China, include production facilities, sales offices and technical service centers. In 2013, Clariant’s sales in the Greater China region increased by 7.3% compared to 2012, and reached CHF 646 million.

With its strong presence in China, Clariant understands the needs of the local market and is committed to enhancing its capability to respond to the megatrends of China’s development and the evolving demand of local customers.

Planned investment to strengthen its on-the-ground support for customers will include new units at Clariant’s production site in Zhenjiang, making good use of logistics and proximity to markets. Here, Business Unit Additives is currently evaluating options for a new Ceridust® production facility to provide micronized waxes for the domestic market, and the addition of new capacity for polymer additives preparations to serve strategic markets with Addworks solutions for the Fibers, Agriculture, Packaging, E&E and Automotive industries.

Following its acquisition of the Organic Pigment Business of Jiangsu Multicolor Fine Chemical Co., Ltd (JMC) in 2013, the Business Unit Pigments will construct a world scale PV 23 plant at Zhenjiang, planned to open in 2016.

This will strengthen its ability to supply this important pigment to fulfill the growing demand of customers in coatings, plastics, printing inks and other applications for high-quality products and solutions.

The BU Pigments has doubled its technical service and sales organisations in China. It has recently added 7 new positions at Clariant’s Technical Centers in Shanghai and Guangzhou to enhance technical service capabilities in the region, and 7 new sales positions in China.

At its Guangzhou plant, Clariant’s Business Unit Masterbatches is in the process of doubling production capacity to better serve local market demand and special customer requests.

Summarizing Clariant’s strategy in the region, Christian Kohlpaintner, Executive Committee member comments: “Clariant sees great potential for growth in plastic resin production and consumption within China, and innovation is the key to taking the market to the next level. The investments will expand our capability and capacity to better fulfill local customers’ needs with value-added products and services that support their efforts to achieve greater cost efficiency, improved environmental performance, and performance differentiation.”

As a leading supplier of choice for the plastics industry, Clariant shapes its innovations to customer needs, with its Pigments, Additives and Masterbatches solutions addressing stricter rules and regulations in the Chemicals Industry and growing demand for environmentally-compatible products for plastics. Highlights include:

AddWorks®, the new branding for Clariant’s Polymer Additives stands for innovative solutions developed to address specific customer needs and their defined applications.
Cutting-edge, efficient phosphinate flame retardants with new tailor made synergistic formulations include Exolit® OP 1400 for polyamides with special requirements and Exolit OP 1260 for polyesters. The Exolit OP product line is also well known for its good environmental and health profile.
High-performance wax specialties for productivity improvements, including Licomont® NaV 101 and CaV 102, which significantly reduce cycle times and provide excellent release and flow properties for injection molded polyamides and polyesters. The innovative Licocene® and Ceridust grades are ideally suited for the production of high-quality PP fibers and films.
ColorForward® 2015, Clariant’s 9th Annual Color Forecasting Guide for the Plastics Industry combining color, design, marketing, trend-watching and polymer know-how into fresh palettes of harmonious colors that reflect four unique societal trends expected to have the most influential global impact.
HiFormer® the new integrated system for liquid masterbatches designed to enhance product properties and process parameters for customers and fulfill their international service needs. In addition to the improved efficiency of the manufacturing processes, the liquid masterbatches are highly concentrated to achieve brilliant, vibrant hues.
The Business Unit Pigments is the first and only manufacturer in the world to provide customers with a portfolio of 15 non-halogenated pigments for electronic applications. BU Pigments also offers a broad range of high quality pigments and dyes with low halogen values. These products meet the most recognized environmental standards pertaining to the use of halogens in consumer goods.