Additives
BASF is adding 30% capacity of Irganox 1010 to its Kaisten plant
In view of the growing market, German materials maker BASF is expanding production capacity for its Irganox 1010 antioxidant by 40%. The production expansion is aimed for its sites in Jurong, Singapore, and Kaisten, Switzerland, to cater to demand from customers in Asia and Europe, Middle East and Africa from its regional supply points. Irganox 1010 is a sterically hindered phenolic primary antioxidant. It provides protection against thermooxidative degradation, mainly applied in polyolefins and is also recommended for polyacetals, polyamides and PU, polyesters, PVC, ABS, as well as for elastomers such as butyl rubber and synthetic rubbers. Hermann Althoff, Senior Vice-President, BASF Performance Chemicals Asia Pacific, furthered that the production expansion in Singapore, expected to come online in 2019, is targeted to double capacity for Irganox 1010 with additional production line; and in Kaisten, which is coming online in early 2021, will add 30% to its existing capacity by debottlenecking production. Moreover, BASF is investing in its Alabama facility in the US to improve asset reliability and further expand capacity to meet growing customer demand. Another such antioxidant player, South Korean chemical manufacturer Songwon, has introduced the latest addition to its produce line-up. Songnox L570
is said to provide primary antioxidant protection against thermo-oxidative degradation by reacting with and stabilising free radicals. Furthermore, the liquid butylated/octylated diphenylamine antioxidant is designed for demanding automotive and industrial lubricant end uses, as well as speciality applications, such as grease. Dr Gerard Mulqueen, Songwon’s Global Business Manager, Fuel & Lube Additives, described it as a highly versatile product that protects oils and lubricants from degradation, prolonging the life of oils in vehicles and machinery. Songwon develops, produces and markets industry standard aminic, phenolic, phosphite and thioester antioxidants, providing customised solutions for numerous end uses. Packaging drives market growth The packaging sector is the largest application segment of the plastic additives market, projected to reach nearly US$51 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2016, Markets and Markets highlighted in its market report. The growth of plastic additives in the segment is fast tracked by globalisation, lifestyle change and urbanisation. Addivant, a US supplier of liquid phosphite antioxidants for plastics, is offering its latest nonylphenol-free stabiliser, Weston 705, for foodcontact packaging. Weston 705 has recently been included in the revision to the food contact regulation in the Mercosur region, the South American trade bloc between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, for use in broad foodcontact packaging materials.
Addivant's nonylphenol-free stabiliser, Weston 705, for food-contact packaging
The liquid butylated/octylated diphenylamine antioxidant Songnox L570 is designed for automotive and industrial lubricant end uses, and speciality applications
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SEPTEMBER 2018
Dubbed as the “first and only antioxidant since the 1970s that has achieved global food-contact approvals”, Weston 705 is already approved for use in food-contact packaging in more than 180 countries including the US, Canada, Europe and China. David Brassington, Addivant’s Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs commented that with Weston 705 having completed its global food-contact approval process, it is enabling resin producers and packaging manufacturers to employ a single, global solution for consumer-packaged goods for customers looking to stay ahead of the regulatory curve.