Teknos and Oliva have signed an agreement to merge together and become one of the leading players in the Polish metal paint market. According to the agreement the new company will operate under Teknos-Oliva name and brand. This deal is expected to close by the end of October.

Oliva is a well-known brand in Poland in the metal industry paints and yacht paints markets. The company has 90 employees with its main office and paint factory in Gdynia. Olivia recorded sales of approximately €8 million. The new company Teknos-Oliva will have a turnover above €20 million and it will be one of the leading players in Polish metal and industrial wood coatings markets. Production will continue in Gdynia.

Krzysztof Bruski, owner and CEO of Oliva Group, will continue to work for Teknos-Oliva as a member of the supervisory board and managing director of Teknos Poland. Piotr Niedziólka will be the managing director of the new Teknos-Oliva.

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Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) opened a new parylene coating facility in Plzen, Czech Republic, approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Prague. The new coating facility in Plzen will meet the needs of SCS' mainland Europe customer base and enable the company to provide parylene coating services to a broader regional group of medical device, electronics, automotive and military/aerospace customers. The 930 square meter facility is SCS' third European coating facility, joining existing sites in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and represents the company's tenth coating center worldwide. The two-level facility is comprised of dedicated rooms for shipping/receiving, cleaning and component preparation, and a large production area for coating, in addition to several offices and a conference room. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN/USA, SCS is a leader in parylene conformal coating services, systems, and materials.

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IVC Industrial Coatings has opened a new facility in Brazil, Indiana. In 2008, IVC announced it was moving its world headquarters from Indianapolis to Brazil. The firm also has an existing powder division located in Brazil in addition to other locations in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan as well as China, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The company makes conformal coatings that go onto electronics. IVC's commercial and consumer customers include Bose, Dynamic Plastic Corporation and Herman Miller.

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NeverFade paint, warranted to last 15 years against fading, has been named a winner of the 2010 Most Valuable Product (MVP) Awards presented by Building Products magazine. Manufactured by APV Engineered Coatings, NeverFade professional exterior paint is formulated with Kynar Aquatec polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to make it resistant to fading, algae, fungus, stains and abrasions.

According to editors at Building Products magazine, the 31 nationwide winners of the 2010 Most Valuable Products Awards were selected by a panel of independent judges “for their innovation and value to the contractor and consumer.” NeverFade paint was introduced to the marketplace in early 2010 and became instantly popular with professional painters and contractors.

“While the residential construction industry sees hundreds of new products introductions each year, the MVP winners stand apart for their thoughtful design, smart technologies, or even pure wow factor,” said Jean Dimeo, editorial director for Building Products and ebuild.com. “In a struggling economy, it’s innovations like these that can help contractors woo customers, save time and money, and surpass the competition.”

APV Engineered Coatings worked with Arkema, Inc. to create NeverFade paint. Kynar Aquatec is dispersed into the water-based formula for NeverFade paint, so VOCs are drastically reduced, making NeverFade. The homopolymer in Kynar Aquatec is a tough, engineered thermoplastic that offers a balance of properties. As a result, NeverFade paint withstands harsh thermal, chemical and ultraviolet environmental conditions. In essence, it resists abrasions, restricts the growth of mold and mildew, and will not pick up dirt.

“We created this top-of-the-line exterior paint with ultraviolet blockers and high quality pigments mixed with fluoropolymer resin to prevent against fading and chalking,” said David Venarge, chairman of APV Engineered Coatings out of Akron, Ohio. “To show our confidence in this product, we provide an unprecedented 15-year warranty against fading. In the unlikely event that someone is obliged to apply the warranty, we will provide the replacement of the product and payment for job-related labor costs.”

Available nationwide for use on both residential and commercial projects, NeverFade may be applied to vinyl siding, PVC, wood, aluminum siding, stucco, masonry and fiber cement surfaces. Since each paint order is custom made, NeverFade is available in an unlimited number of colors.

APV Engineered Coatings was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1878.

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Dow Coating Materials announced today a price increase for all acrylic and cellulose based products sold to the architectural coatings, industrial coatings and traffic paint industries, effective September 1st 2010 or as contract terms allow.

The following conditions apply:

Acrylic based products, including pure acrylic and styrene-acrylic emulsions and vinyl-acetate-based emulsions, will be increased in Europe by 65-125 Eur/MT and in Middle East, Turkey and Africa by 85-160 $/MT.
Cellulose based products, including hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, will be increased in Europe by 300-450 Eur/MT and in Middle East, Turkey and Africa by 380-580 $/MT.
These increases are necessitated by the continued cost escalation of key raw materials used to manufacture these products, combined with tightening supply conditions.

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Third-quarter sales totaled $873.9 million, a 10.0 percent increase from the same period last year. Third-quarter adjusted net income per share increased to $0.70 in 2010 from $0.67 in 2009. Third-quarter adjusted net income per share for 2010 excludes a net $0.04 per share benefit from the sale of certain assets and charges related to restructuring actions. Third-quarter adjusted net income per share for 2009 excludes a $0.03 per share charge related to restructuring actions and a non-cash adjustment of $0.03 per share for Huarun minority interest shares.

Net income for the third quarter of 2010 was $75.1 million and reported earnings per share were $0.74. Net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $65.0 million and reported earnings per share were $0.61.

"We were pleased with our earnings performance despite the impact of significant raw material inflation," said William L. Mansfield, Valspar chairman and chief executive officer. "The success of our new business efforts drove our double-digit top line growth. Looking ahead, our results will continue to benefit from new business and operational discipline. We expect to deliver fiscal year 2010 adjusted net income per share in the range of $2.15 to $2.25."

During the quarter, the company also completed a transaction to purchase metal packaging coatings assets from DIC Corporation, a Japan-based specialty chemical manufacturer, and sell metal decorating inks assets to DIC. The transaction included sales and DIC's manufacturing site in Bangalore, India. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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BASF will invest in a dispersions plant in Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Park in Huizhou, China. With an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, the new plant will produce XSB dispersions for the paper industry and acrylic dispersions for industries such as coatings, construction, printing & packaging and adhesives . The facility will benefit from local availability of raw materials and proximity to key customers who serve Asia’s fastest-growing consumer markets. Production is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2012, subject to government approval. The investment is part of BASF’s growth strategy for Asia Pacific, which has the goal of doubling sales by 2020.

 

“This is an important step for BASF in Asia, following the establishment of our Paper Chemicals division in 2009. The investment strengthens BASF’s commitment to the paper and board industry, with South China offering one of the fastest-growing markets in the region. With this facility, we are well positioned to support our customers’ aspirations for growth and success in the South,” said EngSoo Chew, Senior Vice President, Paper Chemicals Asia Pacific.

 

“With our upstream monomer integration in China, world-scale dispersion plants exceeding half a million tons in capacity and unique process for manufacturing low-VOC dispersions, we are well positioned to support our customers’ strong growth with a reliable supply of water-based acrylic dispersions in the region,” said Gops Pillay, Senior Vice President, Dispersions & Pigments Asia Pacific.  

 

The investment reflects BASF’s focus on participating in the strong growth of markets in emerging Asia. The additional capacity will strengthen and complement its regional production network for XSB and acrylic dispersions, which currently includes plants in East China, Indonesia and India. XSB dispersions are used as coating binders for paper, while acrylic dispersions are used in paints and coatings, printing and packaging, construction materials and adhesives.

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 Nearly 5,500 gallons of Sherwin-Williams coatings have been applied to the historic Battleship Missouri, which recently returned to her home pier near the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  
 
The ex-USS Missouri, or “Mighty Mo,” is known as the site of Japan’s unconditional surrender to Allied Forces on September 2, 1945, ending World War II. The ship was launched in June 1944 and provided firepower in the decisive battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa.  On Sept. 2, 1945 – 65 years ago this summer – the Missouri served as the site of Japan’s formal, unconditional surrender to Allied Powers while anchored in Tokyo Bay, Japan.
 
The famous ship also saw action in the Korean Conflict and Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Today, the ship is under the care of the non-profit USS Missouri Memorial Association, which owns and operates the ship as the Battleship Missouri Memorial, a historic attraction and memorial in Pearl Harbor.
 
Work on the $18 million refurbishment began in October under the guidance of BAE Systems at the U.S. Navy’s Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The superstructure was pressure washed by memorial volunteers.  BAE Systems and its subcontractors used power tools to remove remaining paint, spot-primed bare steel, airless-sprayed the ship’s superstructure and freeboard, and plural component-sprayed the underwater hull.  
 
Sherwin-Williams products used on the 887-foot battleship included:

• Dura-Plate® UHS Epoxy, SeaGuard® Vinyl Antifoulant (underwater hull)
• Dura-Plate® UHS Epoxy, Polysiloxane XLE-80 (freeboard)
• Macropoxy® 920 Pre-Prime, Mil-PRF-24635 Silicone Alkyd (mast aloft black areas)
• Macropoxy® 920 Pre-Prime, SeaGuard® 5000 HS Epoxy, Polysiloxane XLE-80 (superstructure)
• Dura-Plate® MT, Dura-Plate® UHS Epoxy (decks)
  

Sherwin-Williams also provided technical expertise and worked closely with both the shipyard and contractor throughout the project.
 
“It was an honor for Sherwin-Williams to provide coatings for one of the most renowned and historically significant ships in U.S. history,” said Brad Rossetto, Vice President Marketing, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.  “We are proud to have worked with the USS Missouri Memorial Association and BAE Systems to help preserve one of America’s most precious assets for generations to come.”
 
“Thanks to the support of those such as Sherwin-Williams, the Battleship Missouri is fortified against the elements for decades to come,” said Ron Chavez, chief engineer for the Battleship Missouri Memorial.

 
“There was a tremendous amount of marine growth stuck to the hull that needed to be removed before the team could start the preservation work,” said Roger Kubischta, director of operations for BAE Systems’ Hawaii Shipyard.  “There was corrosion in spots of the hull, but it was mostly intact. In all, over eight acres of the boat’s surface needed to be preserved.”
 
“BAE Systems was honored to help lead the preservation effort on this historic vessel,” said Dave Herr, president of BAE Systems Support Solutions. “With the hard work of our employees and subcontractors, and our trusted partnership with Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, one of our nation’s most treasured assets is back pier-side today. We’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the USS Missouri Memorial Association, whose passion for the project was inspiring and a testament to the historic significance of the Mighty Mo and the importance of bringing her history to life.”

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A new ASTM International standard will provide the means to quickly detect and quantify the lead concentration in toys and other children's products. The new standard, F2853, Test Method for Determination of Lead in Paint Layers and Similar Coatings or in Substrates and Homogenous Materials by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry Using Multiple Monochromatic Excitation Beams, was developed by Subcommittee F40.01 on Test Methods, part of ASTM International Committee F40 on Declarable Substances in Materials. The analytical technique described in this standard is commonly referred to as HDXRF.

"Frequent testing of children's products aids in identifying sources of lead contamination and ultimately prevents out-of-compliance merchandise from reaching store shelves," said Berry Beumer, vice president, XOS Inc., and chairman of the task group that developed F2853.

ASTM F2853 provides a convenient means to test for lead using the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy technique. Such testing will ensure that toys and other children's products will comply with laws (such as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) that are currently being enforced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

According to Beumer, the HDXRF test described in F2853 enables lead quantification separately for the substrate and paint level in a 5 minute measurement cycle. Beumer notes that all interested parties are invited to join the task group responsible for F2853 as it considers future revisions to the standard.

"While the presence of lead has been of primary concern to industry, other harmful elements such as cadmium, arsenic and antimony are now also under scrutiny," said Beumer. "The task group is anticipating continued expansion of F2853 to include these and other elements in the standard.

"Additional interlaboratory studies will be required for the precision and bias statements for these additional elements, and the continued participation of third party test labs and toy and apparel manufacturers in such studies will be very helpful in expanding the scope of method," said Beumer.

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Dow Corning Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire a 49 percent ownership interest in Timminco Limited's silicon metal manufacturing facility in Bécancour, Quebec, in a transaction estimated at $39.7 million. The transaction is expected to be completed on or about September 30, 2010. To complete the transaction, Dow Corning and Timminco will form a joint venture that will consist of the existing silicon metal operations of BécancourSilicon Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Timminco. The Bécancour site will initially produce 47,000 metric tons of silicon metal, of which Dow Corning will receive 49 percent.

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