Chemical World - August 2010

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Dear Reader,

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13August 2010 | Chemical World

EDITORIAL

T he global nature of the chemical industry is very much a reality today and emerging trade patterns are only adding to the complexities of this

supply chain. To put things in perspective, regions like North America, Europe, Middle East, China and Africa have seen emergence of production centres, whereas the leading consumption markets are spread across the world.

Logistics involving chemicals has its distinct set of challenges pertaining to the health and safety of the personnel as well as the environment. Suffice to say, well-defined health and safety procedures in daily operations need to be followed scrupulously to prevent accidents. At the same time, the crew should be well-trained to respond fast and effectively arrest the damage, if there is an incident.

As far as India is concerned, there seem to be several lacuna related to the logistics of chemicals. These range from technological & operational matters to co-operative issues and infrastructure related impediments. As the country improves its logistics infrastructure, the overall cost of logistics should be reduced. More importantly, it will have a positive impact on the Indian chemical companies by

improving their competitive strengths in the global market. For further details, turn to the ‘Industry Update’.

On a similar note, with India poised to become a major manufacturing hub in the region, several end-user sectors such as auto, plastics, packaging, etc are likely to see double-digit growth in the coming years. This augurs well for base chemicals, the demand for which is directly linked to it. Initiatives like Petroleum, Chemical & Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) will have a strategic role to play in helping the country achieve world-class scale, access to low-cost feedstock and superior technology, among others. The ‘Sector Watch’ throws more light on this.

Interested to know how Singapore, apart from infrastructural development, seems to be on the way to becoming a creator of technology rather than just playing host to first-in-the-world technologies? Take a look at the special section ‘Business Destination’.

Of logistics, safety and more

Editor : Manas R Bastia

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Printed by Mohan Gajria and published by Lakshmi Narasimhan on behalf of Infomedia 18 Limited and printed at Infomedia 18 Ltd, Plot no.3, Sector 7, off Sion-Panvel Road, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400 706, and published at Infomedia 18 Ltd, ‘A’ Wing, Ruby House, J.K.Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 028.Chemical World is registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under No. 14798/2005. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Infomedia 18 Limited. Infomedia 18 Limited reserves the right to use the information published herein in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither Infomedia 18 Ltd nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for any errors or omission. Further, Infomedia 18 Ltd does not take any responsibility for loss or damage incurred or suffered by any subscriber of this magazine as a result of his/her accepting any invitation/offer published in this edition. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Editor: Manas R Bastia

Editorial Advisory Board

Pothen Paul Executive Chairman, Aker Powergas Pvt Ltd

D P Misra Director, TCE Consulting Engineers Ltd and Former Director General, ICC

P D Samudra Executive Director (Sales) & Member of the Board, Uhde India Ltd

Manas R [email protected]

Chemical World | August 201014

CONTENTS

BUSINESS DESTINATION - SINGAPORE

LEADERS SPEAK“Even if last year was a difficult one, the adhesives market has lost none of its attractiveness” 31...says, Sam Ewe, Country Manager - India and South East Asia, Henkel Adhesive Technologies

FACILITY VISITRaj Process Equipments and Systems Pvt Ltd: Broadening horizon, engineering success 34

INDUSTRY UPDATELogistics in chemical industry: Set for a smooth journey... 38

SECTOR WATCH Base chemicals: Laying a strong foundation for growth 44

MARKET SCOPE Inorganic chemicals: Exploring new opportunities 48N S Venkataraman, Director, Nandini Consultancy Centre Pvt Ltd

MARKET UPDATE Chemical industry in Singapore: Rising above the storm 52Lawrence Cheung, Chairman, Singapore Chemical Industry Council

TRADE TALK Liang Ting Wee, Director (Energy & Chemicals Cluster), Singapore Economic Development Board 54NEWS @ SINGAPORE 56

COATINGS CORNER Bottom of pyramid: A market full of fortune 58Dr Mosongo Moukwa, Vice President - Technology, Asian Paints Ltd

SAFETY ZONE Footwear: Standing tall and safe 63K N K Murthy, Consultant

TECHNOFOCUS PVDF and PVDF copolymers: The latest materials on the block 66Mandar Amrute, Market Development Leader, Arkema India

REPORT ARC Eighth India Forum: Harnessing technology for driving performance 70

Highlights of Next Issue

Note: stands for Indian rupee, $ stands for US dollar and £ stands for UK pound, unless mentioned otherwise

SECTOR WATCH : Analytical Instruments INDUSTRY UPDATE : Specialty/Fine Chemicals

REGUL AR SECTIONSEditorial .................................................... 13

National News ......................................... 16

World News............................................. 22

Project Updates ....................................... 29

Events Calendar ....................................... 68

Product Update........................................ 72

Product Inquiry ........................................ 83

Advertisement Inquiry.............................. 85

Product Index........................................... 87

Advertisers’ List ....................................... 88

3131

3838

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5252 5858


NATIONAL NEWS

NAME CHANGE

Scientific Products India Pvt Ltd is now Cole-ParmerIndia Pvt LtdScientific Products India Pvt Ltd has officially changed its legal name to ‘Cole-Parmer India Pvt Ltd.’ Cole Palmer has a customer network throughout India spanning a wide range of industries comprising manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food, etc.

“Our expertise in electrochemistry, lifescience and general laboratory & process instrumentation allows us to respond with extraordinary technical support. What’s more, our service does not begin or end with the sale,” said a spokesperson for Cole Palmer.

The media release for Cole-Parmer read ‘An experienced field sales force with a depth of industry knowledge; extensive technical resources through

catalogs and live on www.ColeParmer.in and timely deliveries from local warehouses.’

HONOUR

BASF’s Thane site wins ‘Industrial Safety Award 2009’

BASF India’s Thane unit was declared the winner for industrial safety performance in the ‘large’ category of companies in

the chemical industry. The mementos were presented by J P Dange, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra. HongGi Choi, Site Manager, and P K Walankar, Manager, Employee Relations, accepted the ‘Industrial Safety Award 2009’ on behalf of BASF India’s Thane site.

Commenting on this achievement, Prasad Chandran, Head - BASF, South-Asiasaid, “At BASF, economic considerations do not take priority over Environment Health and Safety (EHS) issues. EHS

performance is monitored by BASF in India under Responsible Care® Codes, which is the internationally accepted benchmark for evaluation of EHS standards. We hold regular safety audits and training programmes to create safety awareness among all our employees.”

After the initial screening of the participating companies’ EHS policies, the Evaluation Committee conducted a safety audit. The initiative was a joint effort organised by the Directorate of Industrial Safety & Health – Thane Region.

UNIT SETUP

Uhde India commissions polyaluminium chloride plant for Andhra Sugars

Uhde India recently commissioned a 28,700 tonne per annum (TPA) Polyaluminium Chloride plant (PAC) for The Andhra Sugars Ltd at their Saggonda Chemicals Complex in Andhra Pradesh (AP). The plant is said to produce 18 per cent PAC grade with the required purity. Uhde India’s scope of services included detailed engineering

and site supervision activities. Contec SRL provided the technology for the project.

Uhde India had been associated with The Andhra Sugars Ltd, one of the leading industrial houses in AP for caustic soda and caustic potash facilities since 2001 at their Kovvur and Saggonda facilities.

SHIFTING BASE

Metrohm India Ltd opens new headquarters in ChennaiMetrohm India Ltd has recently opened its new headquarters and application laboratory in Thuraipakkam, Chennai. The new facility comprises an area of 8,000 sq ft for the headquarters and 4,000 sq ft will be occupied by Metrohm Application Laboratory. The Application Laboratory will be utilised for service and support of customers in India. It has

specialised sections for Titration, Ion Chromatography, Voltammetry, Applikon Online and ProcessLab Analyzers. It also comprises a dedicated section for Biotage AB & Microtrac Inc instruments and a wet lab for all the sample preparation works.

Another feature of this facility will be an in-house Metrohm Service Center, which will be handled by service experts of Metrohm India Ltd. There will be a dedicated team for troubleshooting and servicing of instruments. This team will

handle Metrohm AG as well as all other principal instruments in the Indian market.

L to R: HongGi Choi, P K Walankar with the awards


NATIONAL NEWS

CAPITAL ALLOCATION

Vinati Organics plans capex to the tune of ` 120 crore Vinati Organics Ltd (VOL), one of largest manufacturers of Isobutylbenzene (IBB) and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid (ATBS), recently announced its capital expenditure (capex) plans.

The total capex was estimated at ` 120 crore and the company plans to fund the same through a combination of internal accruals, debt and equity.

N-tert-butylacrylamide (TBA) production is going to be expanded from 300 MT to 1,000 MT and Vintreat Cap polymers from 1,000 MT to 3,500 MT.

On the occasion, Vinati Saraf Mutreja, Executive Director, VOL, said, “VOL is already ahead of the competition as far as the ATBS segment is concerned. The added capacity expansion is expected to make us the world’s largest manufacturer of ATBS. In addition, the new products and expansions is also expected to yield

additional revenues of approximately ` 150 crore per year.”

VOL also plans to launch two new products, viz, Diacetone acrylamide (DAAM) and Tert-Octylacrylamide (TOA), which are used for manufacturing adhesives, resins, cosmetics, etc.

PAPER PRESENTATION

Clariant Chemicals to focus on better sustainable solutions

Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd participated in the international conference on ‘Evolving Maze in Coloration’ organised by Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Anjani Prasad, Head - Textile Chemicals, Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd was the Chairperson of a panel discussion on ‘Sustainability & Ecology’.

Stefan Schlosser, Head - Product Group Printing, Clariant International, Switzerland presented a technical paper on ‘Pigment Printing – Past, Present & Future’. Further, Prasad elaborated on Clariant’s product safety processes, which included the declaration of safe product certifications. He explained the 4E concepts of Ecology (GOTS, Oeko-tex & Bluesign approved); Economy (less water,

time & energy); Efficiency (reproducibility, performance); and Environment (biodegradability, less chemicals used).

In his paper, Stefan Schlosser elucidated on the historical aspects of pigment printing, emphasisng that today, pigment printing is the main textile printing technique beause of universal usage and low application costs.

“Clariant has products like formaldehyde-free binders and amine- free pigment dispersions that can meet the demands of an ecologically sensitive consumer,” explained Prasad.

OVERSEAS EXPANSION

RCF to set up $ 1.5 billion fertiliser plant in Ghana

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) has proposed to invest $ 1.5 billion to set up a gas-based fertiliser plant with a capacity of 1 million tonne in Ghana. RCF officials said that a joint study would be undertaken to assess the technical, economic, social, environmental and financial feasibility.

RCF and an Indian investor, which could be a public sector undertaking or even a private player, will hold 51 per cent

with the Ghana Government taking up the balance. The company is reportedly looking at roping in GAIL (India) as a consortium partner for the venture.

U S Jha, Chairman & Managing Director, RCF, said, “The significant aspect here is that the gas is available in Ghana at almost a third of the price than in India. The unit could take three years to go online once the agreements are in place.”

NEW LAUNCH

United Phosphorus confident about ManzatePesticide maker United Phosphorus expects its newly-acquired brand Manzate to add ` 60 million in revenue annually. “There has been a foreign exchange-related impact of about 7 per cent on earnings in the first

quarter,” said S Krishnan, Chief Financial Officer, United Phosphorus.

To strengthen its fungicide business, United Phosphorus had acquired DuPont’s non-mixture mancozeb fungicidebusiness recently. “Despite a tough economic environment, we maintain our guidance of 8-10 per cent rise in revenue for the year,” Krishnan added.

Manzate is a broad spectrum fungicide for almost all fruits and vegetables. It contains a co-ordination product of zinc ion and manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate.

L to R: Anjani Prasad, Stefan Schlosser


NATIONAL NEWS

PRICE TREND

GoM upholds ethanol blending price

The Group of Ministers (GoM) on ethanol maintained status quo on its

earlier decision, by upholding a price of ` 27 a litre for a mandatory 5 per cent blending with petrol. This was despite stiff opposition from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. This is against a price of ` 21.50 per litre, which prevailed between 2006 and 2009.

“Blending has been made mandatory at ` 27 per litre,” said Farooq Abdullah, Renewable Energy Minister, after a meet of the GoM. He further added,

“The future price would be decided by an expert committee.”

In an earlier meeting in April, the GoM had approved an interim price of ` 27 for mandatory blending of petrol and ethanol. However, this ran into a hurdle from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The two primary consumers of molasses-based alcohol (ethanol) are the potable liquor sector and chemical producers.

NEW FACILITY

Deepak Fertilisers’ new plant to add ` 4.5 billion

Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Ltd (DFPCL) is slated to become the fifth largest manufacturer of Technical

Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) in the world and will add at least ` 450 crore to its revenues, once the company’s new TAN plant at Taloja is commissioned.

“The ` 655 crore TAN plant at Taloja, near Mumbai is in the final stage of commissioning and is expected to come into production by October 2010. Demand for TAN continues to surge with the strong mining growth seen across India, South-East Asia, Australia and Africa,” explained Sailesh C Mehta, Vice-

chairman and Managing Director, DFPCL. “This new plant would further drive volumes across the TAN segment of the chemicals business propelling DFPCL into a new growth trajectory. DFPCL has already announced that it has signed firm ammonia contracts with a leading supplier from the Middle-East for this new project.

Ammonium nitrate is a widely used explosive mixture in coal mining, quarrying, metal mining and civil construction activities.

COMPENSATION

Government wants Dowto pay for the detoxificationThe Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has filed an affidavit in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh for entrusting Dow Chemicals, the present owner of Union Carbide, with the entire cost of remediation towards detoxifying the areas around Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) in Bhopal.

This followed the estimate put forward by the National Environment

Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in its final report on assessment and remediation of contaminated areas in and around UCIL. The study was sponsored by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Officials clarified that the exercise of detoxification, remediation and decontamination would be undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and the Madhya Pradesh government.

Based on the study, it was concluded that the soil was contaminated

with isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane and mercury.

The study suggested a secured landfill technology and pump-and-treat method. The study estimated the cost of soil remediation in the range of ` 78 - 117 crore.

NEW REFINERY

IOC considers another refinery on west coast Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is weighing the option of setting up another greenfield refinery to meet the rising demand of petroleum and petrochemical products. The refinery with an envisaged capacity of 14-15 million metric tonne

per annum (MMTPA) is expected to entail an investment of about ` 15,000-20,000 crore and is likely to come up on the western coast, sources said. According to a senior official of IOC, it had been on the anvil for quite some time to set up a new refinery on the west coast.

The current refining capacity of India is about 130 million tonne and

this demand is rising at about 4 million tonne per annum, sources said.

IOC would rope in a joint venture partner. IOC had recently featured in Fortune 500 list.

Farooq Abdullah


NATIONAL NEWS

CHEMICAL HAZARD

Pollution Board asks ports to handle chemicals properly

The recent near-fatal gas leak in the Bombay Port Trust (BPT) was an eye-opener for various cargo handlers importing hazardous chemicals, the country’s top pollution watchdog said,

asking them to prepare an emergency plan to prevent such situations.

In April, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had asked various cargo handlers including BPT to be careful while handling toxic chemicals like chlorine and ammonia which have high chances of leakages. “We had suggested all the ports including the BPT to take precautionary measures so that they do not become new hotspots of disasters,” said S P Gautam, Chairman, CPCB.

As per ‘Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Chemicals (MSIHC) Rules, 1989’ under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the industries are supposed to give the details of hazardous chemical imported by them to the CPCB.

Nearly 103 persons had fallen sick on July 14, after inhaling chlorine gas that had leaked from a cylinder stored in Bombay Port Trust (BPT) premises; suggesting gaps in the safety mechanism.

PHOSPHORIC ACID

World’s largest phosphoric acid plant achieves 100 per cent capacity utilisation

Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative’s (IFFCO) Paradeep phosphoric acid

plant, the world’s largest, has achieved a more than 100 per cent capacity utilisation, marking an important progress in reducing India’s dependence on imported phosphoric acid. Against an installed capacity of 2650 tonne per day, the plant produced 2700 tonne on July 10, 2010.

Dr U S Awasthi, Managing Director, IFFCO, said, “We have achieved significant improvement in capacity

utilisation despite certain constraints, including original design deficiencies”

Sulphur and rock phosphate, key ingredients for the manufacture of phosphoric acid are mainly imported into the country. During the last fiscal, despite raw material constraints, IFFCO produced 4.62 lakh tonne of phosphoric acid at its Paradeep unit. IFFCO Paradeep is now the country’s largest phosphatic fertiliser complex and the world’s largest single stream phosphoric acid plant.

WAX PROJECT

NRL initiates ` 700 crore wax project Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) recently initiated a ` 700 crore project for the production of paraffin wax and microcrystalline wax to bridge the domestic shortfall. The refinery will produce 43.3 thousand metric tonne (TMT) of paraffin wax and 4.5 TMT of semi-microcrystalline wax. The project

is expected to be implemented over the next three years.

According to independent financial consultant PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the viability of the project was fully established, with a high internal rate of return; and demand for paraffin wax projected at around 230 TMT by 2011-12 while that of microcrystalline wax is expected to hover at around 12.6 TMT by 2011-12.

Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, petroleum jelly and the leather industry will be the downstream end-user industries for wax produced by NRL, PricewaterhouseCoopers sources said.

ACQUISITION

Huntsman to acquire chemical business of LaffansUS chemical giant Huntsman Corp has announced acquisition of Ankleshwar-based Laffans Petrochemicals Ltd. Laffans is the manufacturer of amines that find use in detergents, automobile waxes, personal care products and surfactants. Huntsman expects the acquisition to be completed in the first half of 2011.

Laffans had recently announced an expansion of its polyetheramine facility in Singapore. Polyetheramine is a material used in industrial applications such as fuel additives or construction materials. Once finalised, the acquisition of Laffans will boost Huntsman’s sales in India to about $ 260 million, or 3 per centof total sales.

Huntsman, based in Woodlands, Texas, is developing its chemicals business in Asia to capitalise on the

region’s rapid growth. Gujarat is chemical hub of India with around 50 per cent contribution in manufacturing and 70 per cent in export. The state has more than 2,500 manufacturing units of which 90 per cent are SMEs.


WORLD NEWS

AWARD

Dutch scientist wins 2010 AkzoNobel Science Award

An internationally renowned Dutch scientist, responsible for several major advances in polymer and organic

chemistry, has won the 2010 AkzoNobel Science Award.

Distinguished Professor Bert Meijer, from Eindhoven University of Technology, was conferred the honour after the jury cited his numerous achievements in materials science and polymer chemistry. These include introducing patented technology, which led to the development of the first nano-container (also called the dendritic box),

and the synthesis & development of supramolecular polymers.

“Bert Meijer is a highly motivated and versatile scientist with a real feeling for science and finding innovative applications for materials developed in his laboratory,” stated the judging panel. It further added, “He gives inspiring leadership to innovative and cutting-edge scientific research which have practical relevance.”

INSTRUMENTATION

FCI introduces small line process flow meter

Fluid Components International (FCI) recently launched ST98L In-Line Mass Flow Meter, which is aimed to offer reliable flow measurement solutions for

any air or gas mixture in small process line sizes ranging from 1-2 inch.

With this, FCI is set to combine precision thermal dispersion mass flow sensing & advanced electronics with exacting fluid calibration and a choice of rugged, industrial enclosures. The result being superior air/gas measurement at an economical instrument low lifecycle cost, offers highly precise results.

The ST98L In-Line Flow Meter comes in two different flow element styles that are application-specific.

The –F style element for applications in dry, clean air/gases with dynamic temperature swings up to 350ºF, incorporates FCI’s unique equal mass sensor in smaller diameter thermowells for faster response time. The –S style flow element is suitable for applications involving dirty or erosive fluids, high moisture content gas or a pulsating flow. The –S element features more robust, thicker wall thermowells and an unshrouded equal mass sensor element.

REPORT

Waters Corporation offers analytical technology solutionsMassTrak Solutions, the latest launch from Waters Corporation for the clinical laboratory, combines the power of separations science, tandem mass spectrometry, specialised chemistry, software and support services in

ways designed to optimise laboratory processes. Waters MassTrak Solutions shorten turnaround times & increase sensitivity, specificity and flexibility of assays for therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology and endocrinology compared to traditional tests methods. Applications of liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for the clinical laboratory are growing largely due to

improvements in accuracy and precision, speed of analysis, and ease of use.

NEW DIVISION

Merck KGaA completes acquisition of Millipore; launches new EMD Millipore DivisionMerck KGaA recently announced the acquisition of Millipore Corporation, a leading lifescience company based in Billerica, Massachusetts, USA. The closing follows the approval of the acquisition by Millipore’s shareholders at a special meeting held recently and the satisfaction of other

customary conditions, including antitrust clearance in the US and Europe. Merck will now begin the process of delisting the shares of Millipore from the New York Stock Exchange and removing the shares from registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

“With the launch of EMD Millipore, we are creating a world-class partner for the lifescience sector, with a comprehensive product offering and enhanced global scale & innovative power,” said Dr Karl-Ludwig Kley,

Chairman, Merck Executive Board. “We will now move quickly to bring together the expertise and complementary capabilities of both, Merck and Millipore employees to capture the significant opportunities in the high-growth, high-margin market segments such as bio-research and bio-production.”

Prof Bert Meijer


WORLD NEWS

ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTATION

Waters launches automated ACQUITY UPLC H-Class systemWaters Corporation unveiled its new Waters® ACQUITY UPLC® H-Class Method Development System that automates liquid chromatography method development according to Quality-by-Design (QbD) guidelines to produce robust methods in less time. The superior performance of the new system stems from the power

and integration of four components: ACQUITY UPLC H-Class; Fusion Method Development™ Software; Empower™ 2 Chromatography Data Software, and Waters Method Development Chemistry Kits.

“The ACQUITY UPLC H-Class Method Development System combines separation capabilities with automated software and data management to consistently produce rugged LC methods in a fraction of time,” said Warren Potts, Pharmaceutical Business Director,

Waters Division. “The chromatographic flexibility and power of Waters’ recently introduced ACQUITY UPLC H-Class System is transforming modern method development as laboratories continue to adopt new UPLC methods and transfer older HPLC methods to UPLC,” he added.

ACQUISITION

Brenntag closes acquisition of EAC Industrial Ingredients Ltd A/S

Brenntag completed the acquisition of EAC Industrial Ingredients Ltd A/S, a provider of chemical distribution solutions in South and South

East Asia from The East Asiatic Company Ltd A/S. With this step, Brenntag acquired Euro 220 millionsales expected for 2010 and significantly expanded its market presence, strengthening its strategic position in Asia Pacific.

With this major acquisition, Brenntag reinforces its growth strategy in Asia-Pacific, as this region provides Brenntag with the capacity to accommodate accelerated growth. Brenntag gained access to an established distribution

network, acquiring in-depth knowledge of local markets and thus formed relationships with a broad customer and supplier base. “We are encouraged by the positive reactions from customers and suppliers as well as employees towards this transaction. We are excited to welcome EAC Industrial Ingredients team of highly experienced professionals in the Brenntag family, and looking forward to an exciting future together,” said Steven Holland, COO, Brenntag.

LAWSUIT

Ineos sued for Euro 200 million by Vinyls Italia Buyer

An Italian businessman who bought Ineos Vinyls Italia in early 2009 is reportedly

suing the company’s seller, Ineos, for Euro 200 million for misrepresentation. Fiorenzo Sartor had bought Ineos Vinyls Italia in March 2009 and renamed it Vinyls Italia. He declared the company insolvent two months later and applied for special administration, which is still ongoing.

The company, which makes polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride monomer, has produced no material since June

2009 and is on the verge of permanent shutdown, sources said.

Sartor has turned to the courts for compensation from Ineos, citing ‘false and malicious representation of prices for supply of raw materials’ at the time of the acquisition. “The prices Ineos quoted would have guaranteed a comprehensive economic benefit of almost Euro 30 million in compensation for the debts and liabilities of the company,” Sartor said.

CLOSURE

Royal Dutch to close its refineryRoyal Dutch Shell said it would go ahead with previously announced plans to close its 1,30,000-bpd refinery at Montreal and convert it to a fuel terminal that would receive gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels.

Shell had earlier announced that the refinery no longer fits the company’s

long-term strategy and that it would place the refinery up for auction. The company was in talks with downstream energy company Delek US Holdings (Brentwood, TN) for a potential sale, but negotiations to sell the site have ended. “Unfortunately, after considerable efforts to find common ground on a number of complex issues, both sides have determined not to pursue further

negotiations with regard to the Montreal East Refinery,” said Uzi Yemin, President & CEO, Delek.


WORLD NEWS

ACQUISITION

Air Liquide acquires industrial gases company in Panama

Air Liquide acquired Cryogas de Centroamerica, one of the leading suppliers of medical and industrial gases in Panama. The agreement to acquire Cryogas’ business operations and assets includes its air separation unit, filling, distribution and retail sales activities.

“Emerging economies are a growth driver of Air Liquide. The acquisition of Cryogas de

Centroamerica and our entry into Panama will enhance our growth throughout America,” said Michael J Graff, President & CEO, American Air Liquide Holdings.

He further added, “The demand from critical infrastructure projects such as the Panama Canal expansion should help further drive our business opportunity throughout Latin America.”

GROWTH MARGIN

BASF’s earnings up on higher demandBASF’s second-quarter net income quadrupled to Euro 1.2 billion, on sales, up 30 per cent to Euro 16.2 billion on improved economic conditions. The biggest gains came from the chemicals businesses, where market conditions were weak in the year-ago period during the global economic downturn. Profits rose in all divisions except for agricultural solutions, and revenues improved in all divisions excluding oil & gas.

“Economic recovery will continue during the second-half of the year, but at a moderate rate. We expect our sales to grow in 2010 and outpace global chemical production, which is estimated to be 7-8 per cent,” said Jurgen Hambrecht, Chairman, BASF. He further added, “We anticipate that Ebit before special items will improve considerably, and we will again earn a premium on our cost of capital,” he said BASF’s EBIT was Euro 1.1 billion in 2009.

Meanwhile, the chemicals business’ Ebit more than doubled, to Euro 687

million, on sales up by 64 per cent, to Euro 2.97 billion. “Demand for our products was high, and sales volumes increased substantially,” BASF said. “At the same time, available supply of some products, such as those in the butanediol chain and petrochemicals, remained tight despite high capacity utilisation,” the company added.

FINANCIAL OPTION

Chemtura files for exit financingChemtura asked for court permission to proceed with a $ 1.025 billion exit financing, court filings say. The funding will include a $ 275-million asset-backed credit line, and $ 750 million in a combination of bond issuance and term loan. The financing will

help the company fund its operations after it emerges from bankruptcy, and will be held in escrow until then. Chemtura filed a reorganisation plan in June, and expects to emerge from bankruptcy soon.

The final shape of the $ 750 million portion of the financing will largely be determined by market conditions. The interest rates for the financing

will be determined, through a range of options based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), Bank of America’s prime rate, and the Federal Funds Effective Rate.

PARTNERSHIP

Eltron Research and Eastman Chemical join hands

Eltron Research & Development Inc and Eastman Chemical Company have signed a joint development agreement for the scale-up and pilot testing of

Eltron’s advanced membrane system for hydrogen separation and carbon dioxide (CO2) capture. The $ 8-million development project is sponsored by a cooperative agreement from the US Department of Energy. Eltron’s novel metallic membrane system extracts pure hydrogen from a mixed gas stream. The high-purity hydrogen can be used for clean power generation, chemical synthesis and other applications. The

membrane system retains carbon dioxide at high pressure. Eltron’s membrane technology offers the potential to considerably reduce the capital and operating costs of producing industrial hydrogen in conjunction with CO2 capture and storage.

Upon successful demonstration, the complete technology package will be made available to the industry through Eltron’s licensing programme.


WORLD NEWS

JOINT VENTURE

Solvay and Nepes form electronic chemicals JV in Korea

Solvay and Nepes Corporation, a producer of semiconductor parts and electronic chemicals, have formed an

equally-owned joint venture, Iridos to manufacture pastes and pigments for use in thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD) and organic light emitting diodes (OLED) in Korea, using nanotechnology.

Production of pigments and pastes, until the formation of Iridos, was being carried out by the two joint venture partners, which are contributing assets to the JV valued at Won 20 billion

($ 17 million) in the three years through 2011. These will include a new plant at Solvay’s Onsan, Korea site to manufacture pigments, and Nepes’s paste manufacturing facility at its Ochang, Korea site which is being upgraded and expanded.

The worldwide market for TFT-LCD colour pastes is estimated at Won 300 billionand until the establishment of Iridos hasonly been supplied by Japanese companies.

NEW FACILITY

Süd-Chemie secures subsidy for Germany’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant

Süd-Chemie will be soon building Germany´s largest plant for the

production of biofuels from straw, with subsidies from the Bavarian State Government and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project will cost Euro 28 million of which the company will spend Euro 16 million on the plant, and a further Euro 2 million on development costs. Each department will provide Euro 5 million for the project, with the money funded towards R&D activities. The plant is set to produce up to 2,000 MT/year of

bioethanol fuel from agricultural waste, such as cereal straw.

Construction is set to begin in the fall of 2010, with the facility due to come on stream at the end of 2011. “We continue to pursue our strategy of developing to market maturity sustainable manufacturing processes for climate-friendly biofuels and chemicals, based on leading expertise in the fields of catalysis, biocatalysis and process engineering,” said Günter von Au, Chairman, Süd-Chemie.

FINANCIAL RESULT

Mitsubishi registers profit; upgrades earnings and sales forecastsMitsubishi Chemical reported a net profit of ¥ 24.5 billion ($ 285 million) for its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, compared to a net loss of about ¥ 17 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The business environment was generally favourable due to high selling prices and a recovery in demand in

the performance products & industrial materials segments, a Mitsubishi statement said. Sales improved also because Mitsubishi Rayon became a consolidated subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical in March 2010.

Mitsubishi’s chemical segment recorded a 19 per cent rise in sales for the quarter, to ¥ 207 billion and an operating profit of ¥ 12.1 billion, compared to an operating loss of about ¥ 3 billion in the year-ago period, mainly due to inventory valuation gains,

improvement in price variation between raw materials and petrochemical products, and Mitsubishi Rayon becoming a consolidated subsidiary. Mitsubishi’s ethylene output for the quarter increased around 19 per cent, to 232,000 MT.

TAKEOVER

Cabot acquires security materials firmCabot acquired Oxonica Materials, the US subsidiary of Oxonica. The purchase will complement Cabot’s existing security materials business and expand the company’s portfolio of security technologies. OMI is a developer of surface enhanced Raman scattering

(SERS) materials and detection methods. SERS materials provide a unique signal that can be detected using specialised readers, and therefore provide highly counterfeit-resistant security solutions for a broad range of applications including brand security, fuel markers, tax stamps and identification.

Cabot Corporation’s primary products are rubber and specialty

grade carbon blacks, inkjet colourants, fumed metal oxides, aerogel, tantalum & related products, and cesium formate drilling fluids, among others.

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PROJECT UPDATES

Decorative paintAkzoNobel IndiaProject TypeNew facility Project newsAkzoNobel is planning to double its capacity in the next five years. As part of its expansion plans, it proposes to set up a greenfield project for decorative paints in South India with an investment of ` 100 crore. The plant will have the capacity to manufacture around 70 million ltr of decorative paints annually. Project locationTamil Nadu or KarnatakaProject cost` 100 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:AkzoNobel India Pvt LtdPriyam Galaxies Jogodyan Lane 8 C/1Z Kolkata 700 054 Tel: 033-3095 5906 Fax: 033-2334 5567Email: [email protected]

InkTirupati Inks LtdProject TypeNew facility Project newsTirupati Inks is setting up a greenfield manufacturing facility at industrial area in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. As part of the plan, it proposes to set up plant for manufacturing digital ink, ultra-violet ink, offset printing ink and ink concentrates. It will invest ` 24 crore for the project. Project locationGhaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Project cost` 24 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Tirupati Inks LtdA-1/33, Dada NagarKanpur - 208022Uttar PradeshTel: 0512-221 69 26, 222 30 24Fax : 0512-223 42 01Email: [email protected]

OleochemicalGodrej Industries LtdProject TypeNew facility Project newsGodrej Industries Ltd is planning to invest ` 1.5 billion over the next three years to expand its chemical manufacturing capacity. These will be new plants manufacturing oleochemicals, which are made from vegetable oils.Project locationMaharashtraProject cost` 1.5 billionImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Godrej Industries Ltd PirojshanagarEastern Express HighwayVikhroli, Mumbai 400 079Tel: 022-2518 8010/8020/8030Fax: 022-2518 8074Email: [email protected]

PharmaceuticalJ B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals LtdProject TypeNew facility

Project newsDrug formulations and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) maker J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd plans to invest about ` 500-600 millionto set up a new unit in Gujarat by FY13. The investment will happen in FY12 & FY13, and the plant will be operational in the fourth quarter of FY13. The company will also spend around ` 400 million to modernise its present unit at Panoli and another one at Kadaiya in the Union Territory of Daman and Diu in FY11. Project locationGujaratProject cost` 500-600 million Implementation stagePlanning

Contact details:J B Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd Neelam Centre, B Wing, 4th floor Hind Cycle Road, WorliMumbai 400 030Tel: 022-3045 1200/500Fax: 022-2493 0534/9633Email: [email protected]

PharmaceuticalDRS GroupProject TypeNew facility Project newsDRS Group will be entering into pharmaceutical business with the launch of its new division, DRS Labs, in Hyderabad. It would commence operations at its modern manufacturing facility at Medchal, near Hyderabad. Set up with an investment of ` 10 crore, the facility would initially focus on contract manufacturing. It has a capacity to manufacture over 300 tonnetablets, capsules, liquids and ointments, by employing 200 people.

New projects and expansion activities are the barometers of industrial growth. These also present

business opportunities to service providers like consultants, contractors, plant & equipment suppliers and

others down the value chain. This feature will keep you updated with vital information regarding new

projects and capacity expansions being planned by companies in the chemical and allied industries.


PROJECT UPDATES

Project locationMedchal, Andhra PradeshProject cost` 10 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:DRS Group321, Kabra Complex, 61 M G Road Secunderabad 500 003 Tel: 040-2770 0121/0530 Fax: 040-2771 1406Email: [email protected]

Phthalic anhydrideIG PetrochemicalsProject TypeExpansion Project newsIG Petrochemicals is planning to increase its phthalic anhydride (PA) capacity by 50,000 tonne at its existing facility. The company has a total capacity of 1,10,000 Tonne Per Annum (TPA). The feasibility study is currently on for the project and the project will take about 16-18 months to complete.Project locationRaigad, MaharashtraProject cost` 400-450 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:IG Petrochemicals Ltd 401/402 Raheja Centre Free Press Journal Marg, 214 Nariman Point Mumbai 400 021 Tel: 022-3028 6100 Fax: 022-2204 0747 Emaii: [email protected]

PigmentAsahi Songwon Colors Ltd Project TypeExpansionProject newsThe Gujarat-based pigment manufacturer Asahi Songwon Colors (ASCL) is planning to expand the capacity of its beta blue product from the present 1,200 Tonne Per Annum

(TPA) to 2,040 TPA by November, and then to 4,000 TPA within a year.Project locationMehsana, Gujarat Project cost` 30 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Asahi Songwon Colors LtdAsahi HouseChhatral-Kadi Road MehsanaGujarat 382 721Tel: 02764-233 006-10Fax: 02764-233 020/550 Email: [email protected]

RefineryHindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd Project TypeNew facility Project newsHindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) is planning to invest ` 30,000 crore to set up a 15-16 million tonne-a-year refinery on the west coast. The new refinery is likely to be located in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.Project locationRaigad, Maharashtra Project cost` 30,000 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Hindustan Petroleum Corporation LtdPetroleum House 17, Jamshedji Tata Road Mumbai 400 020Tel: 022-2286 3900Fax: 022-2287 2992 Email: [email protected]

Specialty chemicalSRF Ltd Project TypeNew facility Project newsSRF Ltd is working on investment plans of around of ` 1,000 crore, spread over the next four years, on

a new plant at Dahej in Gujarat. This would produce mostly fluorine-based specialty chemicals for use as intermediates in the manufacturing of pesticides and drugs for customers in Europe, Japan and the US.Project locationDahej, Gujarat Project cost` 1,000 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:SRF LtdBlock C, Sector 45Gurgaon 122003Tel: 0124 - 4354400Fax: 0124 - 4354500 Email: [email protected]

Synthetic rubberIndian Oil Corporation LtdProject TypeNew facility Project newsIndian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) and its partners Marubeni Corp and Taiwan’s TSRC Corp will invest ` 900 crore in setting up a unit to manufacture synthetic rubber for tyres. The three will build a plant at Panipat in Haryana by September 2012 to manufacture 1,20,000 Tonne Per Annum (TPA) synthetic rubber from butadiene. The plant has been planned to benefit from the rising auto demand in India. The SBR would produce high-quality synthetic rubber used in the manufacturing of automotive tyres, conveyors and fan belts.Project locationPanipat, HaryanaProject cost` 900 croreImplementation stagePlanning

Contact details:Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Indian Oil BhavanG-9, Ali Yavar Jung MargBandra (East), Mumbai 400 051Tel: 022-2642 7363, 2644 7528Fax: 022-2644 3880Email: [email protected]

…believes Sam Ewe, Country Manager - India and South East Asia, Henkel Adhesive Technologies. He joined Henkel following the acquisition of the adhesives operation of National Starch and Chemical (NSC) in April 2008. Having worked with NSC and Henkel for the last 24 years, he has held many senior positions. In this conversation with Rakesh Rao, Ewe discusses the performance of adhesives market in the recent years, and Henkel’s future plans.

“Even if last year was a difficult one, the adhesives market has lost none of its attractiveness”

Henkel in India…Henkel is the world market leader in adhesives, sealants and surface treatments industry. The Indian market is a key focus area for us. We have fully established businesses and manufacturing facilities for our Electronics, Industry & Maintenance, Metal Industries, Packaging and Transportation Divisions in the country to ensure that we are close to our customers, and thereby able to offer the best service to them.

Some of your latest innovations…Among our innovations are two new Loctite® branded adhesives, with superior performance, added value and reliability. The medium-strength threadlocker Loctite® 243 and high-strength threadlocker Loctite® 263, reliable cure on passive metals, have improved high-temperature performance and increased oil tolerance.


LEADERS SPEAK


LEADERS SPEAK

These immensely improved efficiency for production lines and maintenance jobs.

In addition, we have two new technologies Alodine EC2® and Loctite MIP®, which will be launched this year. Both are designed to improve engine performance & efficiency, and to reduce overall operating manufacturing cost for our customers.

Global adhesives & sealants market… Adhesives are the hidden champions of everyday life. They are present around us although rarely noticed: cell phones, cars, aircraft, furniture, books, baby’s diapers, wallpaper – the list of things that would not work without adhesives is endless. Adhesives are what we call a critical C component. These account for only a fraction of the total cost of the end-product, but if the adhesive does not deliver the promised performance, it can have serious consequences.

As we define it, the world market for adhesives, sealants and surface treatment products amount to around Euro 47 billion. On a long-term scale, it is growing annually by around 3-5 per cent.

The adhesives market in India, growing at about 10 per cent, presents sizeable opportunities. Further, if we look at long-term indicators for the business, there are a number of growth opportunities. The rising affluence, spending on consumer goods and infrastructural development will continue to drive the growth of the

adhesives industry. Increasing awareness about the capability of adhesives and sealants as primary assembly methods is a key driver of growth in emerging markets like India.

Slowdown effect…The year 2009 was characterised by the economic downturn that gripped the world, in a consequence also exerting a negative impact on the adhesives market worldwide. There was a significant decline in production, particularly in the steel, automotive and electronics industries. The capital goods sector and the construction industry likewise registered heavy contraction. Private consumption also suffered from the consequences, yet assumed the role of economic stabiliser.

The effects of the situation were particularly noticeable in the developed regions of North America, Western Europe and Japan. The picture in the growth regions was mixed: although some countries in Asia and Eastern Europe suffered from the effects of the slowdown, China and India proved to be more robust as the year unfolded. With the exception of Mexico, Latin America was also less adversely affected by the market downturn. But, even if last year was a difficult one, the adhesives market has lost none of its attractiveness.

Emerging trends in adhesives & sealants market…There are four major trends driving growth in the adhesives segment:

Steadily rising adhesives demand in emerging markets

Increasing importance of sustainable manufacturing of industrial goods, as in the automotive and aircraft sectors

Continuing trend towards replacing traditional techniques such as welding or riveting, by structural bonding

Adhesive solutions for completely new fields of application, in areas such as medicine or even agriculture, for example, the grafting of tomato plants

Challenges facing adhesives manufacturers…Customers are increasingly demanding cost-saving solutions and better-performance products. Looking at the customer demands, we try to create value for the customer by offering products that provide cost-saving opportunities. We help them save cost by improving certain assembly processes to enhance the productivity and yield. We also give them the option of substituting a material with a different adhesive, so they spend less than what they used to on a certain process, yet improve or maintain quality.

As a global company, we can take full advantage of the resources owned worldwide by Henkel and maintain a leading position in terms of providing broad-based applications and technology expertise to our customers, consistent high-quality products from a single-source provider and customised local technical support across the globe. Many smaller companies do not have the scope to serve all of these needs.

Impact of rising raw materials cost… Between January 2009 and February 2010, prices of the key raw materials have kept increasing dramatically, growing beyond the high levels hit in 2008. Some petrochemical feedstock based raw materials such as propylene, benzene and butadiene have shown sizable increase of 202, 239 and 335 per cent respectively in January 2010 compared to January 2009. Together with naphtha and ethylene, these raw materials impact adhesives products including hotmelt, polyurethane, acrylic, water-based and so on.

High petrochemical feedstock based raw material prices have driven the cost of adhesives high across the industry. We have been trying our best to cope with these upstream cost increases by improving our internal efficiency, however, we have reached a point where product price increase is unavoidable for us to continue to

The rising affluence, spending on consumer goods and infrastructural development will

continue to drive the growth of the adhesives industry. Increasing awareness about the capability of adhesives and sealants as primary assembly methods is a key driver of growth in emerging markets like India.


LEADERS SPEAK

deliver the same high-quality product and service standards that our customers expect from us. Henkel Adhesives Technologies’ business units in India therefore recently announced a price increase of 10-20 per cent for various grades of industrial adhesives that are affected by the rising costs of petrochemical feedstock based raw materials.

Performance of Henkel India… With the unique breadth of our product portfolio, further enhanced by the acquisition of the adhesives businesses of National Starch in April 2008, we have assumed a leading position both, on a global scale and in the individual regions. With global annual sales of Euro 6,224 million, Henkel’s global adhesives business is holding the number one position in the adhesives market, while its closest competitor’s sales hit less than half of it.

Also, in India, Henkel holds the leading position for adhesives, sealants and surface treatment in various industries like electronics, automobiles, etc.

Emerging markets including India already account for 41 per cent of Henkel Adhesive Technologies’ worldwide sales, and the trend will continue. The markets of India and China are growing by around 10 per cent compared to a world market growth of 3-5 per cent. The future potential of bonding, probably the most advanced joining technology of today, is just as strong as ever, and we are well positioned for generating profitable growth again in 2010.

Growth plans…Our growth drivers will be innovation, business in the emerging markets and our strong customer focus. A key factor in this effort is our innovative strength, as we invest around Euro 4 million every week of the year in our worldwide research and development activities for our adhesives.

We continue to invest to foster further growth with technologies, which are in line with market trends and customer demand. We also continue to invest proportionally in the growth regions to secure and expand market positions in the long term. We have been able to build a strong base in Asia-Pacific. The National Starch acquisition almost doubled our adhesives business in Asia. This increased size allows us to better manage against market volatilities – and the portfolio helps to increase our ability to service customers in the region.

These activities are in line with our three strategic priorities, which are: to place our customers at the centre of everything, continue to grow & strengthen our global & regional team, and achieve our business potential by empowering our people to unlock new or untapped opportunities within our business. These have already allowed us to achieve considerable success. This has also positioned us to look ahead.


FACILITY VISIT

R aj Process Equipments and Systems Pvt Ltd is an ISO 9001:2000 certified company with businesses in chemical, pharmaceutical & food processing

equipment and turnkey solutions. Starting as a process equipment entity, the company pursued a strategy of becoming a solution provider to chemical, pharmaceutical, bio-chemical, ceramic, mineral and fertiliser industries with a continuous focus to provide total turnkey solutions.

Currently, Raj Group’s activities span design, manufacturing and commissioning of industrial drying systems, distillery plants, evaporators,

special mixers and food processing plants. Besides, it also undertakes fabrication of large vessels, reactors, heat exchangers, crystallisers, etc as per the customer requirement or in-house design.

“Through continuous evaluation & upgradation of products, quality systems and infrastructure, we are setting foot in non-ventured sectors like refineries, gas, critical high-temperature & pressure vessels & reactors, material handling, bio-diesel, incineration systems and atomic energy,” informs Anil Pise, Managing Director, Raj Process Equipments and Systems Pvt Ltd.

It is often said that dedication and determination always pay. This holds true for the Pune-based Raj Process Equipments and Systems Pvt Ltd. The company started its journey only 13 years ago, but has come a long way due to its customer-centric approach. The cornerstone of its success is in introducing products from time to time, which benefits the user the most. Prasenjit Chakraborty tracks the growth path of the company which believes in continuously adopting a customer-centric approach.

Broadening horizon, engineering successRaj Process Equipments and Systems Pvt Ltd

Chakan facility


FACILITY VISIT

The facilityRaj Process’ first manufacturing facility, which is spread over an area of 22,000 sq ft commenced operations at Bhosari MIDC. However, the growing business compelled the company to set up another factory at Chakan in Pune. This plant is spread over an area of 1,40,000 sq ft. Construction is still going on in full swing and is expected to be completed in six months. The facility has sophisticated machinery and fabrication equipment like special-purpose milling, drilling and lathe, having the capacity to machine up to 4 m x 12 m diameters. Besides, it has also installed overhead & mobile crane facilities with capacity up to 50 tonne. As far as inspection is concerned, it regularly conducts radiography, ultrasonic, dye penetration and hydro tests.

In its endeavour to provide quality products to its customers, it recruits only qualified welders. Also, each welder is engaged in welding only one particular product where his expertise lies. “By doing this, we ensure that our product is flawless,” states Pise.

Earlier, the company used to outsource some of the components; however, it later realised that to ensure quality, timely service and delivery, it was imperative to have complete manufacturing under one roof. And this is how the plan for Chakan factory came up.

“We have more than 400 personnel working under 25 production and 20 quality control engineers,” says Pise. Soon, it will install special

laser cutting and welding machines in the plant. It mainly processes stainless steel materials along with mild steel at its Chakan facility. “We roughly process 500 metric tonne per month in our Chakan facility,” claims Pise. Currently, Raj Process is focussing more on turnkey projects like distillery, detergent powder, starch & glucose, gur & gum, zero liquid discharge, etc.

Distillery plantProduction and consumption of alcohol is an age-old practice. But with time, the areas of usage as well as production techniques have witnessed several changes. Apart from potable purposes, alcohol today finds an application in a varied mix of industrial areas. “Here, we provide techniques and systems that bring out much higher quality of the product while effectively lowering production costs,” asserts Pise.

The fermentation system design based on crucial parameters helps reduce loss of alcohol in fermentors and increases the yield of alcohol by controlling the unwanted byproducts. Its features include high-fermentation efficiency, minimal wastewater generation, rugged operation, etc. “The design offers flexibility to operate continuously as well as synchronised mode of operation, depending on the characteristics of feedstock,” claims Pise.

The company offers separation technologies with highly efficient multiple distillation column systems, which, it claims to, consume low-

energy during operation, offering high yield. “The process is one with slow dynamics and is accompanied by side streams, making it essential to have a carefully planned and designed control system,” he points out.

One of the key technologies (devised by Raj Process) in the distillery plant is zero liquid discharge system. “This provides comprehensive, cost-effective and reliable operating option. These products & services are designed to help keep the plant safe and the company on the growth trajectory,” says Pise.

The evaporation system consists of single or multiple calendrias (tubular shell and tube heat exchangers) and drying systems. Evaporation systems are designed taking into consideration factors like high-fouling fluids, rugged operation, less maintenance & operating cost and stable with fluctuation on steam or feed side. For drying, the company offers rotary and spray dryer according to the

Reactor unit Coils being manufactured Evaporator

Through continuous evaluation & upgradation of products, quality systems and infrastructure, we are setting foot in non-ventured sectors like refineries, gas, critical high-temperature & pressure vessels etc.

Anil PiseManaging Director


FACILITY VISIT

suitability and nature of the product to be handled. “These dryers are highly efficient having low operating costs and are easy to operate. These are also highly effective for products, which require gentle drying and high-residence time,” asserts Pise.

The company has already completed three turnkey projects till date. Currently, it has two such projects in hand, which are in Uganda and Sri Lanka.

Starch & glucose plantStarch is a polymer of glucose found in most plants. Starch is organised in 1-140 µm granules in plants. It is produced from starch rich products like maize, cassava/tapioca roots, potato, wheat, rice, etc. According to Pise, the technology or the manufacturing process of starch differs with the raw materials used. One of the important aspects of starch processing or extraction is that it is produced as per the requirements of the end-users, depending on the changing reaction conditions (temperature, pH) and strict process control methods.

To facilitate these aspects of extraction and processing, Raj Process has designed & developed a starch processing plant which is well-equipped to meet the varied requirements in the manufacturing facility. “Our advanced fabrication facilities, the team of industry professionals and technical know-how enable us to meet our client’s specific requirements by developing custom-designed machinery. We have also established a complete plant for starch extraction and to execute turnkey projects,” says Pise. Some of the most common industrial usages of starch are in ceramics, textile chemicals, printing industry, bioplastics, body powder, oil exploration, bio-ethanol, etc.

Zero liquid discharge plantOne of the reasons for the company’s success is in introducing new products when those are needed the most by various industries. Its zero liquid discharge technology is a step in this

direction. In the current scenario, zero liquid discharge systems have become necessary for many industries, which generate liquid effluents. These also have features like high steam & power economy, optimal space requirement, capacity range from 1-1,000 kL per day, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) systems, etc. Application areas are in industries like pharmaceutical, distillery, chemical & dyes, paper and steel.

Future planRaj Process is setting up another plant in Satara Road - 60 km from Pune - for which a 14 acre land has already been procured. “This plant will have ultra-modern facility and will begin operations within a year,” reveals Pise. In the first phase, the company is investing ` 10 crore for the project. Once this factory commences its operations, the company will dedicate the entire Bhosari plant for R&D. “We will reconstruct the plant at Bhosari and convert it to a dedicated R&D department. Everyone will be able to use the service of our R&D facility at a certain cost,” he says. It is also planning to diversify into areas like oil & gas soon.

Currently, the company exports its products to Italy, Malaysia, Africa, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the UK, the US and the Middle East. Of the total production, export constitutes around 30 per cent, however, the share will increase substantially in the months to come. Currently, it has marketing offices in Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai, besides Pune. “We will soon start offices in more cities in India,” he says. It also has branch offices in Malaysia and Indonesia. Plans are afoot to open offices in African countries as well.

In its endeavour to become a reputed company, it is looking for joint ventures with foreign companies. “We wish to become one of the leading engineering MNCs within a decade, now that we have a strong presence in domestic and global markets,” avers Pise.

Crystalliser

Spray dryer

Mixer getting ready

Logistical challenges are applicable to all commodities in India, but challenges in the chemical sector are more critical, considering the nature of the cargo. To mitigate it, logistics providers need to address a plethora of issues right from manpower training to inducting sophisticated technology. These are imperative for ensuring real-time visibility, transparency and safety. Prasenjit Chakraborty provides an insight into the various nitty gritties involved in the chain.

INDUSTRY UPDATE



INDUSTRY UPDATE

C urrently, the chemical industry in India is estimated at ` 3,50,000 crore and its export value

at ` 70,000 crore. It has a share of 14 per cent in the Indian industry and is the single largest segment in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). It is highly heterogenous, with countless companies that include commodities and specialities in 20 segments (for example, inorganic, textile, colourants, etc), which are growing at a rate of 12 per cent per annum. Moreover, private sector participation is also improving in the Indian chemical industry. The current market conditions show significant potential for growth. And, to facilitate this growth, the chemical industry needs quality logistical support.

Current challengesChemical cargo, including petroleum, has been traditionally transported through rail, road, sea and pipelines. Of these, pipelines are the most effective and efficient way to transport cargo. Besides, transportation through pipelines is environmentally safe. But India being a vast country,

it is physically impossible to have a pipeline infrastructure that covers the entire length and breadth of the country. This makes it imperative that chemical cargo, including petroleum, be transported through other channels like road, rail or sea.

“India imports & exports chemicals, and the inflow & outflow of chemical cargo is predominantly through bulk ships, tankers or through ISO tanks and ocean containers,” says Lars Sorensen, Managing Director, Damco (South Asia).

According to him, bulk vessels and tankers suit the movement of cargo, which is high in volume. Also, vessels are often chartered to transport large volume of cargo. Cargo, which can be packed into drums and IBCs, can be containerised. This provides a cost-effective and secure way of transporting chemical cargo.

ISO tanks are used in the transportation of chemical cargo, as these are designed specifically to move it on container ships. The domestic transportation of chemical commodities is dominated by road and rail segments. Short sea or coastal shipping is also another option through which chemical cargo is transported.

Addressing issuesChemical cargo needs careful planning of storage and distribution to avoid accidents. Incidents like minute leakage can put the surrounding environment and community under risk.

To achieve this, competent & experienced professionals who have the skill and the knowledge of handling chemical cargo must carry out transportation and storage of the bulk. “The storage of chemical cargo needs designated storage area where general cargo cannot be stored. These storage areas must be well-marked and equipped with safety gear & trained staff who are experienced in handling chemical

cargo,” exhorts Sorensen. Seconding this, Sanjay Tejwani, Director, Oceanfreight, DHL Global Forwarding India, says, “Mitigating the risks associated with chemical materials requires the application of safety precautions during their transport, use, storage and disposal. Proper packing & securing of containers and appropriate labelling of cargo can prevent disasters.”

Logistics is a critical component in the entire supply chain to ensure product quality and company profits. In addition to transport, storage and warehousing facilities, efficient operation is also directly linked to logistics costs.

Transportation of chemical cargo must be undertaken on trucks, which are designed to carry chemical. In case of the movement of hazardous cargo, the truck must be clearly marked with the commodity class it is carrying alongwith emergency response details. But absence of a specialised service provider makes the task even more difficult. The major challenge in this direction lies in the handling of hazardous chemicals. “The drivers of such trucks must be well-trained on the implications of chemical carriage and also in emergency response in case of a leak or accident,” points out Sorensen.

In many cases, the drivers of the chemical cargo carrying vehicles are not adequately trained, leading to accidents, giving rise to potentially dangerous situation for the general public and the environment. The same situation applies for the management of storage and warehousing facilities for chemical cargo.

Lars SorensenManaging Director, Damco (South Asia)

What to look for in an outsourcing partner

Although the list of Third Party Logistics (3 PLs) is quite long, only a few specialise in the chemical industry. Key criteria by which a chemical shipper should evaluate an outsourcing partner include the following:

Extent of experience within the chemical industry

Percentage of chemical shipments managed

Use of on-demand technology that is easy to deploy as well as upgrade

Speed of implementation

Number of successful installations

Financial viability

Proven flexibility


INDUSTRY UPDATE

As far as chemical logistics is concerned, the health and safety of the personnel & environment are critical. Well-defined health and safety procedures must be incorporated in daily operations to prevent accidents, and the crew must be well-trained to contain the damage quickly and effectively, in the event of any untoward incident.

Proactive steps required There are several guidelines that are followed in the transportation of chemical cargo. Some of these processes are defined by the authorities and some are practised by the logistics service providers (LSPs) to ensure safety of the cargo, personnel and the environment.

These processes are even more critical in the case of transportation of hazardous materials. For export or import of hazardous materials, the ocean carrier has to be specifically informed about the hazardous nature of the cargo to make special arrangements for the stowage of cargo on the ship. The cargo, before being loaded on to the ship, has to be stored in a designated area in the port, away from the general cargo, manned by personnel who are capable of managing the risks involved.

Similar processes are also followed in the road and rail transportation of cargo. The cargo-carrying vehicle has to be marked with the commodity inside it, its nature and other critical details. The drivers of the cargo-carrying vehicle must be equipped with emergency response cards, which outline what they should do in case of an emergency. They should also be provided with emergency

numbers. It is mandatory that such a vehicle carrying hazardous cargo be equipped with a tracking device.

Sorensen strongly believes that there are a plenty of opportunities to improve the safety norms practised in the movement of chemicals in India. “In many cases, the drivers of the chemical cargo carrying vehicles are not adequately trained, leading to accidents. This gives rise to potentially

The rules and regulations governing transportation & storage of chemicals are much more stringent and better enforced, in the developed world, unlike in India. This is largely due to the inefficient bureaucratic system where laws are not strictly adhered to and implemented and commercial considerations override safety norms.

Sanjay TejwaniDirector - Oceanfreight, DHL Global Forwarding India

Security measures for chemical logisticsExperience till date

Site security has been brought inhouse

Sealing of trucks and containers is not, in itself, the solution

Standards differ from port-to-port and nation-to-nation

Secure parking is a key consideration

Vandalism and theft are perceived also to be issues

What is missing?

Awareness of the security issue and preplanning

The prenotification of trucks

The level of focus on discharge operations does not match the high attention given to loading

Inadequate training

Lack of security over unattended transport units (intermodal)

Barge security

More cooperation between shippers and their LSPs on security issues

Barriers to the progress

Costs

Concentrate risk through measures like the provision of secure parking

Lack of awareness of the weakest link in security chain

Administrative effort usually outweighs perceived security gains

Steps to be taken by the industry

Give more consideration to issues such as in-transit security, locking, sealing, tracking and tracing and anti-theft equipment

Develop security plans

Consider numbering the tops of containers

Focus on high-consequence dangerous goods

Increase awareness training

Prenotification

Develop common identification standard

Participate in development of security measures at government level

Source: European Petrochemical Association

INDUSTRY UPDATE

dangerous situation for the general public and the environment. The same situation applies for the management of storage and warehousing facilities for chemical cargo,” he points out. There is a need by all involved parties to increase their commitment towards the safety of cargo, public and environment.

In India, there still are several obstacles to overcome in the transport of chemical products, ranging from technological & operational to co-operative issues. Says Tejwani, “India still lacks in extensive end-to-end distribution network, making the logistics chain weak. While the urban distribution network is more reliable, the rural one is fragmented.” In addition, issues related to the infrastructure constraints at Indian sea ports to store the cargo under required conditions and the statutory permissions also add to the challenges faced in the chemical supply chain in India.

Such obstacles put companies in a tricky situation. “We need to respond fast to our consumers particularly overseas. In this direction, all processes (cargos after reaching port) have to be completed within 24 hour. The recent congestions in the Mumbai port directly impacted our shipments, delaying it by 7-15 days. This is unacceptable in the international market,” laments U Shekhar, Chairman, Galaxy Surfactants Ltd.

Scope for 3 PL market The chemical industry is gradually becoming global and its trade patterns have made the chemical supply chain complex. Many global production centres have emerged across North America, Europe, Middle East, China and Africa, with leading consumption markets spread across the world.

India imports a large quantity of chemicals from across the world and is also engaged in their exports. The supply chain for chemical companies

today is lean with great emphasis on safe and timely transportation of the cargo. In many cases, chemicals are raw materials to critical manufacturing processes, and hence it is imperative to ensure timely delivery.

Traditionally, industries like automotive and retail have been at the forefront of logistics and supply chain innovations. “But today, the global competitive nature of the industry and the complex supply chain have meant that even the chemical industry players are innovating and improving their supply chain constantly,” states Sorensen. He further adds, “We have seen that the extent of outsourcing of logistics activities in the chemical industry is going up where the giants partner with leading 3PL service providers to manage their end-to-end supply chain.”

Globally, we are witnessing the emergence of many large chemical trade zones where the industry has been developed in clusters with adequate logistics, transport and other support infrastructure being established simultaneously.

The increased pressure to reduce inventory costs and cycle time has made it critical to have real-time visibility of the cargo in transit. Visibility increases reliability and reduces the need to have high buffer stock in the system. “Due to this, leading chemical industry players have now started tying up their resource planning systems to the 3PL visibility systems. This improves planning,

co-ordination and distribution of cargo,” points out Sorensen. All these developments mean that 3PL service providers are involved in a lot of chemical logistics activities right from planning, storage, transport and distribution of chemical products.

Developed world vis-à-vis India Today, knowledge regarding leading industry practices is shared quickly among various players across the globe. This means that these supply chain practices are followed in India as well.

What may differentiate the chemical logistics landscape of India from other developed markets is the presence of logistics infrastructure to manage chemical cargo. This logistics infrastructure could involve generic

We need to respond fast to our consumers, particularly overseas. In this direction, all logistical procedures have to be completed within 24 hours. The recent congestions in the Mumbai port directly impacted our shipments, delaying it by 7-15 days. This is unacceptable in the international market.

U ShekharChairman, Galaxy Surfactants Ltd


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INDUSTRY UPDATE

infrastructure like ports, roads, railways, warehouses as well as chemical industry-specific infrastructure. “The logistics cost in India is more than that in developed markets, due to the difference in the infrastructure available,” says Sorensen. He strongly believes that if India can focus on improving its logistics infrastructure,

including rail, chemical warehousing and other facilities, the overall logistics cost can be reduced. Thus the Indian chemical companies can improve their competitive strengths in the global market.

Apart from basic infrastructure, lacuna in trained manpower is also an important issue in the chemical logistics sector in India. “Infrastructure is far more superior in the developed world when compared to India. Besides, India has to improve in the areas of trained manpower and technology. Attention should be paid to the handling of cargo where technology and modern equipment play an important role,” urges Pradyumn Sharma, General Manager (Operations), JWC Logistics Pvt Ltd. According to him, the major fire that broke out in the ONGC storage depot in Rajasthan was a mechanism failure.

Another aspect that differentiates the chemical logistics in developed and developing markets is the presence

and compliance to health, safety & security of the cargo, personnel and environment. The developed markets have several strict regulations, which are monitored regularly for compliance. “The rules and regulations governing transportation and storage of chemicals are much more stringent and better enforced, in the developed world unlike in India. This is largely due to the inefficient bureaucratic system where laws are not strictly adhered to & implemented and commercial considerations override safety norms,” explains Tejwani.

Initiatives to tap the potentialIndia has a large and growing chemical industry. “It is undoubtedly one of India’s largest business segments. With rapid industrialisation and increase in consumption, we only expect this industry to grow faster in India,” opines Sorensen. Taking due cognisance of the fact, Damco in India will focus on the chemical industry by offering its freight forwarding and supply chain management services to the leading industry players. “We are already managing several chemical customers in India and are looking to increase our footprint in the chemical industry,” says Sorensen. Damco India will make use of the large global network of professionals who are experienced to offer tailor-made & value-added freight forwarding and supply chain management services. Globally, Damco is also serving a few top Fortune 500 chemical industry players.

Similarly, DHL is also leaving no stone unturned in tapping the growing opportunities in the chemical market. It has an in-house expertise in carrying chemical commodities and has set up dedicated & trained teams to cater to the growing demands of its customers.

“The chemical industry in India is growing rapidly and global players are increasing their presence, who are more receptive to compliance than small local players. We work closely with these companies to provide end-to-end solutions and our in-house expertise lies in handling chemicals,” reveals Tejwani.

Such developments definitely augur well for the industry. A closer look tells that such steps are nothing but exchange of international expertise and knowledge, which are slowly emerging in the segment, thus, taking logistics in the Indian chemical industry closer to international standards.

Infrastructure is far more superior in the developed world when compared to India. Besides, India has to improve in the areas of trained manpower and technology. Attention should be paid to the handling of the cargo where technology and modern equipment play an important role.

Pradyumn SharmaGeneral Manager (Operations), JWC Logistics Pvt Ltd

Courtesy: TDG


SECTOR WATCH

Laying a strong foundation for growth

Base chemicals

Base chemical sector, one of the leading contributors to the Indian chemical industry, forms the backbone of the economy, as it provides basic raw materials for several user- industries. While the sector has been registering strong growth, manufacturers in India are facing challenges like imports from China, strict regulations, etc. Rakesh Rao explores the sector, which is witnessing a rise in demand for high-end, eco-friendly technologies to meet the growing needs of the end-user industries.

Global economy is slowly but surely getting back on track after the impact of slowdown. While its impact was felt on every industry, it varied from

one sector to the other. Base chemicals segment was not an exception. India has a long-standing and well-established base chemical industry that produces a range of chemicals to support the country’s thriving manufacturing sector.

Informs Pratik Kadakia, Practice Head - Chemical and Energy, Tata Strategic Management Group, “The impact of the global economic slowdown on these sectors varied. For some base chemical segments like petrochemicals and plastics, the global economic meltdown had an adverse impact from a demand-supply perspective, while for other sectors like fertilisers, the impact was minimal. The demand growth rate for plastics (polymers) in India fell from 15 per cent in FY08 to 4 per cent in FY09. However, since then it has risen to 19 per cent in FY10 indicating a sharp recovery. Further, the demand for fertilisers has grown from 225 lakh tonne in FY08 to 250 lakh tonne in FY09.”

According to Guruprasad Mohapatra, Managing Director, Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd (GACL), “Triggered by the economic downturn, slowdowns in key end-user industries and inventory adjustments across the supply chain have impacted the growth momentum of the chemical industry in India and across the globe. A revival of domestic demand is expected, however still, the growth rate is much below than that anticipated.”

However, some segments bucked this trend and showed better than expected performance. Dr Arup Basu, COO - Industrial Chemicals, Tata Chemicals Ltd, explains, “The inorganic chemical industry, especially the alkali sector, performed strongly last year. Domestic demand jumped by over 10 per cent in India fuelled essentially by strong fundamentals and demand by construction, automobile and FMCG sectors. The global downturn had a limited impact on the Indian economy; in fact some customers had to be serviced with imported materials since local producers had supply constraints.”


SECTOR WATCH

China factorWhile slowdown was a temporary setback, one of the key issues facing the industry is the continued influx of low-cost imports from China in all categories of base chemicals. “The production cost of base chemicals has increased due to the hike in raw material prices. On the other hand, the finished product prices are simultaneously going down. This is mainly because Chinese manufacturers have started selling their products in the Indian market at a low price, which is well below the cost of production of Indian manufacturers,” opines Damandeep Singh, President - Production Chemicals, IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Aware of this situation, the government has taken steps to stop the influx of low-cost chemicals into the country. Dr Basu says, “Some of the products/industries have now been insulated from this with the imposition of trade measures such as anti-dumping or safeguard duties. However, the maxim of strong demand attracting supply still encourages traders to procure Chinese materials and pump these into the Indian market. However, this situation is bound to change from 2012 onwards when

capacity expansion and consequent additional supply of inorganic chemicals is expected from major producers, thus filling the gap, which is currently served by imports.”

Issues to tackleOne of the major factors that is plaguing the growth of exports is high cost of production of base chemicals. Kadakia explains, “Base chemical industry operates in a commoditised environment where the focus is on lowering the cost of production. This can be achieved either through world-class scale, access to low-cost feedstock or superior technology. The Indian base chemical industry today faces challenges on all the three fronts. West Asia is adding ethylene capacity in the range of 1.3 to 1.5 million tonne per annum (mtpa) compared to Indian companies in the capacity range of approximately 1-1.3 mtpa. Capacities in West Asia are based on $ 1.3 to 2.0 per million British Thermal unit (mmbtu) natural gas compared to high-cost naphtha in India. Also, the petrochemical complexes in West Asia are joint ventures with global majors who have access to technology as compared to Indian companies, which have acquired licences.”

Besides, Indian companies do not have the requisite infrastructure support like their counterparts. Experts believe that initiatives like Petroleum, Chemical & Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) are critical steps towards bridging this gap. Kadakia opines, “Even in industries like fertilisers, India does not have access to raw materials such as phosphates and potash, which exposes them to global market volatility. Similarly, in the case of inorganic chemicals like soda ash, the country does not have access to low-cost natural sources, which affects profitability of the companies,” informs Kadakia.

In addition, fluctuating crude oil prices also had an impact. “Apart from inorganic chemicals, naphtha has

been an important starting point for the Indian (and Asian) base chemical industry. In the case of fertilisers, gas has been an important influencer on the industry. Until recently, gas prices too were linked to oil prices. Thus, volatility in crude oil prices had a major impact on the base chemical industry,” informs Kadakia.

When crude oil prices dropped from historic highs in July 2008, the prices of key base chemicals also witnessed a sharp drop, ranging from 40-70 per cent during Q2FY09 to Q3FY09. “Since then, prices have recovered by almost 100 per cent. Due to steep fall in prices, margins of the Indian petrochemical industry was severely impacted. However, on account of unprecedented across the board production cuts, companies were able to check the free fall in prices. Further, as the economic outlook continued to improve through FY10, Indian base chemical companies’ have recorded good margins on account of favourable pricing,” he adds.

Growth triggersDriving the growth of base chemical are industries like automobiles, agriculture, electrical & electronics and construction. “As India is the second largest populated country, it is also

Figure 1: The sector-wise caustic consumption

21%

18%

10%11%7%

20%

2%11%

Pulp & paper Alumina Organics Inorganic

Soaps & detergents Textiles Water treatmentMiscellaneous

Figure 2: The sector-wise soda ash consumption

33%

25%15%

6%

21%

Soaps & detergents Glass Sodium sillicates & zeolitesSoda bicarbonate Others

The impact of the global economic slowdown on these sectors varied. For some base chemical segments like petrochemicals and plastics, the global economic meltdown had an adverse impact from a demand-supply perspective, while for other sectors like fertilisers, the impact was minimal.

Pratik KadakiaPractice Head - Chemical and Energy, Tata Strategic Management Group

Source: GACL

Source: GACL


SECTOR WATCH

becoming one of the biggest markets of all commodities for base chemical manufacturers,” says Singh.

Increasing focus on fuel efficiency in the auto industry is driving efforts towards reducing weight of cars, thereby driving the usage of plastics/polymers. “Similarly, auto manufacturers are introducing new colours for vehicles, which not only offer better looks but also provide properties like scratch resistance. Base chemicals form the building blocks for both polymers as well as coatings used in the auto industry, which has grown at 16 per cent Year on Year (YoY) over the past four years, and is likely to grow at 15 per cent YoY over the next five years,” informs Kadakia.

Mohapatra believes that domestic growth for these base chemicals primarily will come from the construction and paper & pulp sectors, where current per capita consumption is still below the global average. “Further rise in power generation, concern for potable and industrial water treatments should breed additional demand for caustic soda, liquid chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Further surge in demand in the construction, pharmaceuticals and dyes sectors shall result into growth in base chemical industry,” he adds.”

Technological advancements The inorganic chemical industry is directly linked to fairly stable or growing consuming industries. Cost reduction and pollution control are the main focus areas. At the global level, environmental and sustainability are major issues. “This is leading to the development of biochemical processes for producing base chemicals. The biochemical approach uses biomass-based sugars for fermentation of ethanol (and alternatively to butanol). Enzyme technologies are being further developed to optimise and improve the production of ethanol/butanol. The alcohol thus obtained is then converted to olefins, ethylene and butene. Thermochemical technologies are also being developed that use biomass gassification technology to produce syngas, which is later purified into products such as methanol and ethanol,” informs Kadakia.

Dr Basu adds, “After the Copenhagen Accord, it is expected that the chemical and power industries, which are the biggest carbon generators, will come under greater pressure. Restrictions on specific emissions of carbon or usage of more recyclable wastes in the manufacturing of downstream products will be put in place. This in turn will provide opportunities to chemical companies to tap newer applications in healthcare, oil & gas, mining, etc.”

Bright scope aheadThe per capita consumption of base chemicals is still low, hence offer huge opportunities. “The per capita polymer consumption in India is 6-7 kg compared to the world average of 25 kg, indicating a high potential of the Indian market. Similarly, soda ash consumption in India is 2.7 kg per capita compared to 9.8 kg in China and 22 kg in the US. The scenario is similar for almost all segments of the base chemical industry,” informs Kadakia.

The government is also taking steps to promote this industry. “The Indian government has realised the

importance of providing an eco-system for the growth of the base chemical industry, and is therefore implementing PCPIRs currently at three locations with another three in the pipeline. PCPIRs will provide upstream-downstream integration benefits by promoting investments in these designated areas and will be supported by a world-class infrastructure,” he adds.

According to Dr Basu, “The inorganic chemical industry will continue to grow at a healthy pace in the near future, and will mirror GDP growth rates. The industry may not sustain the double-digit growth witnessed last year but will maintain the traditional level of about 5 per cent.”

Keeping in view India’s high GDP growth, the base chemical industry is likely to grow at around 5-6 per cent in the coming years. “With a forecast GDP growth rate of over 8 per cent per annum over the next 5-7 years, India is poised to emerge as a major economic hub in the region. Several end-use industries in India such as auto, electrical & electronics, packaging, etc are likely to record double-digit growth, leading to high usage of base chemicals. Supportive PCPIR policies and increasing integration of refining and downstream base chemical complexes/regions augurs well for the future growth of the Indian base chemical industry,” concludes Kadakia.

Rise in power generation, concern for potable and industrial water treatments should breed additional demand for caustic soda, liquid chlorine and hydrochloric acid. Further surge in demand in the construction, pharmaceuticals and dyes sectors should result into growth in base chemical industry.

Guruprasad MohapatraManaging Director, Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd

Restrictions on specific emissions of carbon or usage of more recyclable wastes in the manufacturing of downstream products will be put in place. This in turn will provide opportunities to chemical companies to tap newer applications in healthcare, oil & gas, mining, etc.

Dr Arup BasuCOO - Industrial Chemicals, Tata Chemicals Ltd


MARKET SCOPE

Exploring new opportunitiesInorganic chemicals

The inorganic chemical sector accounts for a major share in the global chemicals industry. With its vast natural resources, India has the potential to become one of the leading suppliers of some of these chemicals. Hence, Indian companies will have to identify such chemicals and invest in suitable technology to take advantage of this global opportunity. This article highlights the challenges and opportunities involved in developing the inorganic chemical market.

Courtesy: Sabol Chemical Consultant

N S Venkataraman

I t is difficult to view the problems and prospects of the inorganic chemical industry in India in isolation. Most of the hurdles faced by the chemical industry in India

involve basic issues. Inorganic chemical industry in India is yet to achieve progress to the extent of its potential, in tune with India’s strength and opportunity. Therefore, solutions must be established by taking a holistic approach.

Indian inorganic chemical industry is facing issues such as:

Inadequate indigenous demand and the consequent compulsive need to enter the export market

Difficulty in setting up projects of globally competitive size due to lack of indigenous technology and subsequent dependence on overseas sources. This sometimes, lead to the use of inappropriate technologies

Environmental issues particularly related to

the choice of the project location and waste treatment methodology adopted

Comfortable supply scenario internationally for several inorganic chemical and consequent threat of import dumping

Diminishing importance for small-scale enterprises in inorganic chemical sector due to lack of understanding and support from state-owned financial institutions

The challenges and opportunities in the inorganic chemical industry can be readily highlighted with examples of titanium dioxide, seawater magnesia and chrome sulfate.

Titanium dioxidePigment-grade titanium dioxide finds applications in paint, plastics and several other industries. It is produced from ilmenite mineral ore, abundantly available in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Orissa. Recently, ilmenite mines have been opened in Andhra Pradesh, and there are good prospects for opening ilmenite mines in other regions like Maharashtra.


MARKET SCOPE

In India, ilmenite resource is estimated to be over 14 per cent of the total world reserves, but production of titanium dioxide in India is less than 1 per cent of the total production across the world. India remains a net importer of titanium dioxide, importing more than 30,000 tonne per annum.

Despite many titanium dioxide plants operating in India, there is not a single project of globally competitive size (such as more than one lakh tonne per annum capacity) based on indigenous technology.

Recent efforts by the Tata Group to set up a titanium dioxide project of one lakh tonne per annum capacity in Tamil Nadu failed due to land acquisition issues. This project remains as a case study for unexplored project opportunities.

Seawater magnesia Seawater magnesia, which is magnesium oxide produced from seawater, is used in the refractory manufacture. It is not produced in the country at present. Traditionally, India has been obtaining magnesium oxide from magnesite ore with production largely concentrated in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Due to depleting magnesium oxide content in the ore, the Indian magnesite industry is facing hurdles. Also, the import of Dead Burnt Magnesia (DBM), which is produced by calcining magnesite ore is increasing steadily.

India has the opportunity to set up a big seawater magnesia project

to meet the country’s requirement of magnesium oxide for the refractory industry. A project - Birla Periclase Ltd - was set up for seawater magnesia in Andhra Pradesh, by the Aditya Birla Group, with an investment of around ` 350 crore. The project could not be commissioned satisfactorily, largely due to technological constraints and was wound up completely.

While seawater magnesia remains an excellent investment opportunity in the country at present, no project is in the advanced stage of planning or implementation at present. Currently, India’s requirement for seawater

magnesia is completely met by import. The country has the advantage of having a large coastal belt, but is not explored as an investment opportunity.

Chrome sulfateBasic chrome sulfate, which is an important chemical used in the leather tanning industry, is obtained from chrome ore. Substantial reserves of chrome ore are available in India, particularly in Orissa. Despite chrome

ore availability and steadily increasing Indian demand for basic chrome sulfate, several production sulphate units set up in the past such as Golden Chemicals Ltd (Maharashtra) and Tamil Nadu Chromates and Chemicals Ltd (Tamil Nadu) were closed down due to environmental issues. There is no satisfactory and economical method yet to treat the chromite sludge coming out of the basic chrome sulfate production unit.

The requirement of basic chrome sulfate in India is currently met through imports. However, there is a huge opportunity for basic chrome sulpfte export, if suitable technologies can be developed for cromite sludge treatment.

Future prospectsSeveral other hurdless faced by the Indian inorganic chemical industry can be readily provided. What is important now is, to identify a few selected inorganic chemicals for large-scale manufacturing in India, in tune with the country’s strength. Also, the production facilities of globally competitive size should be set up for such identified projects.

The Government of India should immediately set up a task force to identify such projects and pave way for profitable utilisation of the investment opportunities in this field.

N S Venkataraman is the Founder Director of Nandini Consultancy Centre, a firm of chemical engineers and project consultants based at Singapore and Chennai. Email: [email protected]

What is important now is, to identify a

few selected inorganic chemicals for large-

scale manufacturing in India, in tune with the

country’s strength.

Courtesy: CONI International

Courtesy: World Importers Net

MARKET UPDATE Chemical industry in Singapore: Rising above the storm .................................................................................52Lawrence Cheung, Chairman, Singapore Chemical Industry Council

TRADE TALK “To remain globally competitive, we will have to focus on research and innovations” ....................................54says, Liang Ting Wee, Director (Energy & Chemicals Cluster), Singapore Economic Development Board

NEWS @ SINGAPORE...................................................................................................................................56

BUSINESS DESTINATIONSingapore

51August 2010August 2010 | Chemical WorldChemical World


MARKET UPDATE

Singapore, like any other economy in the world, was not spared from the repurcussions of the recent economic downturn. Government statistics show that in 2009, there was a significant decrease of 29.1 per cent in the country’s manufacturing output and also a reduction of 24 per cent output in the chemical sector, as compared to the previous year. Despite the setbacks, the industry is all set to emerge stronger in the long run.

Chemical World | 52

Lawrence Cheung

T he 2008 economic downturn took the world by surprise, not sparing even the most robust of economies and industries. Needless to say, the

chemical industry across the globe suffered badly, as companies became allergic to inventory, and chemical production dropped significantly as well. Despite the alarming figures, the chemical industry contributed to about one-third of Singapore’s total manufacturing output in 2009, translating its importance in Singapore’s economy.

Being one of the key pillars and drivers of the economy, the demand for chemicals, ranging from basic petrochemicals to specialties is growing in tandem with the development of the country’s economy. Hence, it is important to continually build on Singapore’s strengths and develop differentiating strategies to maintain the city-state’s leadership in this industry.

As a country heavily dependent on the chemical industry, Singapore has to

continually bring in investments to ensure that it stays at the forefront of the industry’s development. This started as a vision to amalgamate seven islands into Jurong Island (an artificial island located a kilometer off the main island), housing many of the world’s leading chemical companies. Today, Jurong Island is home to more than 90 leading petroleum, petrochemical and specialty chemical companies from all over the world. As one of the leading chemical hubs in the world, Singapore continues to attract global players to set up their operations here. According to Singapore Economic Development Board, Jurong Island has drawn over Singapore $ (SGD) 30 billion in cumulative fixed investments, employing close to 8,000 as on today.

Some of the big names that have set up their operations on Jurong Island include BASF, Celanese, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemicals, DuPont, Mitsui Chemicals, Shell and Sumitomo Chemicals. Apart from the key industry players, new companies are also setting up their operations on Jurong Island because of the well-

Rising above the stormChemical industry in Singapore

Courtesy: JTC Corporation


MARKET UPDATE

established infrastructure, operational efficiency and cost savings.

Jurong Island: Centrepiece of the chemical industryOne of the key features of the Jurong Island is the ‘plug-and-play’ infrastructure that empowers new companies with a headstart on their operations. Companies can directly plug into the existing infrastructure on Jurong Island, which includes available land, a well-connected community of companies, amenities and a politically-stable environment.

Another incentive for the companies on Jurong Island is that they are vertically integrated by the common pipeline service corridor to create synergy and efficiency. Feedstock and products are supplied & dispatched from one plant to the other using this mechanism as the output of one plant is input of another as a result of cluster manufacturing arrangement. This not only creates plant-to-plant synergy but enables companies to reap economies of scale and in turn, enjoy operational efficiency & cost savings.

Current and future developmentsFor a country largely dependent on investments and the global market, it is important that Singapore has the foresight to plan for future developments. JTC Corporation, formerly

known as Jurong Town Corporation, is Singapore’s leading agency in charge of planning, promoting & developing industrial infrastructure & facilities. Infact, Jurong Island is one of the industrial parks that is under the management of JTC Corporation.

JTC Corporation continues to be enterprising in the development efforts on Jurong Island. One of its latest projects is the milestone Jurong Rock Cavern Project, Singapore’s first underground rock cavern for oil storage. This multi-million dollar project, which began in 2007 will augment the infrastructure on Jurong Island and provide logistic support to the companies located on the island. By enhancing the existing synergy on the island, the Jurong Rock Cavern will not only improve the operational efficiency of the companies but will also increase their savings in the long run.

In order to increase storage capacity in land-scarce Singapore, JTC Corporation is actively involved in studying the feasibility of floating structures for the storage of oil products and petrochemicals. These floating structures also referred to as Very Large Floating Structure (VLFS), take up only 5 hectare foreshore space as opposed to 20 hectare land for the same storage capacity of 3,00,000 cubic metre. This is indeed one of the greatest advantages that VLFS can offer as Singapore is

often faced with the issue of land scarcity. These are the developments that have to be envisioned to ensure that Singapore’s limitations do not transform into obstacles in the future.

Research and developmentApart from infrastructural development, Singapore is keen on becoming a creator of technology instead of simply playing host to first-in-the-world technologies. Other than reducing costs for the companies through established infrastructure, Singapore differentiates itself with innovation and offers companies the best value through holistic R&D packages. These include Intellectual Property (IP) protection as well as strong capabilities to create new knowledge from R&D.

Some of the companies that have established their R&D centres in Singapore include BASF and Mitsui Chemicals, which have placed the chemical industry in Singapore well on track in its vision of innovating new products to serve the global markets.

The long-term visionEven in the midst of uncertainties, such as the recent economic downturn, lie great opportunities to develop the chemical industry further. The long-term growth of the industry in Singapore as well as Asia remains optimistic and it is with this outlook that Singapore strives to beat all the odds.

As Singapore develops its R&D capabilities and enhances its infrastructure, it will continue to be a strategic home for the leading chemical companies in the world. Once again, Singapore will be known as the resilient chemical hub that has weathered the storm and emerged victorious.

Lawrence Cheung is the Chairman of Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SCIC) and Country Manager (Hong Kong) of the China-headquartered Dow Chemical Pacific. For details, contact Ujwala Evani on [email protected]: Wikipedia


TRADE TALK

…says Liang Ting Wee, Director (Energy & Chemicals Cluster), Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). Associated with the Board since 1998, he is currently responsible for leading EDB’s efforts to develop the oil & gas and chemical industry, one of the largest contributors to the manufacturing sector in Singapore. A graduate in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore, he has also worked with ExxonMobil from 1996 to 1998 as a refinery engineer. In this exclusive interview with Rakesh Rao, he analyses the performance of the chemical industry in Singapore and its growth prospects.

“To remain globally competitive, we will have to focus on research

and innovations”

About EDB…The EDB is a statutory board of the Government of Singapore, and is responsible for the development of industrial as well as export services sectors. These two sectors contribute close to 40 per cent of Singapore’s GDP. The country is committed to having a manufacturing space, which is important for the diversification of its economy. At EDB, we look at the development of our economic strategies, putting policies & infrastructure in place and working with various agencies, partners & companies that help us realise our goal.

Singapore’s chemical industry…The chemical industry is an important pillar & key driver of our economy and has contributed to about one third of Singapore’s total manufacturing output in 2009. To make Singapore a leader in the global chemical industry, Jurong Island was developed in the mid 1990s as an integrated complex housing many of the world’s leading

energy & chemical companies. Today, Jurong Island is home to more than 90 chemical companies, who have invested over 30 billion Singapore Dollars. Therefore, we are committed to widening Singapore’s leadership in this industry.

The success of Singapore’s chemical industry so far has been built upon the creation of an integrated ‘plug and play’ environment created on Jurong Island. Following the island’s successful development as an internationally-competitive, integrated petrochemicals hub, Singapore has embarked on a ‘Jurong Island version 2.0’ upgrade that will drive the next wave of growth for the energy and chemical industry.

This new initiative, involving inputs from industry, focusses on areas such as system-level energy efficiency solutions and new competitive feedstock & logistics options.

The ‘Jurong Island version 2.0’ initiative will also look into optimising the use of valuable resources such as energy, land and water, in addition to the ‘plug-and-play’ infrastructure


TRADE TALK

such as feedstocks, logistics and utilities that it already offers investors.

Research initiatives... In order to remain globally competitive, we will have to focus on research and innovations. This will allow us to move from being an implementer of existing technology to a creator of new expertise. This focus on innovation is in line with our intention to grow the overall R&D spending in Singapore to 3.5 per cent of our GDP by 2015. The number of companies investing in R&D to spearhead development of innovative, high value-added products has been increasing over the last few years. Recently, companies like Mitsui Chemicals, Bayer Material Science, 3M, etc have established their R&D facilities in Singapore.

Impact of slowdown on Singapore…Just like the rest of the world, the energy and chemical industry in Singapore was affected during the economic downturn. This was the result of a decline in demand for petrochemical products due to the slowdown and the entry of new suppliers from India, China & Middle East. However, we are optimistic about the long term growth prospects of industry, especially now, with the upturn in the economy. We expect to see new projects to come up in near future.

Indian companies in Singapore…India represents the second largest foreign business community in Singapore. India-Singapore business connections took on a new dimension of growth after the signing of India’s first ever Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with Singapore. An increasing number of Indian companies now use Singapore as a base to access opportunities in the region, leveraging its pro-business environment and strong logistics connectivity.

While we expect more investments from Indian companies into our country, many Singaporean companies

are looking to invest in India. Indian companies, having manufacturing base in Singapore, can also get easy access to markets like China and other neighbouring countries.

Major growth drivers…In the upstream segment, today we are among the top five export petroleum refining centres in the world, with a total crude oil refining capacity of nearly 1.3 million barrels per day (bbl/d). Because of its strong linkages with the petroleum refining sector, the petrochemical industry is one of the fastest growing industries in Singapore. Fuelling this growth is the rapid economic development in Asia. This growth in petrochemical sector has led to the development of the specialty chemical segment. Hence, specialty chemicals, along with petroleum refining and petrochemicals, continue to be key drivers of growth for the chemical industry in Singapore.

Demand for specialty chemicals…The government wants to focus on growing the specialty chemical sector, which contributes to over half the chemical cluster’s total value-add in 2009. It is a key sector that will be instrumental in moving the chemical industry higher up the value chain. The government’s commitment to grow R&D spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP over the next five years bodes well for the specialty chemicals sector. This will help the sector to focus on R&D to create new products and solutions. Manufacturers of specialty chemicals can also look at tie-ups with research institutes and other companies to co-develop products & services that can be exported to the Asian region and beyond.

Eco-friendly initiatives… Singapore has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee in 2008 to formulate a national framework and strategy in the area of sustainable development. With regard to the chemical industry, we are looking at partnering companies who

can help provide technology to reduce energy consumption.

Through the ‘Jurong Island version 2.0’ initiative, we are looking at enhancing the sustainability of the chemical industry through R&D in emerging areas such as biomass-to-chemicals conversion as well as carbon capture and utilisation. The ability to utilise biomass as a chemical feedstock will help reduce dependency on petroleum-based products as a raw material. Our geographical position in the middle of a region, which is rich in biomass, presents interesting new opportunities for companies.

In addition, the availability of concentrated streams of CO2 on Jurong Island, could present exciting opportunities. Companies can leverage our ‘plug and play’ environment and catalysis capabilities, to develop new technologies that can convert CO2 into useful products, while at the same time helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

Outlook for the chemical industry in Singapore…It is expected that the future growth of the global economy will come from Asia. And given our central geographical location, Singapore can play a major role in meeting the needs of the fast growing Asian markets such as China, India, and South East Asia. Hence, the outlook for the chemical sector looks extremely promising.

While we expect more investments from Indian companies into our country, many

Singaporean companies are looking to invest in India. Indian companies, having manufacturing base in Singapore, can also get easy access to markets like China and other neighbouring countries.


NEWS @ SINGAPORE

PROJECT ALLOCATION

LANXESS selects key suppliers for butyl rubber plant in Singapore

LANXESS, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of synthetic rubber,

has announced the key suppliers for its new butyl rubber plant in Singapore. Production is scheduled to start in 2013 and the plant is said to represent an investment of up to Euro 400 million. LANXESS has finalised contracts with Sembcorp Industries Ltd, TP Utilities Pvt Ltd, Foster Wheeler Asia Pacific Pvt Ltd and Stolthaven Singapore Pvt Ltd.

For utility services, LANXESS selected Singaporean companies Sembcorp and TP Utilities. Sembcorp will treat

process wastewater from LANXESS’ butyl rubber plant. TP Utilities will provide steam, high-grade industrial water and demineralised water to the plant. The contract for Engineering, Procurement services and Construction Management (EPCM), was awarded to Foster Wheeler. In addition, Stolthaven Singapore will provide LANXESS with a pipeline as well as intermediate storage for chemicals and liquefied petroleum gases, such as Raffinate-1, Raffinate-2 and isobutylene.

LOGISTICS

Chiyoda Singapore awarded EPC contract for Stolthaven Terminal

Japan’s leading engineering and construction firm has announced that its subsidiary in Singapore, Chiyoda

Singapore Pvt Ltd, was awarded an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for a chemical tank terminal operated by Stolt Tankers & Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers. The said terminal is intended for storage, import and export of chemical products at Jurong Island’s Tembusu Cluster, Singapore.

The first phase of the project will have a capacity of 61,000 m3 of bulk liquid storage. The completion of the project is expected by 2011.

The total investment is reported to be $ 350 million.

Stolt Tankers & Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers, is one of the world’s leading providers of transportation services for bulk liquid chemicals. Chiyoda Corporation provides services in the fields of EPC on a global basis for gas processing, refineries and other hydrocarbons, particularly gas value chain projects in the Middle East, Russia, Africa, South East Asia and Oceania regions.

PETROCHEMICALS

ExxonMobil to set up petrochemical facility ExxonMobil recently announced the development of a petrochemical facility in Singapore; the completion of which is expected in 2011. It will be ExxonMobil’s largest owned and operated petrochemical complex in Singapore.

“This is a significant investment for ExxonMobil and it demonstrates our

continued commitment to serve Asia Pacific as well as our confidence in the region’s long-term growth potential. This project supports Singapore’s vision to be a global petrochemicals hub and enhances ExxonMobil’s ability to meet the increasing demand for our products in the region,” said Michael J Dolan, Senior Vice President, ExxonMobil Corporation.

The new plant will create approximately 400 new positions in

Singapore. It will feature ExxonMobil’s technology to produce a range of high value products including a specialty polymer called Vistamaxx. Highly elastic and flexible, this new polymer will be used for next-generation medical, automotive and apparel materials.

POLYMER PROJECT

Mitsui Chemicals opens second Singapore TAFMER plantJapanese chemical giant Mitsui Chemicals is reported to double its production capacity of TAFMER, a soft plastic used for food packaging materials, sports shoes and car bumpers. The new plant, with an investment value of $ 200

million, will enable Mitsui to produce 2,00,000 tonne of the material. Toshikazu Tanaka, President & CEO, Mitsui Chemicals, said “A full-scale commercial operation at our second plant is timely and we expect it to greatly contribute to our efforts to stabilise profitability from this year.”

Lim Hng Kiang, Trade and Industry Minister, said “We will need to further

deepen these strengths and also develop new differentiating advantages.”


NEWS @ SINGAPORE

GREEN TECHNOLOGY

GSK-EDB commit $ 35 million to support research in green manufacturingGlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) have awarded funding for research projects in Singapore.

The projects will receive close to $ 3.5 million in funding. The joint fund is part of ‘GSK-Singapore 10-

year Strategic Roadmap’ to address the industry’s challenges and create innovative solutions. “This investment will help Singapore become a leader in sustainability research in pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals manufacturing,” said Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer, GlaxoSmithKline. Eight principal investigators from the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), Nanyang Technological

University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will work on research projects in chemical- and bio- transformations to maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste generated during the manufacturing process.

MATERIAL SCIENCE

Bayer opens Functional Films Research Centre in Singapore

Key executives of Bayer MaterialScience and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) recently inaugurated the company’s Functional Films Research Centre. The full-scale facility for

upstream research will focus on coated high-tech films and nanotechnology.

The initial investment of Euro 7 million will enable Bayer MaterialScience to pursue joint projects with collaboration partners to create advanced technological breakthroughs in electronics; including functional films that can be applied to flexible screens & three-dimensional displays and nanomaterials. Speaking at the inauguration, Patrick Thomas, CEO,

Bayer MaterialScience AG (Germany), said “The opening of this facility is a clear indication of our continued commitment to Singapore and its unique position as an economic and business hub for the Asian region.”

Remarked Dr Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director, Singapore EDB, “We are delighted that Singapore will be the location of this Research Centre. This reaffirms Singapore’s attractiveness as a strategic base,”

MARKET FORECAST

Singapore set to be world’s fastest-growing economy in 2010Singapore looks set to become the world’s fastest-growing economy in 2010 after the government forecast of 15 per cent annual expansion.

“Singapore will be the strongest-growing economy in Asia and probably

in the world,” said Song Seng Wun, Economist, CIMB Research. He said the new growth forecast was ‘realistic’. David Cohen, Economist, Action Economics, said, “Singapore will probably come on top of the charts worldwide.”

“As Singapore is most sensitive to headwinds in the global economy, this is good news for investors looking to put on risk again,” predicted DBS Bank.

Robust demand for Singapore’s manufactured exports, particularly biomedical products and semiconductors, resulted in the sharp upgrade for the trade-driven island’s GDP growth forecast.

INVESTMENT

Jurong Aromatics plans Singapore plant to commence in 2014

Jurong Aromatics Corp (JAC) has projected its $ 2.0 billion aromatics project in Singapore to commence in 2014. JAC is working with ING

and Royal Bank of Scotland to secure the $ 1.5 billion in senior debt bank financing. Also oil major BP committed $ 50 million of $ 140 million in mezzanine debt. JAC is in the process of changing its equity structure, totaling around $ 550 million, for obtaining the necessary funding, JAC officials said.

The restructuring will see South Korea Energy and Chinese petrochemical firm Jiangsu Sanfangxiang Industrial Group raising their stakes to 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively ; while Vijay Goradia

and M Y Ling, founding members of the Continental Chemical Group, will have a 10 per cent share each. Swiss oil trader Glencore will have 10 per cent, with Singapore’s EDB Investments 5 per cent and petrochemical player Thai KK Industry Co, holding the final 10 percent stake.

JAC has a nameplate capacity of 8,00,000 tonne per year (tpy) of paraxylene required for terephthalic acid, raw material for polyester alongwith 4,50,000 tpy of benzene, 2,00,000 tpy of ortho xylene and 2.5 million tpy of petroleum products.


COATINGS CORNER

Dr Mosongo Moukwa

R ecent research on business models that target the ‘Bottom of Pyramid’ (BOP), the vast untapped market potential made up of the world’s

poorest people has emphasised the need for Multinational Companies (MNCs) to radically change their approach and to fundamentally rethink every step in their supply chains. Companies are advised to build new resources and capabilities to implement multiple strategies concomitantly, and to partner with multiple constituencies that often have different strategic objectives

The complexities and potential costs involved in these recommendations for the paints & coatings industry, constitute severe hurdles in practical decision making and realising the financial returns that would justify such investments.

Paints industryThe top three producers of paints & coatings represent around 30 per cent of the industry value, and many operate in multiple segments & regions. Companies like AkzoNobel ($ 13.4 billion), Sherwin Williams ($ 6.5 billion) and PPG ($ 10.2 bilion) are leading the pack. Their size gives them an added advantage in the market with respect to manufacturing, supply chain and Research & Development (R&D).

The scenario of the Indian paints & coatings industry is depicted in Figure 1. The organised sector comprises indigenous companies as well as subsidiaries of MNCs. The top four are Asian Paints, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Berger Paints and ICI Paints (now part of AkzoNobel). The other players in the segment are subsidiaries of MNCs.

The organised sector represents 57 per cent of the volume. For large companies, the channel-to-market is through paint stores that sell many

About half of the different types of raw materials used in manufacturing coatings are imported into India, which corresponds to approximately 30 per cent of raw material requirements. Most are petrochemical based, and therefore fluctuations in crude oil pricing and changes in import duties had a significant impact on profitability. This will be a challenge in addressing the bottom of pyramid market.

A market full of fortuneBottom of pyramid

Courtesy: Booz & Company Inc

Figure 1: Indian paints industry (marketshares by volume)

Source: Paintindia

Asian Paints 24%

Kansai Nerolac

11%

Berger Paints 10%ICI (Akzo)

7%

Jotun, Nippon Paints, BASF Coatings, Sherwin

Williams, Sigma, Valspar, Dupont

5%

Unorganised Sector 43%


COATINGS CORNER

different brands, catering to several layers of customer segments, which have installed the necessary tinting systems for each brand. To support this system, the majors have established large manufacturing facilities in the four main regions within the country.

Integrating opportunitiesIn their paper, ‘The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid’, Late C K Prahalad and Stuart L Hart (2002) defined the target group at the BOP in terms of incomes of less than $ 1,500 per year. MNCs were thought to be best positioned to face the challenges of selling to the poor, and at the same time fighting poverty. This is because these could draw from a global resource base & superior technology to address local customer needs and to develop those markets, thus stimulating economic development in poor countries.

According to Prahalad and Hart, MNCs would be better off if they integrate in their economic model consumers, who are economically backward and are living in the emerging countries - four billion people living with less than $ 5-6 a day (Figure 2). The reason is that, even though margins may be weak with this group of consumers, the poor represent a significant latent penetrating opportunity by virtue of their numbers - $ 13,000 billion - according to Prahalad and Hart. Table 1 shows recent income distribution in India (2009).

Scale and brandMarkets for selling to the poor usually do not involve significant economies of scale. Markets of the rural poor are

often geographically and culturally fragmented. This, combined with weak infrastructure, makes it hard to exploit economies of scale. Indeed, products sold to the poor

are often less complex, reducing the economies of scale in technology and operations.

Products sold to the poor are also usually less marketing- and brand- intensive, further reducing economies of scale. Critics to Prahalad have made the observations that all the examples cited in his work are from small or local organisations. Through their decades of on-the-ground experience in developing countries, MNCs have

probably already realised that there is no competitive advantage at the bottom of the pyramid, and consequently, have avoided major investments in these markets. To the extent that there are opportunities to sell to the poor, it is usually small to medium sized local companies that are best suited for exploiting these opportunities. Small-scale paint manufacturers in the unorganised sector, 2,400 of them in India, may represent an entry point. The dichotomy is that paint manufacturers mostly want to move the market up the income ladder.

Quality and costOne way of alleviating poverty is to reduce the cost of goods and services to the poor, thus, increasing their effective income. In the BOP proposition, Prahalad states that quality should not be reduced. The BOP proposition calls for a price reduction of over 90 per cent. This is too ambitious a target. There are a number of ways to reduce prices. One can reduce profits and costs without reducing quality, and reduce costs by reducing quality. Unless current paints and coatings manufacturers are mostly inefficient, business process redesign will not reduce cost by over 50 per cent without reducing quality. It can be argued that significant improvement in technology allowed for dramatic cost reductions in the IT industry. It has been difficult, however, to find such dramatic cost reduction outside the IT and telecommunication industries.

It is often necessary to reduce ‘quality’ in order to reduce costs. The challenge is to do this in such a way that the cost-quality trade-off is acceptable to the target. The poor simply cannot afford the same quality products as the rich. They have a different price-quality trade-off. In the decorative paints segments, the range of products varies. At one end of the spectrum, the low-cost distempers, animal casein-based, sold in large volume, estimated at about 2,00,000 tonne per year, (approximately 20 per cent of the decorative sector) products are sold at less than ` 40. They still find

Table 1: Indian income pyramid

Income class Income ($) at Purchasing Power Parity

PopulationMillion %

Highest 36,276 26 2Upper middle 8,736 73 7Middle 3,432 282 26Lowest 1,248 701 65

Source : World Development Indicators (2009)

Figure 2: Economic pyramid

Tier 1

Tier 2-3

Tier 4

Tier 5

Purchasing power parity in US dollars

Population in millions

> $ 20,000

$ 1,500-$ 20,000

$ 1,500

<$ 1,500

75-100

1,500-1,750

4,000

4,000

Source: C K Prahalad and Stuart Hart, ‘The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid’, Strategy + Business (Issue 26, 2002)

It is often necessary to reduce ‘quality’

in order to reduce costs. The challenge is to do this in such a way that

the cost-quality trade-off is acceptable to

the target.


COATINGS CORNER

widespread use in rural areas. Lime powder also continues to serve as a paint substitute in the poorest sections of India. These low-cost materials are far away in terms of quality compared to the premium paint brands. At the other end of the spectrum are the highly durable exterior latex paints, priced at more than ` 300.

New capabilitiesThe concept of BOP is in some way debatable because of its seductive simplicity, to the point of creating superstitions. Some think that the theory of BOP undervalues the intelligence of entrepreneurs. Indeed, the market is myopic; it is rarely a long-term affair. Opportunities as considerable as $ 13,000 billion would not escape the vigilance of MNCs, who are constantly looking for new markets. Some consider that BOP market is not only small, but also unlikely to be profitable, especially for a large company.

In reality, the market of BOP does not exist. It must be created, which is different. It is about creating conditions of supply, where infrastructure is lacking, but also of a demand, which would require complex marketing approaches. Converting the poor into consumers is one of aspects of market development which calls for new models and capabilities.

The Resource Based View (RBV) is considered to be the dominant strategy perspective explaining firm-level financial performance. According to RBV, firms achieve above average

performance: through the acquisition of resources at a cost below their potential to create financial returns; and by deploying & configuring these resources into capabilities that create more than the average benefits for customers, and also allow owners to capture part of that value.

Resource scarcity at the BOP makes it difficult if not impossible, to acquire relevant and valuable resources. Even if they are accessible, the value of such resources for use

in new ways and unusual contexts is not known ex-ante, and can only be accurately assessed where they are currently being utilised. Developing new resources and capabilities, as has been suggested by BOP research, will be challenged by time compression diseconomies, which push the point of expected value creation further into the future. Non-traditional and uncertain environments increase the difficulties in predicting their value-creation potential in new usages. Hence, there is significant risk of getting it wrong while building business models based

on new capability configurations at the BOP. Could Prahalad be talking about a target consumer group that is actually in the ‘middle of the pyramid’?

ConclusionBy viewing the poor as customers and not merely as recipients

of donations, the large body of BOP literature has importantly contributed to shifting restrictive paradigms about poverty. However, while several articles & studies on the BOP presented strong arguments for whether & why MNCs should enter low-income markets, they remained relatively silent on how to enter these markets and how all these ingredients, capabilities, resources & partners should be managed & assembled within a given context, to create value.

Large paint manufacturers are continually striving to differentiate through technology advances and to proactively develop new products that can offer contemporary formulations & finishes to the consumer with improved performance. If they want to operate in the BOP markets, there is a need for them to develop new models for these markets with links having non-traditional operators, public or others.

The ability to leverage existing models is limited, and existing research does not provide insights. Serving the poorest of us is an obvious logic of capitalism. However, one has to question the veracity of the take founded on the fight against poverty. The private sector can play a key role in alleviating poverty by viewing the poor as producers, and emphasising buying from them rather than only selling to them.

Dr Mosongo Moukwa is currently Vice President - Technology at Asian Paints Ltd based in Mumbai. He was Vice President - Global

Technology at Reichhold, based in North Carolina, and before that Vice President - Global Technology at Johnson Polymer (now part of BASF). He holds a PhD from the Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, and an MBA from Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Commercial Development and Management Association, and the Licensing Executive Society.Email: [email protected]

The private sector can play a key role in alleviating

poverty by viewing the poor as producers, and

emphasising buying from them rather than only

selling to them.

Courtesy: Rainbow Marketing & Exports

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SAFETY ZONE

K N K Murthy

H uman beings are the only creation of nature bestowed with the unique ability of balancing act on a pair of legs. The feet are subjected to

maximum strain and stress while standing, moving or carrying out any physical activity. Consequently, they are more vulnerable to accidental injuries, considering the nature of jobs, location of activities & hazards, which are either inherent or created out of specific situations at the work environment. Hence, it is imperative to possess and wear the appropriate footwear.

Types and applicabilityOnce the work requirement, procedures and practices are identified for all functions mentioned in Table 1, the most suitable footwear can be selected to guard against the general or specific risks. One can even develop certain activity-based footwear with a view to have better resistance, wearing comfort, etc. A generalised appraisal on the type of footwear and corresponding applicability is given below:

Boots: The design involves protection of the feet and lower leg up to the knee. Popularly known as gumboots in industries, these offer excellent protection against chemical exposure or contact. With an additional steel toe cover, these also offer excellent protection against the accidental impact of heavy loads on the feet. Heat resistant characteristics up to 300oC on the upper sole portion can be obtained by using a special type of lining and curing of the fabric.

Injection moulded sole joints between upper leather and polyurethene bottom: These are ideally suited for hydrocarbon and other oil/grease processing industries. IS-approved steel toe can also be fitted below the upper sole. These shoes are of considerably low weight (maximum 1 kg). Designs are available with or without lace. The latter known as ‘slip on’ is useful for people working exclusively in computerised control rooms or managerial staff who have to frequently move between control rooms/offices and plant areas.

PVC bottom soles and pure leather upper cemented together with strong and durable adhesive material: Shoes made of pure leather soles may be used in occupations such

Footwear

Courtesy: Long Last (Shanghai) Co Ltd

Standing tall and safeThanks to the application of advanced technology, today it is possible to incorporate many ‘add on protections’ against possibility of any hazard. Still, a secondary safety cover for the foot and leg is an aspect requiring additional attention. This article is aimed at revisiting various techniques adopted in identifying the probable hazards that can lead to injuries to toes, feet and legs.


SAFETY ZONE

as welding. These are also applicable in punch/drill press operations, rough material handling, rigging, grinding or in other job situations where sparks, splashing of hot metals, flying particles or rough or sharp objects present a hazard to lower limbs.

Steel toe fitted industrial safety shoes (general purpose): These come with a built-in, rigid steel box to assist in preventing toe injuries caused by falling objects, crushing, trapping, etc. These shoes are available in a wide variety of styles (with aesthetic look and suitable for wearing both on & off the job), and are specifically designed for hazardous operations.

Leggings: Leggings offer complete (wraparound) protection for the leg, according to their length. These are obtainable in either knee or hip styles. The hip legging completely encloses the leg up to the crotch. Leggings are applicable in welding/cutting operations where there are chances of sparks falling through the shoe opening and injuring the workers.

Non-conductive (electrical hazard-resistant) shoes: These assist in guarding

against electric shock, and are used by workers who are likely to get in contact with electrically live wires, rails or other conductive objects. These shoes are made without metallic parts except for the safety - toe portion, which is required to be thoroughly insulated by an appropriate non-conductive material like rubber, PVC, etc (there are certified brands for electrical resistance between 15 and 30 KV).

Conductive shoes: These safeguard against static hazard, which is common in hydrocarbon and polymer manufacturing & processing industries. These shoes come in added design feature of discharging of static charge, (which may be built on the wearers as they move around) harmlessly to the ground. Conductive shoes are used by workers in areas having personal/fire hazard potential due to dusts, chemical or explosive materials or working in any situation where the atmosphere may contain flammable mixture.

As much as the conductive quality of the shoe is dependent on a good electrical contact between the feet and shoe soles, the effectiveness of the conductivity characteristic of the shoe must never be reduced by any inadvertent insulation of

the shoe sole to ‘so-called safeguard’ against oil seeping through the sole and upper sole of the shoe.

In addition, ‘cover over shoes’ or outer inserts for one-time usage or reusable after detoxification can be used in nuclear power generation plants and other areas where ionising radiation is to be employed for operating certain instruments such as radiographic, nucleonic process control, etc. These shoes are similar to those being used in pharmaceutical plants by the people working in the sterilised zones.

Safety factorThere has been considerable improvement in the compliance of safety footwear in industries, especially those falling under ‘organised sectors’. But, there is still scope for improvement in unorganised industrial groups where the top management commitment is to be made more visible in terms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) policy, procurement and distribution of appropriate type of footwear, either through the principal employer or contractors as the case

Table 1: Types of hazards envisaged in any work environment in general, and chemical units in particular, vis-à-vis corresponding injury potentials to legs and feet

Hazards Likely work/activity situations Likely injury potential

Getting caught or pulled in, striking against sharp, hard and/or heavy objects or structures

Material or structural obstructions, construction sites, machine tools, lifting tools & tackles, operating material handling equipment, operation of unguarded machinery/equipment such as gears, shafts, couplings, pinch points, etc

Contusions, cuts, deep wounds, bone fracture/cracks, dislocations, etc

Rebound/recoiling actionsPedalling, pushing by feet, etc on equipment like machine tools, forklifts and other material handling equipment

Same as above

Direct exposure to electrical energyWork on portable power tools, transformers, switchgears, power transmission lines, welding/cutting jobs, etc

Electric shocks, burns, besides any other impact due to consequential slips/falls

Exposure to extreme temperatures (hot or cold), hazardous chemicals (corrosive and toxic) - including bio- chemicals and waste water treatment areas - and fi re hazardous

Boiler equipment, hot pipelines, cryogenic storages, or plant hold-ups, chemical plant operations, cleaning, service, maintenance, handling/transportation/loading/unloading jobs, which include waste material management job, besides emergency services such as rescue, fi re fi ghting in areas affected by leaks, spills, etc

Thermal & chemical burns, frost bites, allergy, etc

Exposure to nuclear energy radiation Working in nuclear power plants, usage of instruments operating on ionising radiation energy such as radiography, nucleonic gauges, etc

Radiation exposure-related injuries

Getting trapped into marshy/fl ooded areas contaminated by hazardous, slips and falls from heights

Construction work, fi re fi ghting, rescue operations, cleaning, fl ushing, line clearance, etc

Contusion, deep wounds, dermatitis, fracture, cracks, dislocation, etc


SAFETY ZONE

may be. Thereafter, regular awareness programmes and enforcement strategies have to be developed through supervisor-worker participation at the shop level.

By and large, it has been observed that the resistance or indifference to the compliance comes not due to any technical factor or applicability limitations of the product. They are mostly regarding the aesthetic look, contemporary design of general footwear, bulkiness, weight, etc.

These can be easily addressed by discussing the areas of concern (if at all) with the users and accepting little modifications without sacrificing the technical standards and specifications. Again, while dealing with price, indenting and procuring sections must interact with the finance department against the backdrop of current inflationary rates, price index of good quality & branded shoes available for domestic use, etc. There are industries, which show full transparency in the purchase procedure

and offer test samples to worker representatives for trial & endorsement.

Above all, behavioural correction and improvement are equally important since many workers belong to rural & under-developed areas who are habituated to work barefooted, leave alone wearing safety footwear.

Compliance quotientAt the end of the day, the management would logically expect due return against the efforts and expenditure put in for procuring good quality shoes. The only way to meet this demand is by total compliance by all concerned. Therefore, the policy with reference to all appliances, including safety shoes must be well-knit in the overall ‘safety culture’ as an integral part of the organisation’s ‘best safety practices’. Services of industrial hygienists, human psychologists, safety professionals/specialists, etc can be roped in for facilitating and sustaining the process. Last, but not least, supervisors,

managers and top executives must lead through examples while they move around in the work areas.

K N K Murthy has been in the fertilisers and petrochemicals industry for 38 years, and retired as Senior Manager (Safety) from Indian

Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd, Vadodara. Currently, he works as a Safety Consultant and is attached to Mahatma Gandhi Labor Institute (MGLI), Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He is also a visiting faculty for the industrial safety diploma course and an accredited auditor/trainer for MGLI’s industrial assignments. He has done pioneering works in various aspects like hazard identification, risk assessment, safety audits/inspections/surveys, training, emergency preparedness planning, selection/development of need based safety appliances, community awareness programmes, quality/environment standards (ISO), accident investigation/analysis, etc. He can be contacted on [email protected]


TECHNOFOCUS

Mandar Amrute

S ince early 1960s, polyvinylidene fluoride resin, more commonly known as PVDF, has been well-established in the chemical process industry due to

its excellent chemical resistance, mechanical toughness and long-term durability. In the 1980s, the copolymer range of PVDF was introduced, which complemented the erstwhile rigid product line with a more flexible range.

PVDF belongs to the fluoropolymer group. By definition, a fluoropolymer is a polymer containing fluorine in its molecular structure. PVDF copolymer is made from hexafluoropropylene (HFP) comonomer. Traditionally used in the form of injection

moulded valves, fittings, nozzles, tower packing and extruded rigid pipes in the chemical industry, PVDF is a tough engineering thermoplastic that is resistant to a wide range of chemicals. It has good resistance against most acids, weak bases, halogens, halogenated solvents, hydrocarbons and alcohols. PVDF homopolymers are generally resistant to chemicals up to pH 12 & PVDF copolymers to chemicals up to pH 13.5. Apart from chemical resistance, PDVF offers a unique balance of the following performance properties:

Resistance to ultraviolet and nuclear radiation

Resistance to weathering Low permeability to most gases and liquids Low flame and smoke characteristics Mechanical strength and toughness High-abrasion resistance High thermal stability High purity Readily melt-processable Available in both rigid and flexible versions

Factors that can affect the chemical resistance of a material include exposure time, chemical concentration, extreme temperature & pressure, frequency of temperature & pressure cycling, attrition due to abrasive particles, and the type of mechanical stress imposed.

The latest materials on the block

PVDF and PVDF copolymers

As PVDF copolymers are gaining acceptance in a wide range of applications, many of their unique properties are being utilised to develop new products. As these evolve, new standards are being developed to define the copolymer resins. This article offers a brief overview of the properties, processing methods & applications of PVDF and its copolymers.

PVDF

PVDF/HFP Polyvinylidene fluoride hexafluoropropylenecopolymer

Poly (vinylidene fluoride)H

C

H

F

C

F

H

C

H

F

C

F

F

C

F

F

C

CF3

Chemical Structure of PVDF & PVDF Copolymer


TECHNOFOCUS

Hence, one must consult the resin manufacturer and chemical resistance data regarding the PVDF resin before using the recommended specific grade for particular application.

Processing of PVDF and PVDF copolymerPVDF can be processed easily by normal processing techniques like injection moulding, extrusion, rotational moulding, transfer moulding, etc. Although the processing of PVDF compounds has evolved over the last 20 years, traditional processes like injection moulding and extrusion are still more popular.

Injection moulding: Standard injection moulding equipment and tooling can be used to process PVDF resins. No specialty materials of construction are required, but chrome or nickel plating of polymer contact surfaces is recommended to avoid pitting.

Further, melt temperatures vary based on the part geometry, tooling and resin grade. PVDF resins are highly crystalline materials and hence, exhibit significant shrinkage. Shrinkage rate is a function of part thickness, flow direction and processing conditions.

Extrusion: Smooth PVDF products of all types can be extruded at high rates without extrusion aids, lubricants or heat stabilisers. PVDF resins can be extruded on standard extrusion machines construction similar to those used to process Polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polypropylene. Drying of PVDF resins is not required but it has shown to reduce some surface blemishes in film, sheet and pipe extrusion.

Polyethylene (PE) can be used as a purge compound at the end of the production run. However, if the extrusion equipment is not cleaned properly after purging, PE will act as a contaminant in the subsequent runs; creating weak weld lines. Cast acrylic can also be used as a purge compound.

Standard metering screws with L/D ratio of 24/1 and a compression ratio of 3/1 are commonly used.

Welding of PVDF and PVDF copolymer: Several methods for fusion welding of PVDF components are possible. The most common and successful approaches for welding are heat contact and hot gas welding by means of a welding rod. Ultrasonic, infrared, hot lamination and spin & radio frequency welding are possible for bonding PVDF to itself. Further, to produce high-quality weld, temperature, pressure and time must be controlled.

PVDF application areas in IndiaPVDF resins are most commonly preferred in the paper & pulp industry, nuclear power plants, waste water treatment plants, chemical handling systems and government laboratories due to their excellent chemical resistance and good mechanical properties.

PVDF resins can be fabricated into a wide range of components including pipes, fitting valves, tower packing, chemical pump parts, sheet & stock shapes, films, tubing (rigid & flexible), tanks & vessels, nozzles, etc. Apart from these traditional applications, PVDF can be used in new areas like, in Li-ion batteries (as binders), ultra-purification membranes, back sheet in photovoltaic cells and in powder coating of chemical reactors and vessels.

ConclusionPVDF and PVDF copolymers have remained the preferred choice for various components in the chemical processing industry since almost 50 years. The future holds great prospects for PVDF in application areas like Li-ion batteries, membrane and rotomoulding containers.

References1 ‘The Uses of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Based

Resins in Chemical Handling Systems’, T Ngawing, L Bryant, Hydrocarbon Asia

2nd NDT and Corrosion Management Conference, Singapore, December 2006.

2 D Robinson, D A Seiler, ‘Potential Applications for Kynar Flex: PVDF in the Nuclear Industry’, Proceedings, American Glovebox Society, 1993 National Conference, Linings, Coatings, and Materials Section 3C, pp. 10-14, Seattle, WA, August 16-19, 1993.

3 Kynar & Kynarflex PVDF performance characteristics & Data – by Arkema

Mandar Amrute is the Market Development Leader at Arkema India. He can be contacted on email: [email protected]

Figure 1: Injection moulded parts and parts machined from PVDF

Figure 2: PVDF-lined glove box for plutonium processing

Figure 3: PVDF-lined tank for handling 96 per cent sulfuric acid-welded system


EVENTS CALENDAR

National

India’s premier industrial trade fair on products and technologies from machine tools, fluid power, instrumentation & control, electrical & electronics, material handling, plastics, rubber, packaging, chemical, CAD/CAM, auto components, and general engineering.

For details contact:

Engineering ExpoInfomedia 18 Ltd, Ruby House, 1st Floor, J K Sawant Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai 400 028.

Tel: 022-3003 4649, Fax: 022-3003 4499, Email: [email protected]

Workshop on pressure vessels & heat exchangerThe workshop will deliberate on pressure vessels and shell & tube heat exchangers, which are the most critical part of all processes in oil & gas sector; August 20-21, 2010; at Rang Sharda Hotel, Bandra, Mumbai

For details contact:The Process Plant & Machinery Association of India (PPMAI)002, Loha Bhavan, 91, P D’Mello Road Masjid (E), MumbaiTel: 022-2348 0965/0405 Fax: 022-2348 0426Email: [email protected]

Asia Coat+Ink ShowThe exhibition will showcase the latest innovations & products for coating industry, and will provide an international platform to all suppliers of pigments, resins, oils, chemicals, machinery & equipment and manufacturers of inks & coating to explore new business opportunity; September 30-October 03, 2010; at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

For details contact:Koelnmesse YA TradefairB-501/502 Kemp Plaza, Mind SpaceChincholi Bunder Off Link Road, Malad (West)Mumbai 400064Tel: 022-4210 7866 Fax: 022-4003 4433Email: [email protected]: www.asiacoatandink.com

PROMACH 2010An exclusive exhibition for the process plant & machinery industry; October

01-04, 2010; at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru

For details contact:Bangalore International Exhibition Service10th Mile, Tumkur Road, Madavara PostBengaluru 562 123Tel: 080-6583 3234Email: [email protected]

India Chem 2010The 6th edition of this international exhibition will have on display a wide range of products, services & technologies concerning chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, process plant machinery and control & automation system; October 28-30, 2010; at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

For details contact:Manoj Mehta, Assistant Director Trade Fair Secretariat Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)Federation House, Tansen MargNew Delhi 110 001Tel: 011-2373 8760, Fax: 011-2335 9734Email: [email protected]: www.indiachem.in

Indian Petrochem Conference 2010Annual petrochemicals conference providing an exclusive forum for interaction between the global petrochemical fraternity; November 18-19, 2010, Renaissance Hotel, Mumbai

For details contact:Elite Conferences Pvt Ltd606, Bhagyalaxmi, Kennedy Bridge Mumbai 400 004 Tel: 022-2385 1430, Fax: 022-2385 1431 Email: [email protected]

IPVS 2010 Industrial trade fair for pumps, valves and systems; December 09 –11, 2010; at Chennai Trade & Convention Centre, Chennai

For details contact:Orbit Tours & Trade Fairs201, Navyug Industrial EstateT J Road, Sewri (W) Mumbai 400 015Tel: 022-2410 2801 Fax: 022-2410 2805Email: [email protected]

Everything About Water Expo 2010An international exhibition and conference on water & wastewater management; January 06-08, 2011; at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

For details contact:Aarti ChopraEA Water Pvt LtdA1/152, IGNOU Road, Neb SaraiNew Delhi 110 030Tel: 011-4310 0500, Fax: 011-4310 0599 Email: [email protected]

PVC - PUMPS VALVES & COMPRESSORS EXPO 2011The event will display the latest innovations in PVC pumps, valves and compressors for various industries; May 06-08, 2011; at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai

For details contact:Conventions & Fairs (India) Pvt LtdE 519, Floral Deck PlazaCentral MIDC Road, Opp SEEPZAndheri (East), Mumbai 400 093 Tel: 022-2839 8000, Fax: 022-2839 0502Email: [email protected]

PuneMaharashtra

Nov 19-22, 2010

AhmedabadGujarat

Dec 10-13, 2010

IndoreMadhya Pradesh

Jan 7-10, 2011

Chennai Tamil Nadu

Mar 11-13, 2011


EVENTS CALENDAR

InternationalAGROCHEMEX 2010An annual symposium and exhibition for the global agrochemical industry; September 20-22, 2010; at Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center, Shanghai

For details contact:China Crop Protection Industry AssociationRoom 913, Building 16 Anhuili, 4th Area, Chaoyang District Beijing 100723, ChinaTel: +86 (10) 84885918 Fax: +86 (10) 84885255 Email: [email protected]

ICIF China 2010An international chemical industry fair; September 21-23, 2010; at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China

For details contact:China National Chemical Information Center (CNCIC)No. 53, XiaoguanjieAnwai, Beijing 100029, ChinaTel: +86 10 64444114 Fax: +86 10 64415052 Email: [email protected]

Chemical Industry 2010An international exhibition of chemical industry; September 27 – October 02, 2010; at International Fair Plovdiv, Bulgaria

For details contact:International Fair Plovdiv37, Tzar Boris III - Obedinitel Blv4003, Plovdiv, BulgariaTel: +359 (0) 32 903 600 Fax: +359 (0) 32 902 432 Email: [email protected]

APCCHE Congress & Exhibition 2010The 13th Asia Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering (APCCHE) congress with a theme of ‘Innovation and sustainability in new chemical engineering era’; October 5-8, 2010; at Howard International House, Taipei, Taiwan

For details contact: Asian-Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering

Australia 11, National Circuit Barton ACT 2600, AustraliaTel: +61 02 6270 6539Fax: +61 02 6273 2358Email: [email protected]

Pumps & Valves 2010An exhibition on pumps, control valves and seals in the process industry; October 13-15, 2010; at Antwerp, Belgium

For details contact: FairtecAutolei 3372160 Wommelgem / Antwerp BelgiumTel: +32 (0)3 354 08 80 Fax: +32 (0) 354 08 10 Email: [email protected]

CHEM-MED 2011The exhibition will showcase products, technologies, processes & equipment for the chemical industry, and will offer a platform to discuss latest trends in chemical & pharmaceutical raw materials; October 26-28, 2010; at Fiera Milano City, Milano

For details contact:Fiera Milano TechVia Gattamelata 3420149 Milano MI, ItalyTel: +39 (0)2.3264282 Fax: +39 (0)2.3264284Email: [email protected]

DYE+CHEM Asia International Expo 2010An exclusive international exhibition on all kinds of dyes and fine & specialty chemicals for the South & South-East Asian industry; November 10-13, 2010; at Singapore Expo, Singapore

For details contact:CEMS India Pvt Ltd74, Satya Niketan, Ground FloorNew Delhi 110 021 Tel: 011-2410 5201-4 Fax: 011-2410 5205 Email: [email protected]

CIL Indonesia 2010An exhibition showcasing new trends in chemical & process engineering,

instrumentation and laboratory equipment; December 01-04, 2010; at Jakarta International Expo, Indonesia For details contact:Allworld Exhibitions12th Floor, Westminster Tower3 Albert Embankment, London, The UKTel: +44 (0) 20 7840 2100 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7840 2111 Email: [email protected]

Iran Chem Tech 2011An exhibition devoted to materials and equipment & machinery for the chemical industry; February 07-10, 2011; at Tehran Permanent Fairground, Tehran For details contact:GohargodazNo.28 Sharifi alleyNorth Razan st.Mirdamad blvdTehran 19119 IranTel: +98 21 22 22 52 05/22 92 30 88 Fax: +98 21 22 92 26 83Email: [email protected]

InformexUSA 2011An expo that provides a meeting point for buyers and sellers of high-value chemicals; February 07-10, 2011; Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, The US For details contact:United Business MediaIndustrieweg 54, PO Box 2003600 AE Maarssen The NetherlandsTel: +31 34 65 59 444 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7921 8059 Email: [email protected]

CIPPE 2011An exhibition for petroleum & petrochemical technology and equipment; March 22-24, 2011, N e w China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China For details contact:ITE Group Plc105 Salusbury RoadLondon, NW6 6RG, The UKTel: +44 (0) 20 7596 5000 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7596 5111 Email: [email protected]

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective organiser. In any case, it does not represent the views of Chemical World


REPORT

I ndia’s economy has gradually emerged from the global economic downturn more or less unscathed, largely because of its healthy domestic demand. With the country

expected to become a fiercely competitive market, only those companies willing to pursue the goal of achieving sustainable competitiveness will emerge ultimate winners.

While industrial facilities are highly capital-intensive, they are built to operate over many decades. Thus, maintaining and managing these assets throughout the plant lifecycle play an important role in realising the returns. Also, the role of asset management systems has to be recognised. By addressing some of these needs of the process industry, ARC Eighth India Forum highlighted the importance of automation in improving efficiency and productivity.

The agendaARC Advisory Group’s Eighth India Forum, ‘Achieving business excellence through IT and automation solutions’, was held recently in Hyderabad. The event was divided into two chapters - electric power sector and process & batch industry. “ARC has structured the forum

to help electric power and manufacturing companies in process & batch industry drive innovation, sustainability and performance with the help of automation, enterprise & collaborative manufacturing systems & solutions,” explained Rajabahadur V Arcot, VP & GM - South Asia & South East Asia Operations, ARC Advisory Group.

While the electric power industry track discussed the challenges and answers of generation, transmission and distribution companies, the process & batch industry forum included three distinct tracks on chemical and oil & gas; cement, metals, and pulp & paper; and pharmaceuticals, biotech and food & beverage industries. In addition, the general sessions were devoted to asset management, sustainable manufacturing and industry standards.

Thought leaders and decision makers from ARC, end-user representatives from various process industry verticals, technology solution providers, and others shared their experiences & thoughts through presentations, panel discussions and workshops. The main focus of the forum was on maximising productivity through investments in automation and IT solutions, such as enterprise solutions, asset lifecycle management, collaborative production management systems, sustainability efforts, etc.

Harnessing technology for driving performanceARC Eighth India Forum

Manufacturing companies have realised the need to focus on operational and maintenance aspects to streamline production processes, manage costs and ensure stakeholders’ acceptance. They need to leverage technology for effectively reducing operational expenses, achieving supply chain efficiencies and enhancing productivity. ARC Advisory Group’s Eighth India Forum highlighted the scope of automation solutions in making companies globally competitive. A report…Rajabahadur Arcot lighting the lamp


REPORT

Around 70 speakers shared their perceptions about winning strategies and best practices that help manufacturers achieve business transformation needed to pursue business excellence. They discussed various aspects of automation and IT solutions, concepts and trends. They deliberated on a holistic approach to asset management, plant lifecycle management, integrated process & power automation systems, safety systems, sustainable manufacturing, distributed generation & smart grid, collaborative manufacturing & manufacturing execution systems, industry standards and many more.

Process & batch industryIn a roundtable discussion, a panel comprising A V Rao, Vice President - Projects, ITC; A Narendra, Principal Consultant, Performix; Shivam Mittal, Director - Supply Chain, SAP; Ajay Kumar Dhir, Group CIO, JSL Ltd; and Arcot highlighted the need of shop floor and enterprise process synchronisation. The panelists explained the importance of integration for seamless transfer of data between shop floor and enterprise. In addition, they emphasised on the need for return on investments (RoI), training, transparency, traceability, etc while integrating the business processes.

The speakers presented case studies on automation and information technologies specific to the manufacturing industry verticals, addressing their core challenges from a strategic perspective. In addition,

topics related to controlling energy costs, legacy system migration, interoperability issues, plant asset & information management, quality by design and process analytics technology solutions were discussed.

The specific industry tracks on chemicals and oil & gas (including refining and petrochemicals) was chaired by R Rajamani, former Managing Director, Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL); pharmaceutical and food & beverage was led by Shyam Bang, Executive Director, Jubilant Organosys; and cement, pulp & paper and metals & mining was chaired by Dhir.

Chemical sector on a safe path Rajamani briefed the audience about the various types of automation solutions to boost efficiency and improve safety standards of refineries. In his presentation, Dr Haibin Yu, President Assistant & Director of Overseas Business, SUCON, highlighted the usage of industrial automation solutions in the development of low carbon economy. Citing examples from some of the leading refineries, he emphasised on the need for workflow integration and the role played by automation solution providers in achieving this objective.

Jasbir Singh, Vice President (E&I), Essar Projects, explained benefits of Fieldbus applications over the conventional system. According to him, Fieldbus control system offers benefits like increased process efficiency &

product quality, RoI, cost-effectiveness, enhanced profitability (by reducing cost & increasing productivity), etc.

The session was concluded with a presentation by S R Venkatapathy, Head - Research India & Senior Analyst, ARC Advisory Group, who highlighted the importance of safety standards in the process industry.

EndnoteThe deliberations on the last day were on various industrial standards, such as benefits of adopting ISA 95 frameworks, ISA 100 and Wireless Hart, standardisation of Fieldbus followed by a session on activities and deliverables of Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA).

The forum concluded with a panel discussion on the roadmap for meeting the country’s need for skilled human resources. Training, interfacing with academia, preparing students for the future, and capturing the knowledge of the aging workforce were some of the opinions voiced by the members.

Networking with thought leaders & learning from their experiences, charting the roadmap for technology adoption and tracking the business & technology trends are what attracted over 400 delegates to attend the ARC Forum. The event reportedly provided a unique platform for both technology suppliers and manufacturing companies to meet & deliberate on building a mutually rewarding relationship.

Dignitaries on the dais during inaugural function Experts sharing their views during the roundtable on day 3


PRODUCT UPDATE

Automatic liquid level controllerR S Electronics offers automatic electronic liquid level controller for pump set. This is suitable for conductive and non-conductive liquids. Whenever the water level in the overhead tank falls below the set low level, the device operates the pump set,

and stops the pump set when the water level rises to the set high level. This is also used for underground tank. In such case, the device does not permit to operate the pump, when the water level falls below the set low level. It allows pumping when the water level in the reservoir rises to the set high level and thereafter fill the water level in the underground tank. The water level must be set above the foot valve to avoid dry running of motor. The controller is available for single phase as well as three phase motor pump set. This can be used in various industries, housing colonies, hotels, bungalows, and wherever automatic operation is needed. Level controllers other than water application are also available.

R S ElectronicsChennai - Tamil NaduTel: 044-2478 0314Email: [email protected]

Oxygen monitorSubtronics offers three-status ‘3ST-OXY’ oxygen monitor for monitoring the presence of oxygen in ambient air. This is a fixed-type monitor for monitoring levels of oxygen in percentage and uses the latest micro-controller technology enabling the user to take precise and accurate oxygen readings. The liquid crystal display directly displays the present reading, which is illuminated for easy visibility. When the level of oxygen goes below or above a preset value, an audio-visual alarm is sounded depending on the user setting. The unit has three set points, which are user-adjustable. All the inputs are through soft-touch keypads. Critical settings are protected by a security access code, which prevents accidental change in critical settings. Calibration is easy and provision is also made for external siren, potential free contacts and RS 232 port for printer connectivity. The remote detector can be 250 m away from the analyser unit. Optional printer attachment allows user to print the displayed reading at any time. Applications include laboratory monitoring, nuclear centres, pharmaceutical & food industry, oxygen deficiency as well as oxygen sufficiency monitoring.

Subtronics (India) Pvt LtdMumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-2422 4461, Fax: 022-2430 3047Email: [email protected]

Cleaning systemTechnical Trading & Services offers ‘Washboy’ fully automatic centralised high-pressure waterjet cleaning machines, designed for industrial applications. This system meets the full cleaning and sanitising demand of the industry to the required level. Advantages of this system include: no machine movements inside the processing hall always get pressurised water at required

locations, reduced water consumption, cleaning time, effect of cleaning is very high and capable of doing many jobs which are impossible by hand or any other cleaning methods. The machines are offered with time delayed stop systems. This means the unit switches off totally within 30 second, if it is not used, which helps to reduce the wear and tear of the unit. Multiple spray gun can work simultaneously with model ‘CWS 200.15.2’, it is designed for large food processing, pharma, chemical, poultry, beverage and other processing industries.

Technical Trading & ServicesBengaluru - KarnatakaTel: 080-2580 5767Email: [email protected]

PFA-lined valvesDip-Flon Engineering & Co offers perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)-lined valves. For many chemical plants, linings made of PFA have been used as an alternative to exotic alloy, expensive metal for valves, pumps, control valves, etc. PFA is an injectable type of thermoplastic, which is processed in pressure sintering process. PFA’s success is due to several higher permeation resistances combined with high chemical resistance for most of the chemicals used in industry and also temperature resistance from –60 to 200oC (-75 to 400oF). PFA has generally much lower permeation rates than PTFE with the same wall thickness but it has the same chemical and thermal resistance properties.

Dip-Flon Engineering & CoAhmedabad - GujaratTel: 079-2562 4003, Fax: 079-2562 5665Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

PP chemical processing pumpsTaha Pumps & Valves offers ‘PCX’ series horizontal centrifugal type chemical process pumps in BPO design. These pumps are useful in handling corrosive chemicals, acids, effluents, inks, dyes, solvents, etc, in various industries ranging from chemical,

petrochemical, steel plants, power plants to pharmaceutical industries. These pumps are offered in standard construction of polypropylene, optionally in PVDF also for highly corrosive liquids and temperature up to 110oC. The versatile features of these pumps include: wide models available from 1 to 10 hp in different capacities, wide range of sealing combinations of mechanical seal and gland packing. These pumps are designed and manufactured with latest technology to give better performance, reliability and lower power consumption.

Taha Pumps & ValvesSurendranagar - GujaratTel: 02752-240 233 Fax: 02752-240 908Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

Motorised hydraulic test pumpsDev Engineers offers motorised hydraulic test pumps. These are reciprocating-type single-plunger pumps. The crankcase is sturdy in design, completely sealed and made from graded cast iron. Heavy-duty bearings are used for providing support to the alloy steel hardened and ground crankshaft at both ends. The lubrication of power end parts and bearings are done by splash lubrication system from reservoir oil in the crankcase. The SS hardened and ground plunger offers corrosion and abrasion resistance and gives longer life. Heavy-duty MS cylinder and distributor body with gunmetal working parts is specially designed for high-pressure working. The SS check/non-return valves and pressure relief valve with brass pressure release cock are used for trouble-free operation. These pumps are suitable for hydrostatic pressure testing up to 10,000 psi (705 kg/cm2). It is also used for pressure or hydrostatic testing of boilers, welded vessels, pressure vessels, gas cylinders, valves, cocks, castings, pipes, tubes/hoses, pipelines, barrels/drums, concrete/cement walls, etc.

Dev EngineersAhmedabad - GujaratTel: 079-2640 3839, Fax: 079-2640 3839Email: [email protected]

Chemical gear pumpGoodie Enterprise offers specialty chemical gear pumps, ‘Chem’, manufactured by Witte Pumps & Tech GmbH. These pumps are widely used in transportation and metering of medium viscosity products such as pre-polymers, monomers and other chemicals. These are suitable for the most demanding tasks and used in both, vacuum- and high-pressure applications, while its viscosity ranges from 0.5 mPas to 10,000 Pas and could bear temperatures up to 450°C. These pumps are available in size ranging from 22/6 to 280/280, 1.28 ccm/rev-12,000 ccm/rev; intermediate sizes with narrower gear wheels for high pressure applications are offered as standard. The company also offers this type of pumps with a magnetic drive, where the media is hermetically sealed in the pump (eg, media which is poisonous, highly inflammable or crystalises under atmosphere).

Goodie EnterpriseNew Delhi Tel: 011-4161 3643-45, Fax: 011-4161 3646Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

Control valveForbes Marshall offers ‘ECOTROL’, a next generation control valve. This is a robust, compact and lightweight control valve with a pneumatically operated, easy field reversible multi-spring diaphragm actuator and a sturdy, pipeless and vibration-resistant mounted digital positioner. This valve provides minimum operating and maintenance costs due

to its optimum design. It comes with a stem sealing that meets today’s requirement of providing a corrosion resistant stuffing box area. The device has double use of auxiliary energy by using the tried and tested pneumatic multi-spring diaphragm actuator with the option of a permanent spring case ventilation. It is designed according to ANSI, with standardised trims. Advantages of this valve include: good performance in liquid and gas applications, easy and fast assembly, maintenance without any special tools, prevention of leakage and bypass leakage by a limited compressive load acting on both encapsulated gaskets, multiple material options, and optimal flow conditions by seat retaining cage. Applications are in steel & metal, oil & gas, chemical & petrochemical, pharma, distillery & food, fertiliser and power industries.

Forbes Marshall Pvt LtdPune - MaharashtraTel: 020-2714 5595, Fax: 020-2714 7413/7593Email: [email protected]

Membrane bioreactor Eimco Water Technologies (EWT) offers membrane bioreactor (MBR), an advanced wastewater treatment technology. The company has developed the ultimate nutrient

removal (UNRTM) MBR system incorporating the flat-sheet membranes from Kubota Corporation, Japan. EWT-Kubota MBR technology helps in removing organic and inorganic contaminants from industrial wastewater as well as domestic sewage. Advantages of this bioreactor include: good control of biological activity, small footprint, ease of operation, ability to provide high-quality effluent with significant nutrient and pathogen removal. EWT-Kubota system can achieve stringent effluent quality, even suitable for RO feed. Kubota membranes operate under low pressure and can permeate under gravity.

Eimco Water TechnologiesSurat - GujaratTel: 0261-246 5972-73, Fax: 0261-246 2997Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

Temperature controllerProcon Technologies offers ‘PXR’ series temperature controller from Fuji Electric. This 1/16 DIN temperature controller comes with an LED display that is 1.6 times larger than other previous models with dust-proof front display and operational section that is waterproof and conforms to NEMA-4X (IP66). It is available in sizes of 24 x 48 mm, 48 x 48 mm, 48 x 96 mm and 96 x 96 mm. Fuzzy control is a standard feature suppressing overshoot without lengthy start-up time and improving the response to external disturbances by quickly reverting to set points. It is provided with 16-segment ramp/soak & menu-driven auto/manual mode of operation. By using the digital input option, the operator can remotely change between two set points, start/stop the control action, start/reset the ramp/soak, start/stop the auto tuning, cancel the alarm latch, or start the incorporated timer. The ‘PXR’ series controllers accept temperature & process inputs, and offer two control output alarms and two programmable alarms. Using a PC, the operator can monitor all 31 controllers via the industry standard MODBUS communications protocol.

Procon Technologies Pvt LtdAhmedabad - GujaratTel: 079-2749 2566, Fax: 079-2743 2871Email: [email protected]

Helical gear pumpAni Engineers offers foot-mounted helical gear pump for handling different kind of viscous liquids like lube oil, furnace oil, LDO, HSD, vegetable oil, castor oil, etc. High viscous liquids like glue, liquid wax, molasses, printing inks etc, can also be handled effectively. These pumps are with single helical gears having modified teeth profile, hardened & ground shafts, self-lubricating ultra bronze bushes and built-in pressure relief valve. Oil seal or gland packing does the sealing. This pump is available in capacity range of 10-500 lpm and can be operated up to a maximum pressure of 10 kg/cm2 and temperature up to 80oC. For high temperature applications, modified versions are provided which can handle liquid up to temperature 250oC. Special Teflon-based ‘Z Pac’ sealant is provided to ensure zero leakage. For corrosive liquid application, pumps in SS 304, SS 316 and SS 316 L material are also available.

Ani EngineersWadhwan City - GujaratTel: 02752-240 479, Fax: 02752-242 479Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

Inductive proximity sensorRS Electronics offers inductive proximity sensor. This provides good means for detecting the

presence of a wide range of metallic targets. This detection is accomplished without contacting the target and is mechanically wear-free. In principle, an inductive proximity switch is comprised a high frequency oscillator circuit followed by a level detector and a post amplification signal circuit. In effect, a metallic object is brought within the effective range of the emitted field of the oscillator. This amplitude shift (a Schmitt trigger) drives a buffer stage when it is turned to its format state. This is available in DC as well as AC, with various sizes from M8 to M80, with various configuration and sensing distance. The company also offers inductive micro box sensor, slot sensor and any other type of sensor as per the specific requirement.

R S ElectronicsChennai - Tamil NaduTel: 044-2478 0314Email: [email protected]

Spiral heat exchangersAlfa Laval India offers high-pressure spiral heat exchangers (HPSHEs) with a design pressure of 100 bar and a highly

efficient, self-cleaning effect. They can replace shell-and-tube units (S&Ts) in sensitive processes, eliminate fouling problems and offer a high level of heat recovery. An HPSHE continuously recovers maximum heat energy from bottom residues, while its single-channel geometry gives it an ultra-efficient self-cleaning effect that prevents it from fouling. The HPSHE’s capability to withstand pressures of up to 100 bar and high temperatures, makes it an efficient process heat exchanger for visbreaking, FCC, desalting, coking, H-oil, LC fining, etc. Although compact, it offers two-three times higher heat transfer efficiency than an S&T unit. An HPSHE only requires servicing every four to five years and can be cleaned easily by backflushing, hydroblasting or in-line chemical cleaning. Since the heat recovery performance of an HPSHE is not reduced by fouling, extra process heat is not required from the furnace. This cuts fuel costs and reduces CO2 emissions from the refinery.

Alfa Laval India LtdPune - MaharashtraTel: 020-2710 7100, Fax: 020-2714 7711Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

AC drivesRockwell Automation offers ‘Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 755’ AC drives with power range expanded to 450 kW/700 hp, providing users with increased application flexibility. Featuring advanced diagnostics and a convenient roll-out design, these AC drives are well-suited for motor control applications in heavy industries including oil & gas, tyre & rubber, refining, material handling, and metals & mining. These drives have rollout capability, which allows easy access to the drive for fast installation and maintenance. The drive’s modular design helps simplify replacement of drive components, such as cooling fans, circuit boards and major subassemblies. An additional advantage is the ability for the control pod in this drive to be mounted remotely for hassle-free access to low voltage control and diagnostics. The ‘PowerFlex 755’ drive comes equipped with an embedded Ethernet port and five option slots that allow users to tailor the drive to best suit their application. Options include I/O, feedback, safety, additional communications, and auxiliary control power input.

Rockwell Automation India LtdNoida - Uttar PradeshTel: 0120-289 5245, Fax: 0120-421 7929Email: [email protected]

Rotary gear pumpsFlowtech Pumps & Hydraulics offers rotary gear pumps for various industrial applications. These pumps are designed and built to withstand continuous operation under various conditions demanded by industry. These are widely used in transfer & unloading of furnace oil, fuel oil, diesel, LSHS and other viscous products such as molasses, soap, bitumen, etc; pressurising fuel oil for burners in boilers, furnaces, kilns, etc; circulation of lube oil, coolant liquid in machinery, machine tools, diesel engines, steam turbines, compressors, gearboxes, rolling mills, bull dosers, earth movers, etc; transfer of transformer oil in hydel and thermal power stations; and developing pressure in hydraulic power pack, hydraulic presses, earth movers, excavators, shovels, etc.

Flowtech Pumps & HydraulicsThane - MaharashtraTel: 022-2583 6217, Fax: 022-2582 4761Email: [email protected]


PRODUCT UPDATE

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/

distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Chemical World

Vacuum booster pumpsEverest Blowers offers dry mechanical vacuum booster pumps. These boosters enhance the performance and improve the vacuum and pumping speeds of oil-sealed/water-ring/dry vacuum type of mechanical pumps. The advantages of these pumps are high-pumping speed, improved and working vacuums, prevents oil back streaming and contamination, provides oil-free working environment and improves overall efficiency. The rotating parts are dynamically balanced for vibration-free operation. These boosters require low maintenance and are designed for continuous duty operations. The production range covers capacities from 2,000 to 1,00,000 lpm in single stage and practically any capacity in parallel configuration with working pressures better than 0.001 Torr. These pumps are used for vacuum distillation, object metallising, vacuum impregnation, roll metallisation, semi-conductor processing, lamp & tube light production, vacuum casting, sputtering, space research & development activities, etc.

Everest BlowersNew Delhi Tel: 011-2811 4944, Fax: 011-2811 7469Email: [email protected]

Electric chain hoistHafa Hoists offers streamlined, compact electric chain hoists of capacity 125 and 250 kg. These chain hoists are offered with conical rotor motor. The conical rotor motor is one-hour rated and eliminates additionally mounted conventional EM brake. The specialised conical rotor motor makes the hoist compact, lightweight, and eliminates brake problems, thus offering a trouble-free performance. The alloy steel load chain ensures safe lifting and longer life. Specially designed safety clutch protects hoist from overloading, over hoisting and over lowering.

Hafa Hoists Pvt LtdNavi Mumbai - MaharashtraTel: 022-2769 4837-39, Fax: 022–2769 4572Email: [email protected]

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� Aluma coat............................................................

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� Analytical instrumentation .....................................

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� Automatic filter press ............................................

� Automatic liquid level controller ............................

� Bag emptying equipment ......................................

� Ball valves - Teflon-lined.........................................

� Bellows & dip-pipes ...............................................

� Blenders ................................................................

� Blowers .................................................................

� Bucket elevators.....................................................

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� Caf jointing sheets .................................................

� Ceramic adhesive cement.......................................

� Ceramic electrical heater parts ...............................

� Ceramic plates .......................................................

� Chain conveyors ....................................................

� Check valves - Teflon-lined .....................................

� Chemical directory .................................................

� Chemical dosing pump..........................................

� Chemical gear pump .............................................

� Chlorination plant..................................................

� Chlorine gas cylinder .............................................

� Chlorine gas mask .................................................

� Chloroscope ..........................................................

� Cleaning system.....................................................

� Cold form c & z purlins..........................................

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� Cone screw mixer ..................................................

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� Couplings ..............................................................

� Dairy equipment....................................................

� Dampers................................................................

� Detection & diagnosis............................................

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� Dust collectors.......................................................

� Electric chain hoist.................................................

� Electrophysiology...................................................

� Exhibition - Engineering Expo ................................

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� Falling film evaporator ...........................................

� Filter plates............................................................

� Filter press .............................................................

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� Hearing instruments ..............................................

� Heat exchangers ....................................................

� Heavy industrial steel building................................

� Helical gear pump .................................................

� Helical gearbox ......................................................

� HPLC .....................................................................

� Hydraulic filter press ..............................................

� Hydrogenator/autoclaves .......................................

� Inductive proximity sensor .....................................

� Industrial ceramic ..................................................

� Industrial pumps....................................................

� Infomedia18 B2B magazine ...................................

� Informatics ............................................................

� IT solutions & consulting .......................................

� Launders................................................................

� Lined valves & pipe fittings ....................................

� Loading arms.........................................................

� Magnetic resonance ..............................................

� Manual filter press.................................................

� Mechanical seals....................................................

� Membrane bioreactor ...........................................

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PRODUCT INDEX

Product Pg No Product Pg No Product Pg No

AC drives ....................................................78

Accessory solutions .......................................... 21

Acoustic hoods ................................................ 37

Agitated thin film dryer ................................... 73

Agitated thin film evaporator........................... 73

Agitator seals................................................... 25

Air blowers ...................................................... 37

Air breathing apparatus................................... 77

Air pollution control equipment......................... 8

Air receiver ........................................................ 8

Air-cooled heat exchanger ............................... 81

Air-cooled steam condensers ........................... 81

Aluma coat..................................................... BIC

Aluminium oxide ceramic composite............... BIC

Analytical instrumentation ............................... 19

ATEX-compliant products ................................ 33

Automatic filter press....................................... 11

Automatic liquid level controller ...................... 72

Bag emptying equipment..........................33

Ball valves - Teflon-lined .................................... 7

Bellows & dip-pipes ........................................... 7

Blenders........................................................... 33

Blowers............................................................ 37

Bucket elevators............................................... 33

Butterfly valves - Teflon-lined ............................. 7

Caf jointing sheets.....................................49

Ceramic adhesive cement................................ BIC

Ceramic electrical heater parts ........................ BIC

Ceramic plates ................................................. 11

Chain conveyors............................................... 33

Check valves - Teflon-lined................................. 7

Chemical directory ........................................... 75

Chemical dosing pump.................................... 77

Chemical gear pump ....................................... 74

Chlorination plant............................................ 77

Chlorine gas cylinder........................................ 77

Chlorine gas mask ........................................... 77

Chloroscope..................................................... 77

Cleaning system............................................... 72

Cold form c & z purlins ................................... 15

Columns & chemistries..................................... 19

Computed tomography ................................... 21

Condensers ........................................................ 8

Cone screw mixer .............................................. 8

Conical screw dryers .......................................... 3

Control valve.................................................... 75

Cooling towers ................................................ 81

Couplings ................................................. FIC, 65

Dairy equipment ..........................................8

Dampers ............................................................ 8

Detection & diagnosis...................................... 21

Drives ................................................................ 5

Ducts ................................................................. 6

Dust collectors ................................................. 33

Electric chain hoist.....................................79

Electrophysiology ............................................. 21

Exhibition - Engineering Expo ......... 27-28, 61-62

Exhibition - Promach 2010 ................................ 4

Falling film evaporator ..............................73

Filter plates ...................................................... 11

Filter press ....................................................... 11

Filter press terminology.................................... 11

Fine chemicals ................................................... 9

Fittings .............................................................. 6

Fluoropolymer-lined valves ............................... 75

Fluoroscopy ..................................................... 21

Force circulation evaporator............................. 73

Free jointinng sheet ......................................... 49

Gas detectors .............................................47

Geared motor .................................................. 43

GMP heat exchangers ........................................ 3

GMP reactors..................................................... 3

Granulators...................................................... 33

Grinding media............................................... BIC

Headers ........................................................6

Hearing instruments ........................................ 21

Heat exchangers ..........................................8, BC

Heavy industrial steel building ......................... 15

Helical gear pump ........................................... 76

Helical gearbox ................................................ 43

HPLC................................................................ 19

Hydraulic filter press ........................................ 11

Hydrogenator/autoclaves.................................... 3

Inductive proximity sensor ........................77

Industrial ceramic ........................................... BIC

Industrial pumps.............................................. 65

Infomedia18 B2B magazine ............................. 10

Informatics ...................................................... 19

IT solutions & consulting ................................. 21

Launders.......................................................6

Lined valves & pipe fittings ................................ 7

Loading arms................................................... 65

Magnetic resonance...................................21

Manual filter press........................................... 11

Mechanical seals .............................................. 25

Membrane bioreactor ..................................... 75

Membrane filter plates..................................... 11

Membrane filter press...................................... 11

Mixers.............................................................. 33

Molecular imaging........................................... 21

Motorised hydraulic test pumps....................... 74

Multi-level car park .......................................... 15

Multiple effect evaporator ............................... 73

Non-return valves.........................................7

Nozzles ............................................................ 65

Oxygen monitor .........................................72

Particle therapy..........................................21

PFA-lined valves ............................................... 72

pH meter ......................................................... 77

Photoelectric sensor ......................................... 75

Pipes.................................................................. 6

Plate & filter plates .......................................... 11

Pollution monitoring machines ........................ 47

Polycarbonate sheets ....................................... 15

PP chemical processing pumps ........................ 73

Pre-engineered steel building........................... 15

Pre-fab shelter ................................................. 15

Process heat exchangers .................................... 3

Process reactors ................................................. 3

PTFE-lined valves & pipe fittings......................... 7

Pump seals ...................................................... 25

Pumps ............................................................. 75

Reactors........................................................8

Receptacles ...................................................... 65

Recessed chamber filter plates ......................... 11

Re-crystallised allumina tubes.......................... BIC

Refurbished systems......................................... 21

Residential steel house..................................... 15

Rising film evaporator...................................... 73

Roof vent......................................................... 15

Roofing & cladding sheets ............................... 15

Rotary feeders ................................................ 33

Rotary gear pumps .......................................... 78

Rotary vacuum dryers ........................................ 3

Rotocone dryers................................................. 3

Sampling valves - Teflon-lined ....................7

Scraped surface crystalliser............................... 73

Screw conveyors & feeders .............................. 33

Self-adhesive tapes .......................................... 75

Short path distillation unit ............................... 73

Sight flow meters ............................................ 65

Silicone carbide heat exchangers........................ 3

Single/twin igniting electrodes ........................ BIC

Skin mounted systems ..................................... 73

Sludge dryer .................................................... 73

Solid-liquid separation equipment.................... 33

Spherical paddle chopper dryers ........................ 3

Spiral heat exchangers ..................................... 77

Spray dryer project............................................. 8

Stacks ................................................................ 6

Strainers - Teflon-lined....................................... 7

Structural floor decking sheet .......................... 15

Swivels............................................................. 65

Technical ceramic......................................BIC

Teflon-lined valves & pipe fittings ...................... 7

Temperature controller .................................... 76

Turbidity meter ................................................ 77

Turnkey projects ................................................ 3

UPLC ...........................................................19

Vacuum booster pumps ............................79

Valve actuators ................................................ 33

Valves .............................................................. 33

Ventilators ....................................................... 75

Zirconia polycrystal ceramic .....................BIC

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W: www.premiumtransmission.com

Raj Process Eqpts & Systems(P) Ltd 8

T: +91-20-40710010


W: www.rajprocessequipment.com

Sachin Filtech Pvt Ltd 11

T: +91-79-25832204


W: www.sachininternational.com

Siemens Ltd 21

T: +91-22-24987000

W: www.siemens.com/answers

Sigma Aldrich Chemicals Pvt Ltd 9

T: +91-80-66219400


W: www.safcpharma.com

Small Indusrty Research Institute 75

T: +91-11-23840805


Smart Logistics 10

T: +91-22-30245000


Sreelakshmi Traders 75

T: +91-44-24343343


W: www.sreelakshmitraders.com

Techno Force Pvt Ltd 73

T: +91-22-25564098


Uniphos Envirotronic Pvt Ltd 47

T: +91-22-24930681


W: www.uniphos-she.com

United Steel & Structurals Pvt Ltd 15

T: +91-44-42321801


W: www.unitedstructurals.com

Wam India Pvt Ltd 33

T: +91-22-27618091


W: www.wamgroup.in

Waters (India) Pvt Ltd 19

T: +91-80-28371900


W: www.waters.com

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Chemical World - August 2010

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