（1999/11/29 BASFｼﾞｬﾊﾟﾝ発表）
BASF、高吸水性樹脂およびアクリル酸事業を大幅拡充
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ケムダル社の高吸水性樹脂事業買収 → FTC見解
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ベルギーとブラジルに高吸水性樹脂のプラントを新設
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アクリル酸生産能力増強に最高水準のテクノロジー
BASF本社（ドイツ・ルートヴィッヒスハーフェン）は、世界規模で展開する高吸水性樹脂事業を大型買収と最先端技術を採用するプラントの新設によって大幅に拡充します。
まず、米国アムコル・インターナショナル社（AMCOL イリノイ州アーリントンハイツ）の子会社ケムダル・インターナショナル社（Chemdal 米国）の全世界での高吸水性樹脂事業を6億5,650万ドル（約6億2,500万ユーロ
/ 約12億マルク / 約780億円）で買収します。同時に、ベルギーのアントワープにおいて高吸水性樹脂の新規プラントを建設します。このため、重要な基礎原料であるアクリル酸の十分な供給を確保する必要があり、BASFでは既存の設備能力を世界トータルで16万トン分増強しています。生産能力の拡大は、投資額を比較的低く抑え、市場ニーズに対応して徐々に増加する予定です。さらに、中国では新たにアクリル・モノマーのプラント建設が計画され、ブラジルにおいては、アクリル酸の直接誘導体であるブチル・アクリレートの新規プラントの建設が着工されたところです。
BASFはこれら一連の対策により、フェアブント体制（統合経営システム）におけるアクリル酸をベースとした付加価値チェーンを大いに強化することになります。
BASFはスペシャルティ化学品での主要製品であるアクリル酸においては特に強い地位を保持しています。
BASFにとってアクリル酸は、主に塗料や製紙、接着剤産業用のディスパージョンを生産するための不可欠な原料であると同時に、高吸水性樹脂の最も重要な前駆物質でもあります。したがって、BASFはこの高吸水性樹脂事業の拡充を通じてアクリル酸の市場における地位をさらに強化することになり、大きな前進となります。
ケムダル社買収による高吸水性樹脂でのグローバルな地位強化
ケムダル社は、高吸水性樹脂生産におけるリーディング・カンパニーのひとつであり、1998年度の世界総売上高は約2億2,000万ドル（約240億円）に上ります。本社をはじめ各地の生産工場（米国ミシシッピー州アバディーン、英国バーケンヘッド、タイのレイヨン）に従事する社員390名はBASFが引き継ぎます。買収に関する合意書はすでにBASFとアムコル社間で調印されましたが、今後アムコル社株主の同意と米国および欧州各国の独占禁止法監督機関の承認を必要とします。
高吸水性樹脂は、架橋ポリアクリレート（網状構造のポリアクリレート）で、樹脂自体の重さの何倍もの液体を吸収することができます。このため、主に紙おむつやその他生理用品に使われています。高吸水性樹脂の世界市場の年間成長率は約7％で、この事業は景気変動の影響をほとんど受けません。
BASFは、現在ヨーロッパと米国に高吸水性樹脂の生産プラントを所有しており、年間生産能力は計約14万トンで、230名がこの事業に従事しています。
BASFではケムダル社の高吸水性樹脂事業がBASFの事業ポートフォリオに完璧に合致し、サプライヤーとして欧州やNAFTAさらに南米で定評があることに期待しています。加えて、2000年初頭にはタイの新規プラントが操業を開始し、アジアの成長市場が速やかに開拓されて行くものと見ています。BASFの高吸水性樹脂の年産総能力は、ケムダル社の買収により、30万トン強に上ることになります。
アントワープに高吸水性樹脂の新規プラント
BASFは、主に欧州市場への供給のために7,000万ユーロ（約7,300万ドル
/ 1億4,000万マルク / 約90億円）を投じ、ベルギーのアントワープに年産12万トン規模(正しくは10万トン）の高吸水性樹脂プラントを建設しています。新プラントは2001年末に稼動予定で、BASFの独自技術を採用します。これにより米国からの輸入は不要となります。さらに、アントワープのプラントが稼働後、小規模で経済性が低い2つのプラントは閉鎖される予定です。１つはBASFがコミッション・ベースで操業している年産3万5,000トンのクラリアント社のプラント（ドイツ・フランクフルト）と、もう１つは年産2万5,000トンの自社プラント（ドイツ・マンハイム）です。
先ごろBASFは新規の高吸水性樹脂プラントをブラジルに建設すると発表しました。
このプラントは、生産能力7万トンで2002年の操業開始を予定しています。これらのプロジェクトが完成した時点で、BASFの高吸水性樹脂の総生産能力は43万トン強に上る見込みです。
→ Petrobras, Basf delay acrylic acid project until 2007
アクリル酸生産能力拡大のための最高水準テクノロジー
BASFは、触媒の研究から得られた新しい技術によって、欧州ではアクリル酸生産能力を現行43万トンから53万トンへ、NAFTA地区では30万トンから36万トンへと、低い資本投下での増強を可能としました。 この高機能触媒は特許取得済みです。 能力増強に必要とされたのは既存プラントへの若干の手直しのみで、新規投資額と生産性向上の関係が実に理想的となりました。 生産能力は、BASFが自社で消費するアクリル・モノマーの量と、市場ニーズの伸びに応じて拡大される予定です。マレーシア・クァンタンでの年産16万トンの新アクリル酸プラントが2000年に稼働に入ると、BASFのアクリル酸の年間総生産量は100万トン以上に上る見込みです。
2002/6/24 BASF
BASF Antwerp: New superabsorbents plant starts operations
Today (June 24, 2002), a new superabsorbents plant in Antwerp, Belgium, will be inaugurated officially by the Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt together with Dr. Jurgen F. Strube, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, and BASF Board member Dr. Jurgen Hambrecht. With an annual capacity of 100,000 metric tons, it is the world's largest superabsorbents plant and at the same time it is the first to operate using a new BASF technology. The capital expenditure for the plant and a new logistics center totaled Euro 90 million, and the investment will create almost 70 new jobs in Antwerp.
Strube stresses the importance of the capital expenditure for the Antwerp site and for BASF in general: "Antwerp is our second-largest Verbund site worldwide and we intend to develop the site further. Here, we are setting new standards in terms of product quality and competitiveness with our new superabsorbents plant. The plant is linked virtually directly with one of our most modern acrylic acid plants. This means that we are not only strengthening our Verbund strategy in Antwerp, but is also a clear sign that our global superabsorbents business has become a firm cornerstone of our acrylic acid value-adding chain." BASF is world leader in both acrylic acid and superabsorbents, which are derived directly from it.
BASF operates further superabsorbents plants in Mannheim, Germany; Portsmouth, Virginia; Aberdeen, Mississippi; and Rayong, Thailand. Due to the closure of its plants in Birkenhead, United Kingdom and in Frankfurt, Germany, BASF's global capacity for superabsorbents remains unchanged at 305,000 metric tons per year. BASF has plants for the production of acrylic monomers in Europe, the NAFTA region, Asia and South America, and its total world capacity is 850,000 metric tons per year.
Superabsorbents are cross-linked polymers made from acrylic acid which can absorb up to 1,000 times their own weight of liquid and retain the liquid even under pressure. They are currently used mainly to produce hygiene products such as diapers, incontinence products, sanitary towels and tampons. Other applications are in agriculture and in the electrical and packaging industries.
BASF is the world's leading chemical company. It aims to increase and sustain its corporate value through growth and innovation. BASF offers its customers a range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, coatings systems, dispersions, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil and natural gas. BASF's distinctive approach to integration, known in German as "Verbund," is its strength. It enables the company to achieve cost leadership and gives it a decisive competitive advantage in the long term. BASF acts in accordance with the principles of Sustainable Development. In 2001, BASF had sales of E 32.5 billion (circa $29 billion) and over 90,000 employees worldwide. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF), Paris (BA) and Zurich (BAS).
Business News Americas June 16, 2003
Petrobras, Basf delay acrylic acid project until 2007
Brazil's federal energy company Petrobras and German chemicals company Basf have delayed until at least 2007 construction of an acrylic acid plant because of poor market conditions.
"Considering the development of the markets for acrylic monomers and super absorbent polymers (SAP) is below expectations [the companies] decided not to carry out the joint project to build an acrylic acid complex before 2007," Petrobras said in a statement.
Petrobras may restart talks with Basf in the future, but for the time being the entire project is back to square one, a spokesperson told BNamericas.
Acrylic acid is used to manufacture hygiene products such as diapers, while one of the main derivatives, acrylic esters, are used to produce paints, adhesives and construction chemicals.
http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/other/boastmollys.htm
BASF/Chemdal. Last year we investigated BASF AG's proposed acquisition of the super absorbent polymer business of Chemdal Corporation from Amcol International Corporation. Chemdal and BASF were direct competitors in super absorbent polymers ("SAP"), virtually all of which is used to make diapers absorbent. In the United States there are five SAP manufacturers and this case turned on the definition of geographic market. In a U.S. market the merger would have resulted in a guidelines violation but in a world market the concentration levels were significantly lower. At first, there was a serious question about whether a world market was defensible since the level of imports was rather small, typically no more than a few percent per year. However, there were several reasons to believe that SAP imports could increase in response to a price increase. First, SAP is not a perishable commodity and it is easily shipped from Asia in one-ton "supersacks." The cost of shipment from Asia did not substantially increase the cost of the product and thus customers could turn to Asian imports without a significant effect on their underlying cost. Second, there is substantial overcapacity of SAP in Asia. The difference between Asian pricing and U.S. pricing was relatively close. In addition, there was evidence that current competitors had to cut costs in the past in response to bids from Asian suppliers. Based on each of these factors we concluded that a worldwide market was appropriate.
（2001/1/19 Pattayamail http://www.pattayamail.com/390/business.htm ）
BASF started up a new plant for the production of super-absorbents in the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, Rayong. The plant will have an annual capacity of 20,000 metric tons. The official inauguration ceremony was held on Friday January 12, in the presence of Dr. Stefan Marcinowski, member of the board of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, H.E. Hermann Erath, the German Ambassador to Thailand, Staporn Kavitanon, Board of Investment secretary general and Prapan Cholweerawong, Rayong governor.
The market for super absorbents is one of the fastest growing in the chemical industry. The Rayong plant, which was initiated by Chemdal before its acquisition by BASF, is a perfect fit in BASF’s strategy of being present in the important emerging markets of Asia. The plant, which employs the latest technology, will supply markets in Thailand and other countries in Asia and already runs at high capacity. Commenting on the Rayong project, Dr. Helmut Nickels, head of BASF’s global super absorbents business said, “In line with our strategy, we will systematically expand our market position in Southeast Asia during the next few years. This will also lead to an expansion of our Asian capacities in due course. In doing so, we will greatly benefit from our acrylic acid complex at our Verbund site in Kuantan, Malaysia, which started production in mid-2000. The super absorbent plant in Rayong will be supplied with acrylic acid from Kuantan.”
Rayong, with its proximity to Kuantan, is strategically located in the heart of Asia. This will enable fast and reliable delivery to customers in the region.
In addition to Thailand, BASF produces super absorbents in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. A new plant is currently being constructed in Belgium. The planned acrylics complex in Brazil also comprises a super absorbent plant, which is targeted to start-up by the end of 2003. BASF is the world leader in super absorbents and its main component acrylic acid. The company is the only one in the world with production facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia for both products.
Super absorbents are partially cross-linked sodium polyacrylates. These substances, which are able to absorb up to 25 times their own weight of water, have been used since the mid-1980s in hygiene products such as baby diapers. Other uses are found in agriculture and cable wrappings, including submarine cables.
（2000/6/1 Amcol発表）
AMCOL International Closes Sale of Superabsorbent Polymer Business
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL., June 1 -- AMCOL International Corp. today announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of its superabsorbent polymer business to BASF AG. The cash paid at closing was $656.5 million, and is subject to certain post-closing adjustments.
Included in the transaction are Chemdal's three manufacturing operations in the United States, United Kingdom and Thailand and the effective transfer of 390 employees.
Larry Washow, AMCOL chief executive officer and president, said, "We are very pleased to have closed this transaction with BASF AG. We believe the sale of our superabsorbent polymer division enhances shareholder value and supports AMCOL's strategic vision to focus on remaining a world-leading specialty mineral company."
AMCOL International Corp. produces and markets specialty mineral products used for industrial, environmental and consumer-related applications. The company operates in three industry segments, minerals, environmental and transportation.
1999/11/23 AMCOL 発表
AMCOL International Enters Into Agreement to Sell Its Chemdal Absorbent Polymers Unit
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Nov. 23 -- AMCOL International Corp. has entered into an agreement to sell its Chemdal absorbent polymers unit to BASF AG, a leading chemical company headquartered in Germany, in a cash transaction. The sale is subject to approval by AMCOL's shareholders, as well as certain U.S. and European governmental regulatory reviews, and is projected to close during the first quarter of 2000.
Included in the transaction are Chemdal's three manufacturing operations in the United States, United Kingdom and Thailand. A substantial portion of the net proceeds after deducting corporate income taxes, expenses of the transaction, payment of debt and other deductions, will be distributed to AMCOL's shareholders. It is currently expected that shareholders will receive a cash payment of approximately $14-$14.50 per share, in addition to retaining their AMCOL shares which will then represent the portion of AMCOL's business that is not being sold. The cash to be paid for the Chemdal absorbent polymers business is approximately $656.5 million, and is subject to certain purchase price adjustments, including those based on the absorbent polymers business' outstanding debt and working capital at closing.
Chemdal was formed in 1986 to manufacture and market water-absorbing specialty polymers for use in personal care products such as baby diapers and adult incontinence items. In 1998, Chemdal contributed approximately $221 million, or 42 percent in sales, and $33 million, or 61 percent in operating profit, of AMCOL's total consolidated results.
John Hughes, AMCOL chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Our primary goal as a public company has been to deliver the highest value possible to our shareholders. Our stock price has languished for some time, making it difficult for our investors to realize meaningful returns. The sale of our Chemdal absorbent polymers unit represents an opportunity to maximize the value of AMCOL shareholdings in the short-term, while providing the opportunity to capitalize on the company's strong future prospects."
Hughes continued, "We've been approached from time to time with offers to sell all or part of our businesses. It has been our practice to review such offers to determine how to best serve the interests of our shareholders. The BASF offer proved particularly attractive in terms of both timing and shareholder return. As the only absorbent polymer producer non-integrated in the manufacture of acrylic acid, the primary raw material, we were potentially at a competitive disadvantage. In order to remain competitive, we were facing
significant investment decisions to expand globally and to become verticallyintegrated into the manufacture of acrylic acid. BASF approached us during this deliberation period, and we concluded that shareholder value was better served by the sale of the business."
Founded in 1927, AMCOL's other primary businesses are minerals and environmental products and services. AMCOL reported approximately $521 million in consolidated sales during 1998; approximately $300 million of the total was unrelated to Chemdal.
Hughes added, "Without Chemdal, AMCOL will once again focus on its strong dominant presence in the specialty minerals industry. We expect to be profitable in 2000, with sales from the "new" AMCOL totaling in excess of $300 million. We will have made significant progress in improving the operating efficiencies of our minerals and environmental operations by year-end 1999, as well as improving our business mix in both areas. Our nanocomposites business holds bright promise, and we look for breakthroughs in commercialization."
The transaction is subject to the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock in AMCOL. Schroder & Co. Inc., an investment banker representing AMCOL, has issued its opinion that the transaction is fair to AMCOL from a financial point of view. The agreement is expected to be submitted for shareholder approval in the first quarter of 2000.
ＢＡＳＦ Clariantの吸水性樹脂事業を買収
Portsnmouth,VAにある11.5万ton/yの吸水性樹脂事業
経緯Clariantとしては1997年にHoechstのスペシャルティ事業を統合した際に吸水性樹脂は統合されたが、原料のアクリル酸がHoechstに残った為原料遡及もままならず効率がよくなかったので売却する。
1998/4/3 Clariant
Clariant to sell superabsorber business to BASF
Clariant of Muttenz/Switzerland is to sell its worldwide superabsorber business to BASF Aktiengesellschaft of Ludwigshafen/Germany. Both companies have signed a declaration of intent to that effect. Clariant and BASF will further improve their portfolios with this move. The sale still needs the consent of the antitrust authorities. It was agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
The purchase also includes Clariant's production site at Portsmouth, Virginia/USA. Clariant's production facility in Frankfurt/Germany will operate on a toll-manufacture basis for BASF.
Clariant is one of the world's four biggest producers in the superabsorber market, and has at present about 240 employees in this sector, most of them in the U.S. The company achieved sales in 1997 of approximately CHF 300 million with this product group.
BASF produces superabsorbers for the European market in a plant in Mannheim/Germany. BASF is worldwide the market and technology leader in acrylic acid, the precursor for superabsorbers.
Superabsorbers are crosslinked polyacrylates; they are predominantly used for diapers, but to an increasing extent for other sanitary articles, because they are capable of absorbing many times their own weight of liquids.
Yearly capacity of acrylic acids and esters stands at 180,000 MT, making us the largest producer in Taiwan. To utilize high purity acrylic acid (HPAA) produced by our acrylic acid and ester plant, we have built a super absorbent polymer plant with an annual production capacity of 24,000 MT in the Hsinkang industrial zone. This facility is the only super absorbent polymer production plant in Taiwan.
Stockhausen http://www.degussa.com/en/unternehmen/history/degussa.html
1991: Hüls acquired a majority interest in the family-run company, Chemische Fabrik Stockhausen GmbH & Co. KG in Krefeld. Chemische Fabrik Stockhausen was founded in 1912 for the manufacture of soaps, oils and fats. Since 1952, Stockhausen has been producing the coagulant, Praestol®, that is assigned to the Fine and Industrial Chemicals division in the new Degussa AG. In the skincare field, skincare and skin-protection creams, as well as cleansers, are produced as part of the STOKO program. In 1986, the manufacture of superabsorbers got underway. In this field, Stockhausen occupied a leading position on the world market. The skincare and the superabsorber activities are part of the Performance Chemicals division in the new Degussa.
1999/6/10 → 2000/2発表 社名
StoHaas
Monomer GmbH & Co. KG
Rohm and Haas and Stockhausen to form joint venture to
manufacture Acrylic Acid
Rohm and Haas Company of
Philadelphia, USA and Stockhausen GmbH & Co. KG (a wholly
owned subsidiary of Degussa-Huls AG) of Krefeld, Germany today
announced their intent to form a global partnership for the
manufacture of acrylic acid by the end of 1999. The 50-50 joint venture will be fully operational by the end of
2000, with
combined manufacturing capacity of 330,000 metric tons per year. Rohm and Haas also will acquire
Stockhausen’s merchant
monomer business in Europe.
Financial details of the
venture were not disclosed. The companies will apply for all
appropriate regulatory approvals.
Acrylic acid is an
essential building block material for products made by both
companies. Rohm and Haas uses acrylic acid and its derivatives to
make a full range of acrylic materials used in paints, coatings,
adhesives, and plastics, among other things. Stockhausen uses
glacial acrylic acid as a key component in the manufacture of
superabsorbent materials used in baby diapers and personal care
products.
Rohm and Haas Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer J. Lawrence Wilson said the venture with
Stockhausen will "give us an excellent source of acrylic
acid in Europe and strengthen our global monomer supply network
so that we can support the growth of our $2.4 billion acrylic
product portfolio." Wilson also said that he is pleased to
see Rohm and Haas take a stronger position in the merchant
monomer market. "We feel confident that our reputation as an
efficient, cost-effective supplier of acrylic monomers can only
be enhanced by an increased position in Europe."
Uwe-Ernst Bufe, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Stockhausen’s parent company Degussa-Huls AG, said,
"Forming a joint venture with the largest U.S. acrylic acid
producer will improve the
security of supply of that key raw material for superabsorbent
polymers which is Stockhausen’s largest business. Rohm and Haas has been
our primary supplier in the United States for several
years," he continued. "We are happy that our excellent
business relationship has led to this cooperation, including the
decision by Rohm and Haas to build at the Chemical Industry Park
Marl, which we believe is well-positioned for such investment.
This is a major success for our ChemSite initiative."
Under the planned venture,
Rohm and Haas
will contribute 165,000 metric tons of its Deer Park, Texas acrylic acid
manufacturing capacity. Stockhausen will contribute 90,000 metric
tons of existing acrylic acid
capacity in Marl, Germany, where an additional 75,000 metric tons of capacity, presently under
construction, will come on-stream before the end of 2000.
The two companies intend
to take full advantage of the ChemSite initiative and the
Chemical Industry Park Marl. Together, they plan to add more than
100,000 metric tons of new acrylic acid capacity at Marl before
the end of 2003. In addition, Rohm and Haas will build a
world-scale butyl acrylate plant there so that it can make
acrylic acid esters for its European network of acrylic polymer
plants, as well as for its supply to the merchant market.
The companies will work
together to increase acrylic acid capacity in the rest of the
world. Discussions under way include consideration of a site in
Brazil.
Rohm and Haas is a
Philadelphia-based specialty chemical company whose products are
found in many items that improve the quality of life, including
decorative and industrial paints, semiconductors, shampoos and
other personal-care items, and water purification systems. Rohm
and Haas is in the process of acquiring Morton International, a
Chicago-based manufacturer of specialty chemicals and salt. When
that transaction is completed at the end of June, Rohm and Haas
will report annual sales of approximately U.S. $6.5 billion.
Stockhausen GmbH, a
company of the Degussa-Huls Group, is based in Krefeld, Germany.
The Degussa-Huls AG reported semi-annual sales (October 1998 -
March 1999) of U.S. $5 billion without precious metal-market.
Stockhausen is one of the world’s leading producers of absorbent polymers
for use in a wide range of products and services for use in the
personal care, packaging, cable, horticulture, landscaping and
forestry industries. Stockhausen also produces water treatment
polymers, textile auxiliaries, and skin care products. In 1998,
Stockhausen reported annual sales of U.S. $600 million.
Chemical Week Jun 05, 2002
Dow Expands Superabsorbents
Dow Chemical says it has completed an expansion of superabsorbent
polymers capacity at Rheinmünster, Germany by 35,000 m.t./year, to about 70,000 m.t./year. Dow has also completed construction of a
bulk handling facility at the site to deliver superabsorbents to
customers throughout Europe, it says. The expansion is part of a
previously announced plan to expand Dow's global superabsorbents
capacity by 60,000 m.t./year. The company says it still plans to
add the remaining 25,000 m.t./year, but that it has not yet set a
timetable. Dow also has about 80,000 m.t./year of superabsorbents
capacity at Midland, MI.
BASF 2004/12/15
SAP manufacturing platform in North
America
http://www.corporate.basf.com/en/presse/mitteilungen/pm.htm?pmid=1669&n=0&id=67oAN63kLbcp.XL
Replacement of older plants by
new SAP operation in Freeport
Another milestone within the company’s strategy to strengthen its acrylic acid
value-adding chain
BASF will reshape its superabsorbent
polymer production capabilities in North America by constructing
a new state-of-the-art production facility for superabsorbent
polymers at its Verbund フェアブント manufacturing site in Freeport, Texas
(U.S.). As a result, the company will decommission its Aberdeen,
Miss. (U.S.), and Portsmouth, Va. (U.S.), production operations
once the new plant is fully operational. The new plant will begin operation in mid
2007. Investment and capacity details were not disclosed.
“Decommissioning two existing
operations and replacing their capacity with a new
state-of-the-art facility at our Freeport Verbund complex will
help us to maintain our leadership position in this important
market,” said Joe Breunig,
Head of BASF’s Regional
Business Unit Functional Polymers NAFTA, Charlotte, NC (U.S.).
In 2002, BASF started its new
superabsorbent plant in Antwerp, Belgium, and it was the first to
operate using a new BASF technology. “Our new plant in Freeport will be another
milestone within our strategy to strengthen our acrylic acid
value-adding chain by continuously enhancing product quality,
availability and competitiveness. State-of-the-art production
technology, intelligent logistics solutions and a variety of
innovative applications for superabsorbent polymers are an
important prerequisite to be recognized as a supplier of choice
by our customers worldwide”,
stated Dr Markus Kramer, Head of BASF’s Global Business Unit Acrylic Monomers
and Superabsorbents, Ludwigshafen (Germany).
BASF’s superabsorbent polymers are capable of
absorbing and retaining many times their weight in water, and are
best known for their use in disposable diapers. Specialised forms
have also been developed for use in a wider range of
applications, including packaging materials, cable wrappings,
cosmetics, environmental containment and fire-fighting. BASF’s superabsorbent polymers are cross-linked
polyacrylates and have a long history of safe use in domestic,
industrial and environmental applications.
日本触媒、来期にＳＡＰ能力４０万トン超へ
日本触媒は、高吸水性樹脂（ＳＡＰ）の生産を拡大する。同社姫路製造所（兵庫県姫路市）において年間６万トン規模の製造プラントを新設する。来年度上期の完成を目指し、すでに着工しており、グループ全体の生産能力を同４１万トンに引き上げる。同社は今春、欧州および姫路で設備増強を行ったばかりだが、紙オムツ用途でのおう盛な需要に対応し早期増設に着手、安定供給体制を確立する。０８年度から１０年度までにさらに同６万−９万トン程度の設備増強を計画しており、世界トップメーカーとしての地位を堅持していく方針だ。
日本触媒は、姫路製造所、米国の「エヌエイ・インダストリーズ」、ベルギーの「ニッポンショクバイ・ヨーロッパ」、中国・張家港の「日触化工（張家港）」の世界４拠点でＳＡＰの生産を行っている。今春にはニッポンショクバイ・ヨーロッパで年間３万トンの製造プラントが完成。また姫路においても同３万トンの増設を行っており、グループ全体の生産能力は同３５万トンに拡大していた。
ＳＡＰは紙オムツが主な用途で、近年では乳幼児向けに加え、大人用紙オムツ向けにも需要が増加している。また中国、東南アジア、中南米、中東といった地域で紙オムツの普及が進んでいることから、今後も引き続き年率５％程度の成長が見込まれている。
2008/3/11 住友精化
高吸水性樹脂事業の買収について
当社はこのたびフランス、アルケマ社から高吸水性樹脂事業を買収することで合意いたしました。
同社は１９８５年に当社から技術ライセンスにより「アクアキープ」の商標でヨーロッパ市場を中心に事業展開をしてまいりました。顧客がグローバル化する中で同事業の国際競争が激化し限られた市場と生産規模では競争力に限界があり、将来の事業展開に大きな困難がありました。
他方、当社もヨーロッパ市場には姫路とシンガポールから供給してまいりましたが原料価格の高騰や輸送コストの上昇、為替問題等により早急に同市場での生産拠点を確保する必要に迫られておりました。当社とアルケマ社は同一の生産技術で製造をしており、また商標も同一の「アクアキープ」で販売しておりますので顧客サービスの点で問題はなく、グレードの統一や生産グレードの分担などにより生産効率を改善することや、技術サービスを統合するなどの相乗効果が期待されます。
今回の事業買収により、販売は昨年１２月に設立いたしましたスミトモセイカヨーロッパS.A./N.V.（ベルギー、ブリュッセル）が行い、生産は現有のアルケマ社カーリング工場の製造設備を活用して当社がアルケマ社に製造委託をすることにしております。また、原料アクリル酸についても同社から供給を受けることにしております。
当面の生産能力は年産１．５万トン、売上高約３５億円でありますが、今後生産効率の向上、若干の設備投資で年産２万トン程度までの増強を検討する予定です。これにより当社の年間生産能力は既存の１４万トンと併せて約１６万トンとなりますが、日本、シンガポール、フランスと３つの生産拠点を持つ事となり、技術サービス拠点の確立と合わせて一層の顧客サービス向上を図り、当事業の基盤を強化する所存であります。なお、事業の移管は本年４月１日からを予定しております。
2008/3/10 Arkema
Proposed agreement between Arkema and Sumitomo Seika in
Superabsorbents
Arkema today presented to the Central Works Council a proposed
agreement with Japanese company Sumitomo Seika for the sale to
Sumitomo Seika of its business in superabsorbent polymers which
will be toll-manufactured by Arkema on its Carling industrial
site.
The world’s 4th and Asia’s 2nd leading producer, with two
production plants, in Singapore and in Japan, with a total
capacity of 140,000 tons per year, Sumitomo Seika ranks among the
main superabsorbent polymer (SAP) players. Arkema has a single
production plant, in Carling (France / Moselle), with a 15,000
ton/year capacity, generating annual sales of around Euro 20m.
The acquisition by Sumitomo Seika of the SAP business from Arkema
offers a genuine opportunity to develop this activity and
strengthen the Arkema Carling plant which will toll-manufacture
them:
through Sumitomo Seika’s ranking in SAP markets as well
as its know-how in the development of these products
through Arkema’s industrial expertise and the
quality of its production teams.
The proposed agreement includes a long-term contract for the
supply of acrylic acid produced on the Carling site. It should
therefore help consolidate Arkema’s Acrylics business by bolstering
a direct downstream activity.
The deal, which should become effective on April 1st 2008, is
subject to the legal information and consultation procedure with
the Arkema France works council.