Bhopal Gas Disaster
The news of Bhopal Gas Disaster  have resurfaced once again in most of the national and international media.  For our viewers we are providing some links for more information

Methyl isocyanate
Bhopal disaster
Union Carbide
Dow Chemical Company
Truth about DOW

Moderator:
The local Indore media is keenly following the news,  as the hazardous waste of Union Carbide is planned to be disposed off at Pithampur , place just 30 kms away from our office. More news links are available on my facebook profile

This is also the right time to ask the Indian government to rethink the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill it wants to present in Parliament. The bill caps the operator’s liability at Rs 500 crore per incident, with additional damages of approximately Rs 2,300 crore to be made good by the government. This amount is even less than what was paid in the case of Bhopal, a ridiculously low amount; this amount is a joke when it comes to a nuclear accident.



EPA Marks World Environment Day
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is observing World Environment Day June 5. Launched in 1972, World Environment Day aims to stimulate worldwide awareness about the environment and is celebrated in 80 nations around the world.

“We have made tremendous progress since the first World Environment Day, but nearly 40 years later, people here at home and throughout the world are still worried about pollution and environmental degradation affecting their planet, their nations, and their own backyards,” said Michelle DePass, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of International and Tribal Affairs. “In light of the many shared challenges we face today, EPA is proud to be both a leader and partner of the international community.” <more>

Environment-Friendly Ink Market Poised For Growth
LEATHERHEAD, UK - The global market for environment-friendly (EF) inks was valued at nearly EUR 5.8 billion in 2009, according to a new study by Pira International. Experiencing good growth, the global EF inks market is projected to reach almost EUR 7.2 billion by 2014, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent in the 2009-14 period.

Based on primary research and expert analysis, “The Future of Environment Friendly Inks – Market Forecasts to 2014” offers a detailed insight into the major trends affecting the environment-friendly ink market, breaking it down by printing process, end-use application and geographical region, with quantitative forecasts until 2014 (volume and value). The study also provides in-depth coverage of the key technology developments impacting the EF inks market and seeks to identify the emerging niche opportunities for EF ink and equipment suppliers. <more>

W.Va. SC stays with original opinion in DuPont case
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - The West Virginia Supreme Court will not second-guess its stance on punitive damages in a once-$381 million case against DuPont.

The justices decided Wednesday to reject DuPont's petition for rehearing, which asked the court to further cut punitive damages in a lawsuit involving the alleged contamination of a Harrison County community.

The court had shaved a $196 million punitives award by 40 percent, but DuPont sought to increase that figure to 70 percent.<more>

Green paints is the future of the industry
In 2005, Berger Paints repositioned itself on the lifestyle platform. It adopted a new branding strategy, positioned Lewis Berger as the master Subir Bose, Berger Paints India MD
brand and included the premium decorative range under it. The strategy seems to have done wonders for the brand. Today, the country's second-largest decorative paint player, which has a distribution network of 82 stock points and 12,000 plus retailers, has more than doubled its sales growth in the premium water-based paint segment. While SME segment constitutes 30% of the Rs 16,000-crore Indian paint industry, the rest is with the bigger brands such as Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac, ICI and Shalimar Paints.

Berger Paints India MD Subir Bose in an interaction with Writankar Mukherjee tells that green paint is the future of the industry and the company is looking at newer technologies to take on the market leader, Asian Paints. Mr Bose also added that the Indian market is moving from solvent-based paints to water-based ones, much like the West.  <more>

Going green and growing abroad
Paint leaders Nippon and Jotun investing more, using M’sia as springboard to tap potential in region.

THE pick-up in economic activities in the region has prompted at least two leading players in Malaysia’s paint industry to invest more as they seek to expand their presence beyond the local shores.

Nippon Paint (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Yaw Seng Heng says the company is looking at the central and west Asian markets.

We are making feasibility studies in these markets and I have been travelling to seek opportunities and assess these markets. Countries like Turkey and Iran are good potential paint markets. <more>

From waste product to raw material – manufacturing quality polymer materials based on CO2
Researchers from Bayer MaterialScience and Bayer Technology Services are working together with RWE Power AG and academic partner RWTH Aachen University on the sustainable use of carbon dioxide (CO2).

At the heart of what has been called the “Dream Production” project, sits the construction and commissioning of a pilot plant at Chempark Leverkusen. This is to be the location for the kilogram-scale production of polyether polycarbonate polyols (PPPs) that will be processed into polyurethanes and will involve the chemical bonding of CO2, which will be an integral raw material in this sustainable process. The key technology for this is catalysis <more>

DuPont Pays $59,000 Penalty for Mercury Discharges at Polymer Plant
Jun 18, 2010 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently settled with E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company for the discharge of pollutants in violation of the Clean Water Act at its polymer fiber manufacturing facility in Kinston, N.C. Under the terms of the consent agreement and final order, DuPont paid a civil penalty of $59,000.<more>

Before fatal leak, DuPont scrambled to fix phosgene problems
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In the hours before a fatal Jan. 23 phosgene leak at the DuPont Co. plant in Belle, company officials were scrambling to fix problems with the phosgene tanks and hoses involved in the accident, according to a newly released DuPont investigation report.

The day before the leak, DuPont was having trouble with pressure from one of two phosgene cylinders that supplies the chemical building block to a pesticide production unit, according to the report. <more>




 

AkzoNobel formally acquires Dow powder business
AkzoNobel has completed its acquisition of the Dow Chemical Company's powder coatings activities. The deal was first announced in November last year.
Originally purchased by the Dow Chemical Company in 2009 as part of its acquisition of Rohm and Haas Company, the business brings key technological know-how and significant synergy potential to AkzoNobel's own Powder Coatings activities. It will also enhance the company's position in the US.
"We are delighted to be able to begin the integration of Dow Powder Coatings into AkzoNobel," said Rob Molenaar, Managing Director of AkzoNobel Powder Coatings. "We are looking forward to working with our new colleagues and exploring the exciting opportunities this integration offers while ultimately delivering world class products and service to our customers."
The acquired business achieves global sales of several hundred million dollars and employs around 700 people, operating factories in the US, Europe and China.
As well as complementing AkzoNobel's position in key strategic markets - especially the US, automotive and trade coaters - the deal also introduces MDF and thermoplastic capabilities to AkzoNobel's existing expertise. <more>
(Source: AkzoNobel, 1 June 2010)


'We may look at acquisitions to grow industrial paints segment'
Three years ago, Hans Wijers transformed Dutch firm Akzo Nobel from a mid-size drugmaker to the world’s largest paints company by acquiring UK’s ICI. The former civil servant, who dabbled as a business consultant before becoming the Dutch minister for economic affairs only to return to the corporate world and eventually became the CEO of Akzo Nobel, loves to ask questions. In an exclusive interview with ET , he says asking helps him build a logic as he prefers to ask how one is doing and what he is doing, rather than telling people what to do. But the task is cut out for the India team at Akzo Nobel with the top boss looking at more than fourfold jump in revenues to e1 billion by 2015. Excerpts:

Much before buying ICI you said a measure of great leadership is courage, citing example of IBM transforming from hardware to software firm. You did something similar, so was it planned years ahead?

Not exactly the timing and exact steps. But where we wanted to go, yes. It took me one year to think of the sequence of steps and then I followed that agenda.

How did you justify selling high-margin pharmaceutical business in favour of paints?

One of my teachers once said it is not good to be generally right, and you have to be specifically right. Pharmaceuticals is interesting but its high-risk and high-return business and needs scale. We had a nice business, but we were relatively small. We were already a big player in paints and I felt it was an underestimated sector with high-growth potential and if you become number one, you have a very attractive position. So, it was a counter intuitive move and we sold off pharma business and used that money to get ICI. Yes, the margin is not as high as pharma, but in 2009, despite the economic scenario, we still had a formidable margin. It’s a very attractive business and less cyclical than what people thought. The deal also gave us a great platform in all growth markets, including the BRIC. <more>


Distribution agreement with Perfo Chem (India) Pvt. Ltd - India opens its markets to Ferrinov, Canadian producer of innovative anticorrosion pigments
India has opened its markets to Ferrinov anticorrosion pigments, with the signing of an exclusive multi-year agreement with Perfo Chem (India) Pvt. Ltd., a member company of chemical solutions provider S. Amit & Co.

Ferrinov’s “major technological breakthrough” in its production of anticorrosion pigments continues to open new doors for the Canadian company, the company said in a statement.

The deal calls for the delivery of 600 tons of anticorrosion pigments for the industrial paint sector by the end of the first year of the contract—a quantity that will increase significantly each year, Ferrinov said <more>

$508M Rehab Job for B’klyn Bridge Begins
Wider Cadman Plaza Exit Ramp Will Improve Traffic
BROOKLYN — Mayor Michael Bloomberg Wednesday joined Vice President Joe Biden to mark the start of work on the Brooklyn Bridge rehabilitation project — a $508 million project supported by $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Stimulus funds.

The project starts the four-year process to replace bridge decks on the ramp and approach structures, expand the numbers of lanes on ramps and repaint of all the bridge’s steel components.

The project will reconstruct the roadway surface over the bridge’s masonry arch blocks, install a waterproofing seal and a new drainage system on the bridge, and rehabilitate and seismically retrofit steel support structures.

The vehicle entrance ramp from the southbound FDR Drive and the Brooklyn-side exit ramp to Cadman Plaza will both be expanded from one to two lanes to improve traffic flow and reduce backups and illegal lane changing. The Cadman Plaza exit ramp, where most cars are heading to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, is known as a serious traffic bottleneck.<more>

Asian Paints plans setting up 400,000T manufacturing unit
Asian Paints Ltd said on Monday has signed an initial pact with state of Maharashtra to set up a 400,000-tonnes a year paint making plant with an investment of 7.35 billion rupees over a period of five years.

India's top paints maker will locate its new manufacturing plant - employing 200 workforce on completion - at Kesurdi in Satara district of Maharashtra and is expected to start part production from FY13, the company statement added.<more> <more>

Jotun secures contract to paint major part of 'King Abdullah Financial District' project in KSA
Saudi Arabia: Wednesday, June 02 - 2010 at 11:50 PRESS RELEASE
Jotun Paints, one of the world's leading producers and suppliers of paints and coatings, announced that it has secured a massive contract to paint the major part of 'King Abdullah Financial District' (KAFD), a state-of-the-art and fully self contained centre for doing business and facilitating investment and enterprise currently under construction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The high profile undertaking, which will involve paint work on 850,000 sq. metres-of the financial centre, is part of manufacturer's aggressive growth strategy in the region.

Envisioned as part of the Kingdom's overall economic diversification program, KAFD is being built by Hill International, with Omrania & Associates and Gensler & Associates acting as the project consultants, and will have a total built-up area of 1.6 million sq. metres. With aims to protect the structure from the elements and natural wear and tear, Jotun recommended its 'Fenomastic' range for the structure's interiors and 'Jotashield' for the exteriors, with solvent-free 'Jotafloor' coatings to be used for the floors. <more>

International Paint to open new Singapore Laboratory
International Paint’s on going programme of investment in R&D continues with the building of a new, worldwide product development laboratory in Singapore.

Planned to open early in 2010, the new laboratory will focus on the development of the next generation antifouling and foul release technology.<more>

Dwell Blurs Ad, Edit Lines for New Campaign
Magazines are getting more accommodating of advertisers that want their ads to run right through the editorial, space that’s traditionally been off-limits to promotional messages.

Last year, for example, Scholastic Parent & Child began running corner ads on its cover and allowed Campbell Soup to run an ad with a picture of a noodle intersecting an article.

Usually, it’s obvious such promotions are advertisements, but Dwell is going further in its June issue, with an ad composed of colored strips running throughout the 12-page feature well. The vertical bars appear to be an editorial design element but in fact are ads for Valspar, a paint company.

The strips are not labeled advertisement, however, and the advertiser’s name is only mentioned in tiny letters at the bottom of each strip.

It’s only at the end of the editorial section is the ad execution fully explained, in a 2-page spread that says Dwell chose colors from Valspar and integrated them into the pages of the issue.<more>

Paint advertising
Using Appeals to Emotions to Sell Paint
THE collapse of the housing market has hurt paint sales, with total revenue for exterior paint falling 12 percent from 2007 to 2009, according to a recent report by Mintel, a market research company. But interior paint has fared better, with sales slipping just 3 percent during the period, because of what Mintel calls “a silver lining” to the downturn: cocooning. As short-on-cash people spend more time at home, sprucing up the rumpus room with a fresh coat of semigloss apparently seems to be worth the expense and effort.

Now a new television commercial by the paint company Valspar is taking an unusual approach to selling interior paint: it never shows an interior, or consumers painting. The spot, by Euro RSCG Chicago, opens with a couple walking on white sand toward a white wall, which resembles a drive-in movie screen, as a voice-over begins, “To some, a wall is just a wall — a divider between here and there.” The couple begin to guide the wall through various spectacular landscapes, and the wall assumes the color of the backdrops, from the incandescent green of flora near a waterfall to the warm tan of a hayfield to the reddish brown of a mountain setting. <more>

PPG Architectural Coatings defends court action
Paint manufacturer PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited has filed its defence in the court action brought against it by ICI regarding Johnstone's® "Best by Test" advertising campaign.

PPG Architectural Coatings launches counterclaim against ICI

PPG stands behind the claims made in its "Best by Test" campaign, which were based on independent testing of Johnstone's Trade paints against the equivalent Dulux Trade paints.

PPG has also launched a counterclaim against ICI challenging the claims made over many years by ICI in relation to the spread rates of Dulux Trade paints. PPG believes that the specified spread rates of certain Dulux Trade paints has consistently been overstated on its tins and believes it is in the interests of our customers, employees and shareholders to prove this in the courts. <more>

PPG Industries launches new auto paint tech
PPG Industries Inc., which makes paints and coatings, said Wednesday it launched a new waterborne paint technology in the U.S. that reduces the number of steps involved in the automotive paint process.

The company said the new B1:B2 paint technology, now in use at BMW AG's assembly plant in Spartanburg, S.C., eliminates several intermediate steps involved in traditional painting


Senior Executive Wulfsohn Leaves PPG for CEO Position
William A. Wulfsohn, who served previously as a senior vice president with PPG Industries, has been selected as the new president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Carpenter Technology Corporation, a developer, manufacturer and distributor of high performance specialty alloys. <more>

Former DuPont chemist pleads guilty to theft
A former DuPont chemist faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing trade secrets for his native China.
Federal authorities said Tuesday that 43-year-old Hong Meng waived an indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of theft of trade secrets. A federal judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for Sept. 14.

Authorities said Meng, whose work involved research on organic light emitting diodes, accepted a position at Peking University in China in 2009 without DuPont's knowledge. He then transferred information about Dupont's work with OLED displays to his Peking email account and his personal computer. <more>

Mold-Tek Packaging receives order from Berger Paints India
Mold-Tek Packaging Ltd has announced that the Company has received major orders from M/s. Berger Paints India Ltd. (second largest decorative paints Company in India) for supply of packaging pails. With this Company expects additional annual sales of around Rs. 25.00 crores from Berger Paints India Ltd.<more>

High-performance coating for solar mirrors
Bayer MaterialScience AG, Alanod Aluminium-Veredlung GmbH & Co. KG, its subsidiary Alanod-Solar and the DTNW (North-West German Textile Research Center) worked together in a consortium for several years to develop a special protective coating for aluminum mirrors used in solar thermal applications. Bayer MaterialScience has now sold its relevant patents and know-how to Alanod, because this special technology and the associated raw material developments no longer form part of its core business. Despite this, Bayer MaterialScience is still fully committed to innovative developments and new material concepts in the field of solar technology.

The sale gives Alanod exclusive use of the technology for this highly promising area of application. The parties agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction. <more>

Fire Burns Great Dane Powder Coating In Latrobe
Firefighters Called To Latrobe Derry Road
LATROBE, Pa. -- At least four fire companies were called to a fire at a business in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, on Wednesday morning.

The fire started at Great Dane Powder Coating in the 1600 block of Latrobe Derry Road.

The company is located between Latrobe and Derry.

Fire crews at the scene told Channel 4 Action News that it started in an oven, and one employee was burned on his hands when he tried to douse the flames.

"The employees stated they noticed a fire inside. They began to extinguish it with fire extinguishers. The fire subsequently exited the furnace and spread into the ceiling area," a firefighter told Channel 4 Action News.

There's no word yet on how much damage the fire caused.<more>