RAG Subsidiary Degussa at K 2007 with a Comprehensive Range of Products for Plastics Production and Processing

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

K 2007 is the world's largest trade show for plastics and rubber. More than 2,900 exhibitors from 57 countries worldwide will be presenting their latest developments at this leading trade show in Düsseldorf between October 24 and 31, 2007. Among them is Degussa, which will be represented with innovative plastics as well as products for plastics production.

“Specialty plastics is one of Degussa's growth drivers” says Dr. Manfred Spindler, a member of the Management Board of Degussa GmbH. In fiscal 2006, the company generated sales of around 1.7 billion euros from specialty plastics. In this forward-looking market, customer orientation plays a pivotal role. Degussa focuses on providing customer-specific solutions: Direct dialog with customers is as important as novel products and solutions in applications technology. “For this reason, we develop a large proportion of our specialized products in close collaboration with our customers,” says Spindler.

Degussa's activities focus essentially on two different target groups: processors and manufacturers of plastics. These target groups operate in different market structures; their needs are fundamentally different, and they have little in common. At its 600 sq m stand, therefore, Degussa has organized its entire plastics business according to customer and market requirements, with a division into two sections: plastics and for plastics.

plastics is itself divided along the lines of the six largest customer markets: Design, Optics, Communication, Construction, Lifestyle, and Mobility. Degussa's specialty polymers cover a wide range of applications: in buildings and in industrial applications, as constructive elements in aerospace engineering and the automotive industry, in the electrical engineering industry and medical technology, and in sporting goods and the lifestyle industry. At the trade show, Degussa will be presenting in the plastics section a series of innovative solutions for plastics processors. These include

• the new polyamide 12 molding compound VESTAMID^® LX9020 for supply lines in the oil extraction industry,
• EUROPLEX^® PPSU, the virtually indestructible high-performance polymer for fire helmet visors,
• a system solution from PLEXIGLAS^® molding compounds and an acrylate-based reactive system for production of molded parts with a scratch-resistant coating, and
• PLEXIGLAS^® with heat insulating properties for reducing energy consumption in greenhouses and private buildings.

The for plastics section is divided into the Polymerization, Compounding, and Converting process steps. In this way it meets the specific needs of plastics producers seeking information on Degussa additives and monomers to optimize their products. A number of plastic articles in daily use, from drinking water pipes to toy parts, contain customized Degussa products.

In industrial applications, Degussa's processing aids facilitate or improve polymer or monomer production. They include catalysts for polymerization, initiators as radical starters in polymerization, and additives for improvement of the properties of polymers and optimization of the manufacturing process for plastics. The innovations that Degussa will present at K 2007 include

• NEROX^®, a comprehensive range of new pigment blacks for liquid components of soft PVC, PUR, and UP resins,
• TEGOMER^® H-Si 6440 P, organomodified siloxanes to improve the scratch resistance of PP-talc mixtures,
• DEGALAN^®
• DEGALAN^® 75 F, processing aid with external lubricating effect for PVC sheet and film applications.

Additionally, the advantages of the POLYTREND^® liquid color system for online coloring during processing will be demonstrated on an injection molding machine at a separate stand in Hall 7a.

Degussa is continually pursuing innovations for the plastics market, notably in its project houses, each of three years' duration. The Functional Polymers@Surfaces and Interfaces Project House has now been successfully wound up. Building on its findings, the new Functional Films & Surfaces Project House will develop further expertise in the area of production and modification of functional films. The research will focus on value-adding functionalities for mono- or multi-layered films. Working on the improvement of scratch resistance, electrical conductivity, dynamic optical effects, and special barrier properties, the Project House is strongly oriented toward the requirements of the end customer market.

Degussa's Business Unit Methacrylates is a worldwide manufacturer of PMMA molding compounds and sheet products sold under the PLEXIGLAS^® trademark on the European, Asian, African and Australian Continent and under the trademark ACRYLITE^® in the Americas.

Degussa - a wholly owned subsidiary of the RAG Group - is the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Our business is creating essentials - innovative products and system solutions that make indispensable contributions to our customers’ success. In fiscal 2006 around 36,000 employees worldwide generated sales of 10.9 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of more than 870 million euros.

Innovative Products and Solutions from Degussa at K 2007

plastics Section

VESTAMID^® LX9020 is a polyamide 12 with outstanding UV and ageing resistance, which is also less affected by air and seawater than the materials currently used in supply lines for oil extraction. Supply lines serve to transport energy as well as all the required chemicals and hydraulic liquids to the drill head.

Flameproof, impact resistant, and heat resistant EUROPLEX^® PPSU polyphenylsulfone sheets have been extensively tested by leading manufacturers of fire helmets and approved for production of visors. The material has already entered the relevant international standards for fire protection equipment, replacing the polycarbonate that has been mainly used so far.

Scratch resistance in a single step: In a new one-stage process, shaped parts produced from PLEXIGLAS^® molding compounds by injection-compression molding are coated while still in the mold, by the use of an acrylate-based liquid reactive system from Degussa. The coating is cured in two steps: the new functional surface is cured in the mold to such a degree that the shaped part can be removed from the mold without damage. Curing is then completed by UV irradiation.

The new system solution for scratch resistant coating of plastic parts has been developed jointly with the machine manufacturer Krauss Maffei, and is distinguished by its high cost efficiency. The process will be demonstrated live at Stands A23/B24/C24 (Hall 15) by Krauss Maffei.

The heat insulating properties of PLEXIGLAS^® multi-skin sheeting signify-cantly reduces energy consumption in greenhouses, thus automatically reducing CO2 emissions from market gardens. The relatively high light transmission of the material allows many plant species to grow faster and improves their appearance. This represents an active contribution to climate protection that simultaneously provides better yields and lowers operating costs.

for plastics Section

DEGALAN^® 40 F is a new PVC processing aid specially developed for foam applications. It imparts lower density at lower addition levels as compared with other flow improvers such as DEGALAN^® 10 F. In foam applications, the product produces an extremely uniform surface and at the same time a fine-pore foam structure. The processing aid is very easy to disperse, ensuring its homogenous distribution in the PVC formulation.

DEGALAN^® 75 F is a processing aid with external lubricating effect for PVC sheet and film applications. The copolymer is formed from methyl methacrylate and styrene; it is therefore compatible with the PVC matrix and ensures an excellent lubricating effect on the surface. Releasability from hot metal surfaces such as dies or calender rolls can be significantly improved by addition of DEGALAN^® 75 F, without the disadvantage of the plate-out that may occur with the use of external lubricants.

TEGOMER^® H-Si 6440 P can be used as a processing aid as well as for improvement of the properties of end products. It improves melt flow in, for example, PA and PBT, and also the scratch resistance of PP-talc mixtures. The organomodified siloxane TEGOMER^® H-Si 6440 P is supplied in pellet form and is therefore easy to handle. The product is currently used mainly in the automotive and consumer goods industries.

TEGOSORB^® P.Y. 88 is an aid for absorption of odors caused by pigments. The use of TEGOSORB^® P.Y. 88 increases the possible choice of pigments for masterbatch production in applications in, for example, the automotive and food industries. Thanks to its pellet form, it is easily incorporated into masterbatches and mixing systems.

The new pigment blacks for liquid systems that Degussa markets under the name NEROX^® allow higher pigment-black loading in soft PVC, PU precursors, and UP resins. They also have excellent processability and improved coloristic properties.

The POLYTREND^® 7-SERIES liquid color system serves for coloring of plastics in accordance with specific requirements. The complete series of unique, environmentally friendly, and well proven liquid colors will, in conjunction with the newly developed mixing and metering systems, set new standards in plastics coloring. These revolutionary developments optimize the coloring process, increase flexibility, and reduce capital expenditure.