MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema opened a specialised coatings centre dedicated to UV technology in Wetherby, UK, said the company.
The centre has opened in the wake of Arkema’s 2019 acquisition of photoinitiator supplier and developer Lambson, which has been integrated into the photocurable specialties business of Sartomer – the French major’s curing technologies line.
This cutting-edge laboratory will complement the existing network of research and application centers dedicated to Arkema’s Coating Solutions so that to Arkema’s performance additives. These additives enhance the Group’s expertise in many areas and play an essential role in the design and development of innovative products, and new applications in the fields of Coatings, Adhesives, and Advanced Materials.
The centre will be used to develop solvent-free photocuring technologies bespoke to customers and partners, particularly for use in the electronics, 3D printing, inks, adhesives and high-performance coatings markets.
Photoinitiators are molecules used in the curing process to produce protective coatings, adhesives and printing inks for applications in the automotive, electronic, and food packaging industries.
As per MRC, Trinseo completed the EUR1.14 bln acquisition of Arkema's PMMA business. The EUR1.14 bln deal was announced in December and was expected to be completed by mid-2021.
The main sector consuming approximately 75% of MMA is the production of polymethyl methacrylate acrylic plastics (PMMA). Methyl methacrylate is also used to produce methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer (MBS), used as a modifier for polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
According to MRC's ScanPlast, the total volume of unblended PVC production in Russia amounted to 259,400 tonnes in the first quarter of this year, which is 3% less than the same indicator a year earlier. All manufacturers showed a decrease in output volumes.
Arkema is one of the world's leading chemical manufacturers headquartered in Colombes (near Paris, France). Founded in 2004 as a result of the restructuring of the French oil company Total, Arkema, with a turnover of EUR6.5 billion, has operations in 40 countries, 10 research centers around the world, and 85 plants in Europe, North America and Asia.
MRC