The Ampacet Corporation (660 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 / USA) – which, according to in-house figures, is the world´s largest independent manufacturer of pigments and additive concentrates – has decided to go for further expansion. Ampacet Europe S.A. (Rue de Scillas 45, L-2529 Howald) is raising its capacity for black masterbatches in the Belgian town of Messancy by 20,000 t/y. In Telgate, Italy, the annual production capacity for masterbatches and engineering polymer compounds is to be raised from 7,000 t to 12,000 t from 1999. Ampacet will then have a capacity in Europe of over 70,000 t/y.

PIE was told that the basis for the continual growth had come not least from the company´s intensive research and development activities. The research centre in the USA and laboratories in Europe were constantly working closely together to improve quality and develop new products. Apart from the more than 50 standard pigments, Ampacet is also able to offer hundreds of speciality products as well as numerous customised specialities. In the field of additives, the spectrum extends from colour additives for agricultural films, through antistatic agents and lubricants, to a variety of cleaning compounds.

At “K ´98”, the company introduced many new products from all sectors of its portfolio, extending from heavy metal-free pigments for PE films to an antioxidant said to minimise the phenomenon of phenol discoloration in PE. Because of the high productivity of its research centres and its modern quality assurance systems, Ampacet is also anticipating further growth in the future. With the recent acquisition of Baron Colour Concentrates Ltd, the company has also acquired several plants in Canada, and thus improved its position in that market, too.

Company profile brochure (German): PIE-No. 43251 – Detailed press news on products and new developments (English):PIE-No. 43305.