BASF Opens Technical Lab in Michigan for Plastics Customers
The BASF site in Southfield, Michigan, is celebrating the opening of a new technical laboratory for its customers in the coatings and plastics industries. The refurbished 32,000-square-foot building can accommodate up to 50 people engaged in research, development and technical service and represents an investment of approximately $20 million dollars. “The laboratory is a significant investment in BASF’s operations in Michigan, allowing continued job growth and supporting customer satisfaction at the Southfield campus” said Greg Pflum, vice president and general manager of the BASF Mid-West Hub. The state-of-the-art laboratory will support the formulation needs for pigments, resins, performance and formulation additives that are used in transportation, industrial, furniture, floor coatings and plastics applications. It centralizes laboratory operations for the Dispersions & Pigments Division’s Transportation, Industrial Coatings and Plastics (TICP) business, which had been operating from three different locations. For more information, visit basf.com.
Dymax Corporation’s European Subsidiary Celebrates 20 Years of Continuous Growth
Dymax Corporation’s European subsidiary, Dymax Europe GmbH, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Based in Wiesbaden, Germany, the company offers light-curable adhesives, coatings and gasketing materials for applications in a variety of markets. In addition to adhesives and coatings, Dymax GmbH offers high-performance oligomers and a variety of dispensing and light-curing equipment. Dymax, Torrington, Connecticut, initially established Dymax Europe GmbH as a joint venture company in 1995. In 2002, it became an independent subsidiary, and in 2011, moved from its original location in Frankfurt to its current location in the Kalle-Albert industrial park, Wiesbaden. The company celebrated the inauguration of its new research and development laboratory last year, which enables Dymax to more quickly provide individual, customer-specific solutions to its European customers. For more information, visit dymax.com.
On the Move: Promotions, New Hires, Retirees
UV/EB industry professionals are on the move. Here’s a snapshot of some of the recent promotions, new hires and retirees.
T. Brian Cavitt recently became associate professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He will teach the undergraduate organic chemistry sequence, as well as advanced organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. Continuing work that began at Abilene Christian University, Cavitt established an externally funded research lab focused on the design and interaction of UV-curable release coatings and adhesives, concentrating on establishing predictive criteria for the design of effective and diverse coatings applications based on the use of the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good (OCG) thermodynamic approach to determine surface-free energies. Future plans include incorporating graduate students to evaluate the biological interfacial interaction with formulated UV-curable coatings. Contact Cavitt at tbcavitt@lipscomb.edu.
Industry veteran Byron Christmas recently retired after 24 years as a faculty member at the University of Houston-Downtown. Through the years, he taught the gamut of chemistry courses – introductory through advanced courses, including but not limited to polymer chemistry, advanced inorganic chemistry and physical chemistry laboratories. Christmas also conducted undergraduate research in UV polymerization chemistry and technology in the Center for Applied Polymer Science Research (CAPSR). Other career highlights include teaching short courses in UV polymerization at the bi-annual RadTech International UV/EB Conferences and 13 years as an industry professional, 10 of which were spent as a research chemist in emulsion polymerization at Celanese. Contact Christmas at b4christmas@gmail.com.
Sartomer Americas, Exton, Pennsylvania, a business unit of Arkema Inc., has named John Erbeck as senior account manager. In his new role, Erbeck will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic sales plan for Sartomer and marketing Sartomers specialty chemicals to formulators in New England, Michigan and Canada. René Neron has been named plant manager of Chatham operations. Neron will be responsible for overseeing all operations and activities at the company’s production plant in Chatham, Virginia. Glenn Albrighton has been promoted to worldwide graphic art market coordinator. As a highly skilled, 20-year veteran of both technical and commercial work, he will serve the company’s customers and partners more efficiently on a global basis. For more information, visit sartomer.com.
American Ultraviolet in Lebanon, Indiana, welcomes Ed Reiner as sales manager for its UV coating solutions division. His primary responsibility is the national dealer/distribution program, which focuses on a new line of UV coaters, feeders and stackers. Reiner brings 25 years of experience in areas including business development and sales and marketing for start-up, small and large business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies, including Worldcom and Waste Management. Contact Reiner at ereiner@auvco.com.
Dymax Oligomers & Coatings, Torrington, Connecticut, welcomes David Robitaille as sales manager of oligomers and coatings in the Americas and Asia. In his new position, Robitaille will be responsible for the management and growth of oligomer and coating revenue through direct sales efforts, coordinated team support and channel partner efforts. He previously served as strategic account manager at DuPont. For more information, visit dymax-oc.com.
Sudhakar Madhusoodhanan joined Valspar Corporation as senior chemist in the wood division. He will be responsible for new product development in the area of UV-curable wood coatings. Madhusoodhanan has extensive experience commercializing products in solvent-based, waterborne and 100% solids UV formulations for inks and coatings, with employment experience that includes INX, Collins Ink, Hexion and Bakelite.
Save the Date: 2016 IUVA World Congress
Save the date for The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) 2016 World Congress and Exhibition, which will be Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2016, at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia.
As new challenges continue to arise in drinking water, reuse water and wastewater treatment; air pollution; hospital infections; ballast water treatment and industrial effluents, new applications emerge for UV technologies. This conference will focus on recent advancements in technology and research addressing the environmental, health and treatment process challenges of today, as well as current trends in UV regulations and new applications. For more information, visit worldcongress2015.org.
GEW Creates New SUV Division
GEW (EC) Limited, headquartered in England with subsidiaries in the US, Germany and India, announced the launch of its new SUV division, which will be dedicated to developing and marketing specialist industrial UV-curing installations for the coating and converting industry, as a strategic response to the growing need in areas as diverse as substrate coating and wood printing. The SUV division will oversee the design and technical development of the products targeted for an industry sector handling wider web applications, manage the new unit’s business development in established areas and explore new openings in the fast-growing industrial market. For more information, visit gewuv.com.
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