Along with the challenges facing the coatings industry during the global economic downturn, coatings manufacturers have seen increased volatility in raw material prices, due in part to the rise in crude oil prices and geopolitical issues in some oil-producing countries.
Three weeks after the fire in its CDT plant in the Marl Chemical Park, Marl, Germany, Evonik Industries is offering its customers various substitutes for polyamide 12 (PA 12), which will be available only in smaller volumes during plant repairs.
An explosion and fire that broke out March 31, 2012, at Evonik’s CDT plant on the grounds of the Marl Chemicals Park, Marl, Germany, killed two Evonik employees and threatens to disrupt the supply of CDT-based products.
Jan Paul van der Velde, Senior Vice President of Procurement, Flint Group, has provided industry insight into expected raw material cost developments in 2012.