Your Business In Brief - October 2008

First Car with 100% Paint-Film-Decorated Thermoplastic Exterior

What is purported to be the world’s first vehicle featuring a Class-A exterior produced entirely of thermoformed plastics with a laminated paint-film decorative surface will also be the first vehicle designed specifically for law enforcement. The E7 concept vehicle will be unveiled at the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police next month in San Diego by Atlanta-based start-up company Carbon Motors Corp. The E7’s thermoplastic exterior is being developed with Fluorex Paintfilm from Soliant, LLC, Lancaster, S.C. The E7 will use an enhanced, UV-cured film technology with added scratch and mar resistance. The dry paint film is laminated onto a thermoplastic sheet substrate, which is then made into body panels via single- or twin-sheet thermoforming. Although various engineered thermoplastics may be used initially, many of the components are TPO and Carbon Motors’ target is an all-TPO exterior.

According to John Cuspid, Soliant’s v.p. of sales, gravelometer tests on paint-film panels and painted panels demonstrate the thicker paint-film’s superior durability. The paint film also avoids the “orange peel” effect frequently seen with paint. Carbon Motors plans to develop a North American production facility in the very near future.
For more information visit Soliant's PT Online Showroom
Carbon Motors: (404) 806-9906 • www.carbonmotors.com

 

BASF to Acquire Ciba

BASF AG in Germany (U.S. office in Flor-ham Park, N.J.) has announced a public tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Ciba Holding AG in Switzerland. (U.S. office of Ciba Specialty Chemicals is in Tarrytown, N.Y.) Ciba’s Board of Directors recommended to shareholders that they accept the offer.
For more information visit BASF AG's PT Online Showroom

 

Akzo Nobel Buys Soliant

AkzoNobel of the Netherlands, the leading global supplier of paints and coatings, has strengthened its position in the automotive plastics decorating market by acquiring Soliant LLC, Lancaster, S.C., a leading maker of decorative paint-film and bright-film laminates. The Soliant name and manufacturing site will be retained when it becomes part of Akzo Nobel Coatings, Inc., Automotive Plastic Coatings and Car Refinishes, Troy, Mich.
For more information visit Akzo Nobel Coatings PT Online Showroom
For more information visit Soliant's PT Online Showroom

 

SPI Starts Bioplastics Special Interest Group

Last month, the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), Washington, D.C., launched the Bioplastics Council to provide a forum for resin and additive suppliers, processors, and equipment makers to promote the development of bioplastics. Primary missions will be to educate the plastics industry, government, and markets about bioplastics and to create clear, consistent descriptions of this new class of polymers. Founding members of the Council are Arkema, BASF, Cereplast, DuPont, NatureWorks, and Telles (a Metabolix/ADM joint venture).
(202) 974-5258 • www.bioplasticscouncil.org