Crompton's next moves in Plastics Additives.

With the recent acquisition of GE Specialty Chemicals, Crompton Corp. of Middlebury, Conn., ranks as one of the world's top three plastics additives suppliers. Crompton aims to extend its reach farther into specialty additives with new products already in trials, says Myles Odaniell, executive v.p. for Crompton Plastics and Petroleum Additives.

The acquisition gives Crompton GE's 200-million-lb/yr phosphite antioxidant plant in Morgantown, W.Va., said to be the world's largest phosphite facility and Crompton's first in North America. (It has others in Europe.) This ISO 9001-certified facility makes products for food packaging. Odaniell says Crompton is the only supplier of all four major antioxidant groups: phenolics, secondary diaryl amines, phosphates, and thioesters.

Crompton also acquired GE's Blendex impact modifiers for PVC, PC, and TP polyesters. Although Crompton already makes Royaltuf and Polybond impact modifiers for polyolefins, this is its first venture into tougheners for vinyl. Furthermore, Crompton gains custom additive blending capabilities so that it can offer unique specialty blends to individual customers.

New products on the way include Weston 642, a high-performance phosphite with no phenol content. Currently in trials, it will be aimed at polyolefins and other plastics where a non-phenol-based product is desired. It could replace existing products such as Weston TNPP. A new generation of Blendex 338 impact modifiers is also in the works for PVC instrument panels and credit-card stock, as well as nonPVC specialty applications. These modifiers reportedly will deliver improved cost/performance. Tel: [phone], www.cromptoncorp.com