Page 171 - CW E-Magazine (10-10-2023)

News from Abroad

SUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION

PPG partners with Dutch university to develop

‘world’s fi rst off-road solar car’

American coatings major, PPG, has novations on battery coatings make it
announced a partnership with a student possible for Terra’s drivers and its sur-
organisation from the Eindhoven Univer- roundings to evacuate in a worst-case
sity of Technology in the Netherlands scenario by stalling the spread of a
to develop ‘Stella Terra’, believed to battery fi re.”
be the world’s fi rst off-road car powe-
red by the energy of the sun, making it PPG’s CoraChar battery fi re pro-
independent of charging stations and tection coatings are intumescent – they
paved roads. ber the team will depart for Morocco, expand in the presence of high heat
where it will undergo extensive testing, or fi re – to provide an insulating layer
As part of its recent $5-mn commit- including in the Sahara Desert. to protect from thermal damage.
ment to environmental sustainability Mr. Thierry Destruhaut, PPG customer
education, PPG is providing a grant of “A risk of Li-ion batteries is that sustainability business partner, Auto-
$37,000 to the Solar Team Eindhoven. they can experience thermal runaway,” motive OEM Coatings, said, “Through
The company is also supplying its said Mr. Wisse Bos, team manager of this investment, we aim to support edu-
Corachar branded fi re protection coat- Solar Team Eindhoven. “While the cational activities related to clean
ing to protect the vehicle’s lithium (Li)- probability of this failure occurring is energy and the future of mobility and
ion battery pack. The Stella Terra has rather slim, we decided to partner with help prepare the next generation of
been designed to withstand the harsh PPG to minimise the effects of such a leaders to understand the impacts of
conditions of off-roading, and in Octo- severe accident. PPG’s cutting-edge in- climate change.”

DuPont opens new adhesives manufacturing facility
US-based diversifi ed conglomerate, process and connect all aspects of the of auto electrifi cation solutions and
DuPont, has inaugurated its new manufacturing workfl ow. MES will enhance our offerings to customers
adhesives production facility in Zhang- help make the production process visi- in China and the Asian market,” said
jiagang (ZJG), East China. The new ble, trackable, and more reliable. “The Ms. Tina Wu, Global Vice President,
facility will produce adhesives to serve new ZJG facility will further advance DuPont Adhesives & Fluids, Tedlar
customers in the transportation indus- our position as a leading provider and Multibase.
try, primarily in lightweighting and
fast-growing vehicle electrifi cation Celanese, Mitsui complete formation
applications.
of food ingredients jv
US-based chemicals company, Cela- the food ingredients business in a value
nese, has announced that its previously accretive way and also maintained the
announced formation of Nutrinova, a demand benefi ts of raw material inte-
food ingredients joint venture (jv) with gration with the acetyl chain,” said
Japan’s Mitsui & Co. Ltd., is complete. Ms. Lori Ryerkerk, Chairman and CEO of
Celanese contributed the assets, tech- Celanese. “We will immediately deploy
nology and employees of its food in- transaction proceeds in the third quar-
gredients business while retaining a 30 ter to execute against our deleveraging
The facility, with capacity to serve percent stake in the jv. Mitsui acquired plan and are on pace to meaningfully
regional needs, includes a Manufac- the remaining 70 percent stake at a exceed the full year objective to reduce
turing Execution System (MES), de- purchase price of $472.5-mn. “We are net debt by $1-billion in 2023,” she
signed to optimise the manufacturing pleased to have monetised a majority of added.

Chemical Weekly October 10, 2023 171

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