Wacker Chemie AG will discontinue the production of its PIOLOFORM® polymer binders effective September 30, 2008. The Munich-based chemical group announced this decision today, citing limited expectations for polyvinyl butyral growth in industrial applications such as coatings, paints and printing ink. At the same time, raw material and energy costs continue to climb sharply. Both these factors are putting at risk the sustained profitability of this business.
To allocate supplies of PIOLOFORM® in the coming months, WACKER POLYMERS is currently working closely with clients to coordinate delivery schedules and define terms. These negotiations include price increases, too. From August 1, 2008, WACKER POLYMERS will raise prices for PIOLOFORM® by up to 15% in Europe, and up to 25% overseas as well as for shipments invoiced in US dollars. In 2007, WACKER POLYMERS achieved PIOLOFORM® sales in the lower double-digit million Euro range. This corresponds to about 0.5 percent of Group sales. Around 20 people are employed in this sector. They will be offered jobs in other parts of the Group
PIOLOFORM® polyvinyl butyrals from WACKER POLYMERS exhibit excellent adhesion to aluminum foils and plastic films and are therefore the preferred binders for formulating printing inks for flexible laminate packaging. They are flexible, odorless and tasteless and show low solvent retention. Formulations based on specialty low-viscosity grades can absorb more pigments and thereby greatly increase the color intensity of the ink. PIOLOFORM® is also used in a large number of industrial coatings, such as corrosion-protection primers, masonry paints and plastics paints.
