THE ART OF CLEANING THE AIR / BYPRODUCT

Transcription

Issue 6 Oct. 2011
THE ART OF CLEANING THE AIR / BYPRODUCT SYNERGY IN A CONCRETE
INNOVATION / PAINTING THE TOWN WHITE / BECKY, OUR RACING CHAMP
TEL: +966 (2) 652 9966 FAX: +966 (2) 652 652 9933
EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.cristalglobal.com
C O N T E N T S
4
10
D E - P O L L U T IO N
THE ART OF
CLEANING THE AIR
CristalACTiVTM technology is used to
demonstrate a scientific art of making us all
breathe easier.
12
15
CO L L A B O RAT IO N
A team of researchers from Cristal Global and
King Saud University wins gold at the 39th
International Exhibition of Inventions.
28
SO C IA L RE S P O N S IB IL IT Y
ALL IN
THE FAMILY
Our site in Stallingborough has a proud
tradition of being part of the local community
for almost 60 years.
24
Along the busiest
roadway of Manila,
which has the fourth
MAS S AP P EAL
most polluted air in
BREATHING
the world FRESH
according
AIR
INTO
FASHION
to the World Health
Photocatalytic clothing combines fashion and
Organization,
chemistry
and has the potential to clean the air
TM
we CristalACTiV
breathe.
technology is used to
demonstrate a scientific
art of making us all
breathe easier.
C
ristalACTiVTM
photocatalytic
technology
PAINTING THE
developed by Cristal
TOWN WHITE
Global is driving the
The Urban Heat Island effect and how Cristal
world’s first large
technology offers exceptional performance in
scalekeep
public
project that uses a
helping
citiesart
cool.
special paint formulation to clean
noxious air pollutants.
The project, called KNOxOUTTM
Project: EDSA (Everyone Deserves
Safe Air) consists of eight artworks
each measuring about 1,000 sq.m.,
along Manila’s busiest roadway,
which also has the acronym EDSA
(Epifanio de los Santos Ave.).
In IG
a unique
mix of art and
S P OTL
HT
science, all of the artworks will use
MEET
BECKY,
OUR
TM
Boysen
KNOxOUT
, the first air
RALLY-RACING
CHAMP
cleaning paint in the world with
TM
CristalACTiV
Becky
Kirvan from ourphotocatalytic
Stallingborough plant
technology
abilityin to
is well
on her waywhose
to competing
thereduce
final
URB AN P L ANNING
BYPRODUCT SYNERGY IN
A CONCRETE INNOVATION
18
depollution
round of the World Rally Championship.
Artist Bogie Ruiz works in Manila on the
first large scale public art project in the
CONSE RVAT IO N CREATING A NEW NATURE HABITAT IN HEALING 34 INTERV
PATHS
MEET
world that IEW
uses aWHEN
special paint
formulation
clean noxious
air pollutants
AND STRETCH FOR 35 FRUITFUL YEARS 37 G LO B AL ECO NO MY AtoFADED
SILVER
LINING
CRISTAL
CRISTALGLOBE
GLOBE- -October
January2011
2011 Issue
Issue64
1
5
e d i t o rr ii a l
Issue 6 Oct. 2011
OUR GAME-CHANGERS
W
e are glad to note an increased
participation by Cristal Global family
members worldwide in this edition, a
good part of which shows how the gamechanging achievements of our scientists,
researchers, partners and marketers are
helping usher in an anti-polluting, self-cleaning and a brighter world
of assured fresh air outdoors, especially in the burgeoning cities of
smog around the world.
THE ART OF CLEANING THE AIR / BYPRODUCT SYNERGY IN A CONCRETE
INNOVATION / PAINTING THE TOWN WHITE / BECKY, OUR RACING CHAMP
PUBLISHER
Cristal Global Corporate Communications
P.O. Box 13586
Jeddah 21414
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The articles also demonstrate the reach of our enabling
technologies as we collaborate with like-minded institutions to
innovate and prove that environmental responsibility can indeed be
cost saving and sustainable as a business model. Our contribution
towards raising environmental consciousness includes participation
in an effort to popularize photocatalytic clothing.
CRISTAL GLOBAL CHAIRMAN & CEO
Dr. Talal Al-Shair
PRESIDENT
The underlying theme in all our endeavors is the combined
talent, expertise and prowess of the many hundreds of our people
working together diligently from different parts of the world as
they pursue a shared ideal of making the environs and lives of the
communities we operate in better by the day.
Jamal Nahas
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Abdalla A. Ibrahim, SVP Finance
John E. Hall, SVP Business Development
EDITOR
Ramesh Balan
[email protected]
+ 91 80 41162633
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Shom Seth
DESIGN/ PICTURE RESEARCH
Warren Hannington
STUDIO
C.H. Ajith
COVER
Laura Prager’s First Place photo from OhioASH I in the sites category of the Cristal Global
2011 Photography Contest
2
4
In striving to constantly better ourselves, we are very daring
too. Becky Kirvan, Management Team Coordinator at our
Stallingborough plant, who is preparing to contest in the final round
of the World Rally Championship, Rally Great Britain, perhaps best
exemplifies this trait.
THE ART OF
CLEANING
THE AIR
CRISTAL
CRISTALGLOBE
GLOBE --January
October2011
2011 Issue
Issue46
And as Dominic Manganaro, Director-Cristal Bemax,
and Greame Stephen, Director-Pigment, Commercial R&D at
Hendersen, reveal in an interview on what kept them with the
company for the past 35 years, commitment to excellence and
courage of conviction go back a long way at Cristal Global.
While our net sales has soared in the third quarter, the global
economy, nonetheless, remains in dire straits. To better prepare
ourselves to determine what’s in store, we conclude with the
precarious European debt crisis and a look at the various ways the
scenario can unfold by the year-end. ❄
d er pe os p
l l uo tni o
s en
AIL
M
•
•
M
AIL
As part of a continuing effort
to better focus and improve
Cristal Globe, we invite
suggestions, clarifications and
other comments from readers.
Please send your
comments by email to Berhan.
[email protected] under
the subject header ‘Cristal
Globe Response.’
Cristal Globe is published
quarterly.
The Communications
Team
Really great stuff Along the busiest
roadway of Manila,
Omar Najjar, VP-Human Resources
which has the
fourth
Cristal
Global
thefocus
world according
Like the articles and
to the World Health
Looks really good. I like the
articles and focus.
Organization,
CristalACTiVTM
Tom Van Valkenburgh, VP-Supply Chain
technology isCristal
usedGlobal
to
of making
‘Many hands makeart
light
work’ us all
breathe easier.
Thank you very much for all the help and your patience.
I think the final two articles are excellent thanks to your
contribution.
ristalACTiVTM
“Many hands make light work.”
photocatalytic
I should also like to thank some of the staff
here who
helped me with the earlier years, particularlytechnology
Peter Carter.
C
Robert McIntyre, Director, Global R&D-Commercial,
firstGlobal
large
Millennium Inorganic Chemicals,world’s
a Cristal
scale public art projectCompany.
that uses a
Impressive variety The project, called KNOxOUTTM
Air)variety.
consists of eight artworks
Quite impressive – glad to Safe
see the
Manila’s
busiest roadway,
Robert J.along
Daniels,
VP-Titanium
Metals
which
also has Global
the acronym
EDSA
ITP - Cristal US, Inc.
, a Cristal
Company
In a unique mix of art and
Commendable
Boysen KNOxOUTTM, the first air
cleaning
paint inGlobe!
the world
with
Yet another impressive issue
of the Cristal
Great
CristalACTiV
work on this one. The quality of
the articlesTMisphotocatalytic
commendable.
technology whose ability to reduce
Thanks for your effort on this.
Mark J. Stoll, VP-Commercial
Artist Bogie Ruiz works inCristal
Manila onGlobal
the
world that uses a special paint formulation
to clean noxious air pollutants
CRISTAL
CRISTALGLOBE
GLOBE- -October
January2011
2011 Issue
Issue64
3
5
THE ART OF
CLEANING
THE AIR
4
CRISTAL GLOBE - October 2011 Issue 6
d e p o l l u t ii oo nn
Along the busiest
roadway of Manila,
which has the fourth
the world according
to the World Health
Organization,
CristalACTiVTM
technology is used to
art of making us all
breathe easier.
C
ristalACTiVTM
photocatalytic
technology
world’s first large
scale public art project that uses a
The project, called KNOxOUTTM
Safe Air) consists of eight artworks
along Manila’s busiest roadway,
which also has the acronym EDSA
In a unique mix of art and
Boysen KNOxOUTTM, the first air
cleaning paint in the world with
CristalACTiVTM photocatalytic
technology whose ability to reduce
Artist Bogie Ruiz works in Manila on the
world that uses a special paint formulation
to clean noxious air pollutants
5
noxious air pollutants has been proven in
several scientifically verified trials around the
world.
Like many Asian urban centers, Manila’s
air is a health threat to its population. Metro
Manila was cited in a 2005 World Health
Organization report as having the fourth
most polluted air in the world. A study by the
World Bank and the Dept. of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated
that breathing dirty air is responsible for
5,000 premature deaths in the metropolis. A
study from the University of the Philippines
College of Medicine found that over half of all
medications sold in the country last year were
for respiratory illnesses.
Roadside pollution poses the biggest
threat to human health, because of its high
concentration so close to where we live
and work. One of the main contributors to
roadside pollution is nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
a reddish brown smog precursor produced
from vehicle emissions with serious health and
environmental effects.
“Air pollution in Metro Manila is dangerous,
especially along major thoroughfares,” said
Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay,
putting his touch on the Ganap artwork along
EDSA. Looking on were Francis Tolentino,
Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority (MMDA); Boysen VP
Johnson Ongking; and artist Bogie Ruiz.
Said Dr. James Simpas, head of Urban
Air Quality at the Manila Observatory, who
presented data that showed that the average
daily NO2 level near the Guadalupe MRT
Station in 2009 was over four times the safe
limit set by the World Health Organization
(WHO) and the European Union: “There is
little being done to mitigate this pollution and
its health effects.”
In a creative approach to addressing the
air pollution problem, Boysen put up the
country’s public artworks that simultaneously
function as air purifiers.
The key to transforming the artworks into
air purifiers is the use of KNOxOUTTM, which
uses photocatalysis to convert air pollutants
like nitrogen oxides (NOx) into benign
substances in an environmentally friendly way.
The CristalACTiVTM technology used in
KNOxOUTTM was developed by Cristal Global,
the world’s second largest titanium dioxide
(TiO2) producer and the global leader in using
ultrafine TiO2 for air quality improvement.
Variants of the technology have been in use as
Boysen
KNOxOUTTM is the
first air cleaning
paint in the world
with CristalActivTM
photocatalytic
technology
For earth-friendly coatings
Cristal Global’s Stallingborough site has spent the past 10 years developing
CristalACTiVTM for earth-friendly coatings that actively clean the air we
breathe. After extensive research, development and testing into the
products, they are now on sale in Europe and Asia.
6
Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay putting his touch on the Ganap artwork along EDSA. Looking on are MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, Boysen VP
Johnson Ongking, and artist Bogie Ruiz.
DeNOx catalysts for over 30 years in lowering
NOx emissions in gas as well as diesel exhaust
systems.
On a KNOxOUTTM paint film, light energy
activates the ultrafine TiO2, which then
converts ordinary water vapor into free
radicals that break down NOx that come into
contact with the surface of the TiO2 particles.
Because of its small size – 6,500 of the TiO2
particles can be laid end to end across the
width of a human hair – a gram of the material
has a surface area of a tennis court, and this
large surface area promotes a high level of
contact and activity with air pollutants.
The NOx gas is converted into nitric acid,
which is rapidly neutralized by alkaline
calcium carbonate particle in KNOxOUTTM,
producing harmless quantities of calcium
nitrate, water, and negligible amounts of
carbon dioxide and water. Calcium nitrate is
water soluble and easily removed from the
film, leaving a fresh surface ready to engage
the next pollutant to come into contact
with the film. Because the ultrafine TiO2 is
merely a catalyst in generating free radicals,
it is not consumed in the reaction, allowing
KNOxOUTTM to continually clean the air as
long as exposed to sufficient light.
The air cleaning properties of KNOxOUTTM
and CristalACTiVTM have been validated in
several trials all over the world. A subsidiary
of Cristal Global supplied the photocatalytic
coatings used for a European Union funded
project called Photocatalytic Innovative
Coatings Applications for De-Pollution
Assessment (PICADA), which did several
small scale trials that showed that the
technology could reduce levels of NOx.
7
The world’s largest air cleaning paint trial
to date was done at a metro rail station along
EDSA in 2009. The trial, which was monitored
by the Manila Observatory and the Swedish
environmental project management company
Conexor, showed that the KNOxOUTTM
painted on the walls of the station and
surrounding area reduced NO2 levels by up
to 20% in the area, equivalent to the NO2
emissions of over 30,000 cars passing by the
station every day. A recently concluded trial in
Camden, London verified by King’s College,
showed decreases in NO2 levels similar to the
Manila trial.
A study in Europe by APHEIS (Air Pollution
and Health: A European Information System)
found that even very small cuts in pollution
can benefit health, while a Harvard University
study found that people living in cities where
air pollution decreased in recent decades saw
their life expectancy increase an average of
five months as a result of cleaner air.
“Every little bit counts in the fight against
air pollution,” says Johnson Ongking, Vice
President of Boysen Paints. “People have
always known that air pollution wasn’t good
for them, but they’ve felt hopeless in doing
much about it.”
“KNOxOUTTM is an empowering
technology – it gives ordinary people the
power to transform ordinary walls into air
filters and actively fight air pollution,” added
Ongking. “The artists for the EDSA project are
creating some of the most beautiful air filters
Pollutants (NOX)
TiO2
H2O
CO2
CaCO3
Ca(NO3)2
CristalActivTM photocatalytic technology,
which is ultrafine titanium dioxide, (TiO2) absorbs
energy from light and transforms ordinary water
vapor into hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals at the
surface of the TiO2.
These free radicals, created in billionths of
a second, become the reactive species that
break down noxious air pollutants such as
nitrogen oxides (NOx) that come into contact
with the surface. Harmful NOx gas is converted
to nitric acid that is rapidly neutralized by
alkaline calcium carbonate particle in the paint,
producing harmless quantities of calcium nitrate
8
With UV light and moisture,
KNOxOUTTM converts NOx-ious
pollutants into harmless substances
and negligible amounts of carbon dioxide and
water. Calcium nitrate is water soluble and easily
removed from the film, leaving a fresh surface
ready to engage the next pollutant to come into
contact with the film. Other pollutants such as
sulfur oxides (SOx) are broken down in a similar
process.
A great advantage of this photocatalytic
reaction is that ultrafine TiO2 acts as a catalyst
that continuously generates free radicals as
long as there is sufficient light, air and moisture.
Additionally, this reaction gives the paint selfcleaning and anti-bacterial properties.
Artists for the KNOxOUTTM Project:
EDSA were chosen by curator
TAO Inc. for their familiarity with
communication through graphic
means in outdoor spaces, and include
the following:
• Social Realist painter, graphic
designer and political cartoonist Jose
Tence “Bogie” Ruiz Asuncion “Baby”
Imperial
• Damien “Coco” Anne of the Manilabased graphic design studio B+C
• Brisbane-based partners Alfredo
and Isabel Aquilizan
• Multiple award winning art
department of the advertising agency
in the world, but for the rest of us we can do
our share for clean air by painting plain air
filters all over the city.”
The idea of empowering people to help
clean the air was one of the major reasons the
company chose to put up the artworks along
EDSA, the site of the 1987 People Power
Revolution where ordinary Filipinos gathered
to oust the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
“This EDSA project is about rekindling the
spirit of people power to fight the problem of
air pollution,” says Ongking. “Everyone who
uses a motor vehicle is part of the pollution
problem, and KNOxOUTTM makes it possible
for all of them to now be part of the solution.
After all, we all breathe the same air, and it’s
our common responsibility to make sure it
stops being harmful to us. At the very least,
TBWA
• France-trained painter and virtuoso
printmaker Virgilio “Pandy” Aviado
• Highly-regarded Japanese-American
Neal Oshima who has lived in the
Philippines for more than three
decades
• Dutch-Indonesian, London-based
artist and curator Erika Tan, whose
work is inspired by her interest in
anthropology
• London-based moving image
architects Tapio Snellman and
Christian Grou, who own the practice
named Neutral, founded in
Tokyo.
it’s now possible to take out the same amount
of NOx that we put in the air.”
“If you about drive 20 kilometers daily on an
average modern car that produces .15 grams
of NOx per km, you’d be producing about 3
grams of NOx per day,” adds Ongking.
“You could potentially erase that NOx
footprint by painting 10 square meters of a
wall with KNOxOUTTM on a busy street. It
would take about 10 mature trees to take out
the same amount of NOx.”
Each of the artworks for the project will be
a lot bigger than that. In fact, at 1,000 square
meters each, they will the largest public
artworks ever in the country. The project is
being done in cooperation with MMDA. It is
also the first curated public art project in the
country. ❄
9
m a s s aa pp p e a l
A FIELD OF JEANS
BREATHING FRESH
AIR INTO FASHION
Using CristalACTiV TM solution, artist and designer Professor
Helen Storey and chemist Professor Tony Ryan are fashioning
a wave of everyday participation in helping clean the air by just
jumping into your photocatalytic jeans – slim, straight, relaxed,
classic or standard.
10
P
hotocatalytic clothing is a radical
project that brings together the
worlds of fashion and chemistry
with the potential to clean the air
we breathe.
Cristal Global has already
proven the technology works within major
city environments to help meet the stringent
legislations and directives on reducing air
pollution.
Using fashion is quite different and by
employing Cristal Global’s CristalACTiVTM
technology in this new way, the project seeks
to explore how clothing and textiles can be
used as a photocatalytic surface to purify air.
It is the brainchild of artist and designer
Professor Helen Storey and chemist
Professor Tony Ryan – people from very
different worlds whose minds have come
together in highly successful art-science
collaborations.
At the Newcastle Science Fest ‘2011 in
March, they produced a ‘field of jeans’ – as
people generally own such a garment – on
the concourse in Sheffield university’s main
campus to illustrate the potential everyday
use of catalytic clothing.
Cristal Global attached its specialty TiO2 to
the fibers of the jeans, and in the following
months more ‘field of jeans’ sites appeared
in London and elsewhere in the United
Kingdom.
Since most concentrated pollution in cities
is captured at the ground level upwards for
about one meter or so, photocatalytic jeans
are ideally positioned to make an impact.
Photocatalytic clothing harnesses the
power of a photocatalyst to break down
air borne pollutants. A catalyst makes a
reaction proceed at a greater rate but isn’t
actually consumed during that reaction.
A photocatalyst gains the energy it needs
to be active from light. When light shines
on the photocatalyst, the electrons in the
material are rearranged and they become
more reactive. These electrons are then able
to react with the water in the air and break it
apart into two radicals, which then react with
the pollutants and cause them to break down
into non-harmful chemicals.
The photocatalyst causes oxidation of
substances adsorbed on the surface, and
nothing is absorbed in the process. Nitrous
oxide is converted to soluble nitrate and
volatile organics are converted into fatty
acids and soaps.
The two biggest sources of air borne
pollutants are industry and motor vehicles.
Although the majority of the pollutants
are prevented from reaching the air, using
technology such as catalytic converters,
some do escape. It is these pollutants that
photocatalytic clothing will break down.
A significant reduction in the level of
air borne pollutants in a large city such as
London could be achieved if, for every meter
of pavement width, 30 people wearing
catalytic clothes walked past each minute.
CristalACTiVTM has been used in tunnels in Paris and
Manila – many road tunnels need to be closed every
six weeks or so for a 12-hour period for the cleaning
of the interior walls, causing a great inconvenience to
road users and also incurring a substantial cost for the
cleaning. CristalACTiVTM uses the UV component from
the tunnel lights to help keep the paint clean, therefore
reducing costly cleaning bills and ultimately lowering
our carbon footprint by being to able use fewer lights as
the white paint stays cleaner and brighter longer.
After years of extensive testing all over the globe, the
CristalACTiVTM technology has been demonstrated
and proven on paving stones, railway stations, indoor
car parks and building exterior walls, which have all
been monitored over extended periods. Reductions
of nitrogen oxides were seen in all cases with levels
ranging from 20% up to 65%. These results were
validated in experiments conducted with Kings College
in London.
11
colla b o ra t io n
BYPRODUCT
SYNERGY IN
A CONCRETE
INNOVATION
An environmentally
friendly invention by
a team of researchers
from Cristal Global and
King Saud University
in Riyadh wins gold at
the 39th International
Exhibition of Inventions
in Geneva.
12
‘W
Instead of employing the conventional way of making
concrete by mixing cement with water and broken or
crushed stone or gravel and other materials, the CristalKSU team used admixtures from TiO2 manufacturing
waste byproducts – such as fly ash, furnace slag cement,
and silica fume – to partially reduce the use of cement. Tests
showed that the new concrete had several advantages and
was as strong and resistant as conventional concrete.
inning a gold medal at the
39th International Exhibition of Inventions last April
in Geneva is a feather in
the cap for Cristal Global
in its endeavor to help
reduce the carbon footprint of industry in general
by developing “byproduct synergy.”
The winning invention, patented in the United
States last May by researchers from Cristal Global
and King Saud University (KSU), is for the use of
waste byproduct from titanium dioxide production
as partial replacement for cement in order to reduce
its environmental impact.
Dr. Fadi Trabzuni, Director General-Performance
Improvement and Intellectual Property, is Cristal
Global’s inventor on the research team. The other
members are Dr. Yousef Al-Zeghayer, Dr. Waheed
Al-Masry, Dr. Tareq Al-Musallam and Dr. Mohammed Iqbal Khan from KSU.
“The alliance with Cristal Global is an example of
how a quality product can stem from joint research,”
says research team leader Dr. Al-Musallam
Their invention, which also won an award at
the Malaysia Technology Expo earlier in February,
is significant in that global cement manufacturing
releases huge volumes of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere – calcium carbonate when heated
produces lime and carbon dioxide.
The cement industry is the second largest CO2
emitter behind power generation, producing about
5% of global manmade CO2 emissions, of which
50% is from the chemical process and 40% from
burning fuel.
Nearly 900 kg of CO2 is emitted for every 1,000
kg of cement produced. Globally, over three billion
tons of cement are produced annually, with nearly
four billion tons forecast by 2012, according to the
International Cement Review.
The Cristal-KSU team, instead of employing the
conventional way of making concrete by mixing
cement with water and broken or crushed stone or
gravel and other materials, used admixtures from
TiO2 manufacturing waste byproducts – such as fly
ash, furnace slag cement, and silica fume – to partially reduce the use of cement. Tests showed that
the new concrete had several advantages and was
as strong and resistant as conventional concrete.
The Cristal-KSU admixtures – obtained from
the waste of both the sulfate and chloride processes for TiO2 production – can be used to make
concrete and other cementitious material products
for structural and non-structural uses, for example,
grout, mortar, gunite, stucco, masonry, decorative
stonework, bricks, blocks, roof tiles, floor tiles,
cobblestones and pavers.
For Cristal Global, the environmentally friendly
invention is also a way to convert “trash into treasure” by working on the age-old concept of “byproduct synergy” (BPS), as best exemplified in
agriculture and livestock farms.
Recent research by Harvard Business School
Assistant Professor Deishin Lee extends the concept into industrial processes, using an analytical
model to show that a modern manufacturing plant
can use BPS to make any number of new products
13
Dr. Moayyed Al-Qurtas, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Tasnee receiving a memento from Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulrahman Al-Othman, KSU President.
Looking on are Mubarak Al-Khafrah, (left), Chairman of Tasnee, and Dr. Talal Al-Shair (right), Chairman and CEO of Cristal Global
in order to both reduce environmental impact and
increase profits.
“You have to stop thinking of yourself as a
company that creates a certain product and instead
think about the resources you have (including raw
material resources) and how you can use them to
produce as much value as possible,” says Lee in the
HBS newsletter.
Cristal Global has signed a memo of understanding with KSU and Riyadh Techno Valley to
utilize the invention to achieve two objectives: serving humanity and boosting the economy of Saudi
Arabia where rapid and expansive construction is
under way.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities
(ARWU) puts KSU among the best 300 universities
around the world. In the QS World University Rankings, KSU is ranked 200.
In both the rankings, the university is rated as
the best in the Arab world
Riyadh Techno Valley is a KSU-initiated project
dedicated to developing a knowledge-based
economy in Saudi Arabia.
The RTV project facilitates dynamic research
14
activity within the university and enables researchbased institutions in the Kingdom to generate or
transfer advanced technology.
Among other objectives, the RTV project aims
to increase the level of interaction between KSU
and Saudi knowledge-based industry, business and
commerce; create an appropriate environment for
establishing and developing a school of entrepreneurship; and build up a site to encourage foreign
direct investment by technology-based companies.
The new and improved concrete can be used
in the construction of infrastructure and regular
of reinforced buildings. The effect will be a huge
reduction in energy consumption, cost and environmental damage.
As global environmental consciousness grows,
the invention is likely to find wide application.
China accounts for almost half of the global figures,
consuming 1,851 metric tonnes of cement annually. India is a distant second with 212 mt and the
United States third with 69 mt. (The US saw a fall in
demand in 2010). Turkey is the largest exporter of
cement and clinker while Bangladesh is the largest
importer. ❄
u r b a n pp ll a n n i n g
PAINTING THE
TOWN WHITE
One of the options to keep cities cool amid concerns about rising
temperatures from climate change and intense urbanization is to paint
buildings white.This alternative is supported by environmentally friendly
Cristal technology which offers air purification, less energy consumption, cost
savings and new opportunities for the paint industry. M. M. Paniel reports.
C
ity centers are increasingly
facing a typical problem in the
context of climate change –
they are getting warmer than
their more open, greener
outskirts.
However, urbanites cannot really blame it
on global warming and the climate change
it induces. Its reasons are more local than
global, and architects and scientists are
suggesting several ways to help keep urban
centers cool, including painting the town
white.
Weather studies show that on a given
sunny day, the built-up and busy heart of the
city is much warmer than its green and open
peripheries. The temperature difference
can be felt more at night, especially when
Last Afternoon Temp.
Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect
92F
C
85
Rural
Commercial
Suburban
Residential
Urban
Suburban
Residential Residential
Downtown
Park
Rural Farmland
Urban Heat Island manifests as a large temperature difference between urban/commercial areas and surrounding countryside.
EFFECT OF ROOF TYPE/COATING
ON TEMPERATURE UNDER ROOF
CRISTAL
GLOBE - MEASUREMENT
October 2011 Issue 6
SOLAR REFERENCE
vs TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
15
EFFECT OF ROOF TYPE/COATING ON TEMPERATURE UNDER ROOF
* Reflectivity:
the ability of an
object/surface to
reflect radiation
(measured 3002500nm)
95%
5%
Black
Ashphalt
Low
Reflec�vity*
High
Emissivity**
70-90°C
60%
40%
Aluminum
Coa�ng
High
Reflec�vity
Low
Emissivity
60-75°C
70% 90%
White
Acrylic
Coa�ng
Vey High
Reflec�vity
High
emissivity
40-50°C
** Emissivity:
the ability of an
object/surface
to re-reflect
absorbed
heat at longer
wavelengths
(measured
2-19mm)
Effect of roof type/coating on temparature under roof
the winds are too weak to cool the environs.
This phenomenon is called Urban Heat
Island (UHI) effect, formed basically by old
fashioned, if not flawed, local planning.
First investigated and described in
the 1800’s, UHI is mainly caused by the
modification of the land surface with materials
that effectively retain heat. Buildings block
the surface heat from radiating into the
relatively cool night sky. Tall buildings provide
multiple surfaces for reflection and absorption
of sunlight, and they block air movement,
inhibiting cooling.
Urban surface properties, roofs and
pavements can constitute about 60% of the
surface area of a typical American city. These
surfaces are typically dark in color and thus
absorb at least 80% of sunlight, causing them
to get warmer than lighter colored surfaces.
These warm roofs and pavements then emit
heat and make the outside air warmer.
Air conditioning, manufacturing,
transportation, and other human activities
additionally discharge heat into our urban
environments, all of which contribute to
warming up cities by anything from 2 to 8oC.
Warmer temperatures in cities lead to the
need for air conditioning to cool buildings,
and it becomes a vicious cycle. Elevated
demand for air conditioning increases the
16
use of energy by fossil-fuel power plants and
the resultant emission of air pollutants and
greenhouse gases. Burgeoning demand for
energy in hot weather is already straining
the electrical grids of the emerging markets,
making them more susceptible to brownouts
and blackouts.
Moreover, warmer air accelerates the
formation of smog (ozone) from airborne
pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile
organic compounds. Lower air quality from
such higher air temperatures can aggravate
heat-related and respiratory illnesses and also
reduce productivity, according to the Heat
Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory.
In India, meteorological department officials
in Bangalore point out that the city center is
on an average warmer by a degree or two
than the suburbs that are greener. Even
islands of green cover within the city such
as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in the
northern side of Bangalore are cooler than the
vast areas riddled with concrete constructions
elsewhere.
“A dense building pattern means a lot of
heat is retained in the area,” explained Prof.
Manju Mohan at the Centre for Atmospheric
Science of the Indian Institute of Technology
Delhi (IIT-D). “(UHI) also depends on the
artificial heat generated by air conditioning,
traffic density and tarred roads.”
Manju and two of her colleagues, along
with Prof B.R. Gurjar of IIT Roorkee and two
scientists from Meisei University, Tokyo,
had presented their findings at the seventh
International Conference on Urban Climate,
Yokohama, Japan in 2009. Their paper
showed that commercial areas of New Delhi,
like Connaught Place, Sitaram Bazar and
Bhikaji Cama Place, were the top three urban
heat islands. At the same time, green areas of
the city, like Hauz Khas District Park, Sanjay
Van and Buddha Jayanti Park were the cooler
pockets.
IIT-D is now lining up a series of
experiments to ascertain the extent of the
UHI effect on the temperature in New
Delhi. An input that goes into such studies
is surface temperature measurement dataset
sourced from an international satellite project
called MODIS. The Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a
key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua
satellites – Terra is a joint US-Japan-Canada
satellite and Aqua is a NASA mission. Terra
passes from north to south across the equator
in the morning, while Aqua passes south
to north over the equator in the afternoon.
MODIS contributes to creating validated,
global and interactive earth system models,
which helps predict environmental and
climate change.
A study in Bangalore led by Prof.
Ramachandra T.V. of the Centre for Ecological
Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
which was published last year, showed that
heat islands were also growing in Bangalore,
Aerial photo of Salt Lake City,
site of 8565,000 ft2 white
reflective roof coating
Images courtesy of NASA
Thermal Infrared image of Salt
Lake City, hot (red / orange) cool
(green/blue). White reflective
coatings are blue
Cristal Global’s market-leading TiO2 products add
significant value to paint and coatings manufacturers
by delivering exceptional performance, whiteness,
brightness and opacity. In addition to its TiO2 offering,
Cristal Global is also a leading manufacturer of
specialty and ultrafine TiO2 commercialized under the
CristalACTiV™ brand for a number of applications,
including environmental, chemical and petrochemical
catalysis, fuel desulphurization, refining, electronics,
color pigments and photocatalysis. These materials are
manufactured at Cristal Global’s plant in Thann, France,
which was expanded in 2009 to double its capacity.
Cristal Global produces titanium chemicals (TiCl4 and its
derivatives) in the United States and France for a variety
of applications, including titanium metal, pearlescent
pigments, catalysis, and electronics.
the country’s information technology (IT)
hub in the south, long known for its pleasant
weather as a naturally ‘air conditioned’ city
throughout the year.
“Bangalore has witnessed a drastic reduction
of green spaces and lakes,”Ramachandra
said, “and it has seen an increase in local
temperatures to the tune of 2 to 2.5oC during
the last decade.”
The Director of the Divecha Centre for
Climate Change at the IISc blamed also the
proliferation of glass and steel buildings
in Bangalore over the past decade. The
manufacturers of a leading brand of glass
said big businesses in Bangalore have been
adopting glass varieties of late that let in
light and reflect heat from their high-rise
buildings. But that only posed another
problem of reflected heat. “Glass or no glass,
there is a need to reduce the density of
concrete structures and leave green spaces in
between,” Manju said.
Cristal technology
Researchers worldwide are finding ways to
offset UHI. Recent research at the US National
Center in Boulder, Colorado, demonstrated
that white roofs can be an effective method
for reducing urban heat since they reflect
incoming solar rays. Scientists are also
working towards construction and roadbuilding materials that absorb less heat.
At Cristal Global, the Research,
Development and Technology (RD&T) group
has come up with a pure acrylic emulsion
17
Solar reflectance and thermal
emittance are the two radiative
properties to consider when selecting
a cool roof. (Image courtesy of the
Cool Roof Rating Council)
18
paint system that incorporates
the innovative CristalActivTM
technology.
CristalActivTM technology helps
keep the roof cleaner and whiter for
longer. The coatings are durable,
offer thermal shock protection and
cost cost savings from less energy
use, and are environmentally
friendly since they are water based
and have self-cleaning and air
purification functions.
Researchers at the Polytechnic
University of Bari, Italy, and
Columbia University, U.S., recently
evaluated the positive effects
of vegetation on buildings and
neighborhoods. Monitoring the
urban heat island in four areas
of New York City, they found an
average temperature difference
of 2 oC between the most and
least vegetated areas, which can
be ascribed to substitution of
vegetation with man-made building
materials.
Significantly, the researchers led
by Dr. T. Susca – who is affiliated
to both the universities – checked
by using a climatological model
how at a micro-scale surface albedo
(reflection) impacts climate. They
compared surface albedo and
construction replacement separately
for a black, white and green roof.
“By our analyses, we found that
both the white and the green roofs
are less impactive than the black
one – with the thermal resistance,
the biological activity of plants and
the surface albedo playing a crucial
role,” they noted in the journal
Environmental Pollution. ❄
s o c i a l r e p o n ss ii b ii l i t y
ALL IN
THE
FAMILY
Rebecca Kirvan traces the growth
of our Stallingborough site as a vital
force in the development of the local
community.
C
ristal Global’s Stallingborough plant has
been part of the local community for
almost 60 years. Located in the east of
England, the plant sits on the bank of
the River Humber at the northeast tip of
Lincolnshire county almost where the
mouth of the river meets the North Sea.
The 160-hectare site was first developed in the
1950’s by Laporte because the deep-water docks at
nearby Immingham allowed ore and sulfur imports.
Water was also plentiful and there was rail access for
bulk materials.
In February 1953, as the factory was being built, the
east coast floods struck, covering the site in a foot of
water and causing devastation amongst the building
works. This instigated the building of the sea wall that
remains in place today and is vital protection for the site
(Right) Haydn Fulton with some of the books his school was able to buy with
funds donated by Cristal Global
19
Photograph of the site from across the adjacent fields, taken by Cristal employee Mark Woofindin
from the tidal waters.
On July 5, 1953, the plant fired up its two kilns for
production and began making pigment. Making 5,000
tonnes a year, it didn’t take long for the plant to begin
expanding and the site was up to six kilns by 1965.
The area was still relatively remote at this time with
the only access road being a narrow country lane on
soft ground unsuitable for heavy vehicles and not ideal
for exporting the finished pigment. Better roadways
had been promised but the area had to wait another 30
years for the main A180 road to be built so this delayed
any other industrial development in the area. Not being
able to wait, Laporte paid for the upgrade of the access
roadway soon after the factory was completed, making
it possible and feasible to bring ore into the factory by
lorry as well as export finished product.
The year 1970 saw the arrival of the more
environmentally friendly chloride plant which was
initially to run along side the sulfur plant with a capacity
20
of 30,000 metric tonnes a year.
In 1984, Laporte sold the site to SCM Chemicals,
which considerably expanded it right away using
improved technology. The site has since continued
to grow and been through a number of different
ownerships over the years. It finally became a part of
the Cristal Global group in 2007.
The Stallingborough plant has always been a big
employer in the area, with many of its workforce
coming from Grimsby, the largest local town just a few
miles down the road. Grimsby was originally a Viking
settlement founded in the 9th century and back then
it was called Grim’s by (Grim’s Village). Grim was a
fisherman sent from Denmark to kill the young Prince
Havelock, whose three sisters had already been killed
by Earl Goddard. Grim could not bring himself to kill the
child and, being unable to return to Denmark, he settled
alongside the Humber Estuary which later became
known as ‘Grimsby’.
Steam and process chemicals pipes
The town is now best known for its fishing port that
at one time competed with the local City of Hull (on
the north bank of the River Humber) to be the largest
fishing port in the world.
The Stallingborough plant has always been very
dedicated to supporting the local community in various
ways. The Community Awareness Committee set up
several years ago to manage the company’s community
21
The Cristal-Millennium Cycle Team cycled 185 miles (298 km) raising money for Pinderfields Hospital
involvement is made up of a cross-section of employees
dedicated to ensuring that the company’s support
benefits the most local and worthy causes.
Earlier this year a Community Care Day was held,
when company volunteers armed with paint brushes,
scrubbing brushes and gardening tools went out to a
local children’s nursery to give the place a makeover
and create a brighter and healthier environment for
the children. In a joint project with the Research and
Development team, the nursery building was painted
from top to bottom in our new CristalActivTM coating.
The team also works with many local charities either
through financial support or by volunteering for local
projects – from taking part in charity fundraising events
to serving hot meals to the homeless on Christmas Eve.
We also get involved in educational activities. For the
younger children, employees regularly go to schools for
a day to teach the children about what a community is
and why it is important to support your local community.
For the older pupils we arrange demonstrations and
workshops to help them relate to the chemistry they
22
study in school to how it can be used in a career.
Following a big expansion project in 2010, the plant
has benefited from some exciting new technology
to further increase production at the site. This has
resulted in many new career opportunities providing
quite a challenge to our HR team.
“This really is a fantastic opportunity for enthusiastic
and dedicated people in the local area who are looking
for a new challenge,” said Human Resources Manager
Philip Long. “At Stallingborough, we pride ourselves
on developing our people and offer higher education
opportunities to enable team members to realize their
own potential and to progress their careers.”
“Learning and Development is one of our core
values, and as part of our many training schemes,
we offer apprenticeship and graduate programs,” he
said. “In September last year, we recruited eight new
apprentices to the scheme and offered employment to
eight apprentices who recently completed their training
programs.”
Throughout the company, there are many examples
Claisse Fusion Machine in the labs
of employees who have developed their careers
through the success of these programs.
Paul Gilbert, Safety Health and Environment
Manager, joined the company in 1982 as an apprentice
and has worked his way up to his current position on
the site’s Senior Leadership Team. One of the site’s
longest serving employees, Ray Collinson, a Senior
Engineer, has recently celebrated an extraordinary 50
years’ service, having started his career as part of the
Youth Training Scheme.
Paulo Oliveira, Functional Safety Leader, is a more
recent employee who joined the company just over two
and a half years ago. He said, “Since day one, working
at Millennium has been a positive challenge which has
driven me to try harder and do better. Starting out as
an I&E Maintenance Engineer for the base pigment
production part of the plant, I had the opportunity to
contribute, improve and look after systems that are
crucial to safety and quality. “
“My personal interest in safety aligns with the
company’s strong safety commitment,” Oliveira said.
“This has resulted in an opportunity to lead functional
safety systems, an area of process safety which I am
very interested in. I am now planning to develop my
career further by studying for an M.Sc. in Process
Safety, and in the interim I’ve become a fully certified
Functional Safety Engineer. With no exception I’ve
learnt something valuable from each and everyone I
have come in contact with at MIC and enjoy working
with the many people that make this site unique.”
“Overall, the experience has been rewarding and
fulfilling, with opportunities and challenges that have
provided me with important learning opportunities not
only professionally, but personally,” he said.
Lynton Simmonds, Site Director at Stallingborough
added, “The site here has made huge steps forward in
recent years and as it continues to develop and grow,
we look to the future to strive towards our vision of
becoming a manufacturing center of excellence.” ❄
23
conservation
OUR
HEALING
TOUCH
24
How Cristal Global
is working to
create a renewed
habitat for nature
and wildlife at the
historical Healing
Cress Beds.
S
tallingborough’s
Millennium Inorganic
Chemicals, a Cristal
Global Company, is
working to create a
new habitat for nature
and wildlife at the historical Healing
Cress Beds.
“This is a wonderful opportunity
for us to make a contribution
by encouraging many kinds of
wildlife to the area,” Ian Williams,
Environmental Advisor at MIC.
The site was originally converted
into Cress Beds back in the 1940’s
as the land lent itself to watercress
due to the springs of pure water
overflowing from the chalk outcrops
on the Lincolnshire Wolds, filtering
through the gravel and chalk down
to Healing.
Much of the watercress produced
then was transported from Grimsby
train station to towns throughout
the North of England. However, as
British Rail cut back on their freight
services, it became much more
difficult to get the cress to the town
markets early enough by road, and
(left) Starting work
25
commercial production at Healing
finally came to an end in 1970.
The land at the cress beds has
since been used only for water
abstraction and has developed
naturally.
Given the area’s historical and
archaeological uniqueness, MIC is
taking over the abstraction license
this year with a view to enhancing
the land by developing a mosaic of
different natural habitats. The aim
is to attract wading birds, plants
and invertebrates, all of which have
become much diminished within
Lincolnshire.
Cristal Global has employed
nature conservation specialists
Humber INCA (Humber Industry
Nature Conservation Association) to
put together a plan for making the
best use of the land. Work began
in early September to expose the
historical cress beds and to create
wetland, grassland and ponds in a
new natural habitat.
“We have been members of
Humber INCA for many years as
our plant is located on a Site of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI),”
Ian said. “We feel it is very important
that we continue to meet our
environmental responsibilities,
ensuring preservation of the
specialist natural habitats here. We
were excited to take over ownership
of the Healing Cress beds, being
an area that has such a significant
historical background. To be able
to re-expose the cress beds as well
as create a new wildlife habitat is
fantastic.” ❄
26
(Clockwise from left) Exposing the cress beds, exposed sluice gates and exposed cress beds
27
spotlight
MEET BECKY,
OUR RALLY
RACING CHAMP
Becky Kirvan is the Management Team Coordinator at Cristal Global’s
Millennium Inorganic Chemicals plant in Stallingborough. She’s well on her
way to competing in the final round of the World Rally Championship.
W
hen Becky
Kirvan once
interviewed
world
championship
driver Mikko
Hirvonen for a television program, little
did she know that she’d be competing in
the same event as him one day!
Becky’s world championship quest
in the final round of the World Rally
Championship, Rally Great Britain, takes
place in Wales, in November this year
and Cristal Global is her sponsor.
“I feel very privileged,” Becky said.
“Competing at this level would have
been completely out of reach if it wasn’t
for Cristal Global’s sponsorship. Now
I’m able to achieve one of my biggest
ambitions in rallying – to compete against
world championship drivers in their
amazing cars. It’s almost unbelievable!”
Becky is the Management Team
Coordinator at Cristal Global’s
Millennium Inorganic Chemicals plant in
28
Stallingborough.
“She has done very well in rallying
and we are proud to help her compete
at the highest level possible,” said
Fahad Nackshabandi, General
Manager of Cristal Global Corporate
Communications.
Having been crowned BRC Challenge
Ladies Champion in the previous round
of the British Rally Championship, The
International Rally of Northern Ireland,
Becky, together with co-driver Kaz Watts,
had looked strong and confident going
in to the penultimate round of the 2011
season, the recent Trackrod International
Rally Yorkshire in the KC Rally Team Ford
Fiesta ST.
It was Becky’s home event but the
venue was notorious for its super fast
forests and fierce competition. Getting
off to a good start, the pair were lying
(Right) Becky Kirvan interviewing world
championship driver Mikko Hirvonen for a
television program
29
‘
within touch of 10th place after three
stages.
“Stage 4 was the long one of the
event so we wanted a big push to take
10th in the Challenge,” explained Kaz.
“I had my head down, reading
the notes, when I heard Becky on
the intercom say we had no brakes.
Heading fast downhill into square
right, Becky was doing everything she
could to slow the car down but we
left the road and hit a tree. We rolled
and landed upside down in a ditch but
thankfully we were both okay, a bit sore
and bruised, but eager to get the KC
Ford Fiesta fixed and back out.”
The final round of the British Rally
Championship Challenge (BRCC) in
2011 takes place on the asphalt roads
of the Isle of Man in October and there
will be just two weeks for Becky’s rally
technicians to convert the car into the
right specification for the gravel forest
roads of Rally Great Britain. Amongst
the changes will be different suspension
and different wheels and tires. The car
will also be branded with Cristal Global
graphics.
“Rallying really is my passion,” said
Becky. “The thrill of powering a car as
fast as possible down narrow slippery
tracks compares to nothing else.”
After many years of watching rallying
on the television, Becky got her first
real taste of the sport in 2001 when
she was given a rally driving course as
a birthday present. “After a day sliding
and skidding a rally car around a gravel
course I was hooked.”
She has since followed every World
Rally Championship. “In fact, Rally
Great Britain was the first rally I ever
went to watch. I remember standing
in the forest waiting for the awesome
world rally cars to pass me, you can hear
them coming from up to a mile away.
The roaring engines and the popping
and banging of the unburnt fuel made
me tingle with excitement!”
Becky’s first big chance came in
2006 when she entered the Ladyquest
competition held at the Silverstone
30
I had my head
down, reading
the notes, when
I heard Becky
on the intercom say
we had no brakes.
Heading in to a fast
downhill square right,
Becky was doing
everything she could to
slow the car down but
we left the road and
hit a tree. We landed
upside down in a
ditch...
– Becky’s co-driver Kaz Watts
(Right) Becky in racing gear. “Competing at this
level would have been completely out of reach
if it wasn’t for Cristal Global’s sponsorship,” she
says.
31
motor racing circuit, the same place
where Formula 1 racing takes place.
“After a lengthy assessment process
where an instructor tested my driving
skill, ability and fitness, I was judged the
winner and was absolutely thrilled.”
The prize was a full program of events
beginning with the daunting Lombard
Rally in October 2006, which featured
four days and nights of competition. “A
really tough start to my rallying career!”
After that Becky competed in several
events in 2007 in order to qualify for her
full national competition license. “This
meant I could finish my Ladyquest prize
at the prestigious Swansea Bay Rally. I
competed against some of the fastest
drivers in the United Kingdom in this
event and was very happy to win my
class.
After a quiet two years in 2008
and 2009 Becky made a full return to
rallying in 2010 when she competed
in the national BTRDA Rally First
championship, which takes place at
venues all over England and Wales. “I
had an absolutely fantastic year and,
despite a high-speed accident on one
event which destroyed the car, I won
the BTRDA Ladies title.”
The costs of competing in
rallying are very high and Becky’s
championship success brought in KC, a
communications company in Hull, East
Yorkshire, as her main sponsor for the
British Rally Championship Challenge
(BRCC) in 2011.
Once the BRCC comes to an end in
October, Cristal Global will sponsor
her contest in the final round of the
World Rally Championship in Wales in
November this year.
Rally Great Britain will consist of
four days of competition all over
Wales starting on the North coast near
Llandudno and finishing in Cardiff. The
total competitive mileage is 220.
“It will be the longest stage rally I’ve
ever competed in and it’s sure to be
very challenging,” Becky said. “There is
an immense amount of work to get both
myself and the car ready for the event,
32
though I believe the experience I’ve
built up in the last two years will help
me a great deal. I’ll be aiming to do the
very best that I can.”
Becky presently lies in 7th place in
the BRCC as well as second in her class
championship and she still has two
rounds to complete before her Rally GB
outing with a double-header on the Isle
of Man.
“The season has gone really well
so far and I’m very pleased to have
successfully completed all the events.
The car has been great throughout the
season, my only issues being a couple
of punctures for which I can hardly
blame the car – and of course the brake
failure in Yorkshire.
“I’ll be pushing hard on the final
round to gain as good a championship
position as I can. I would like to
express my sincere thanks to my
sponsors KC, Bardahl Top Oils, Princes
Quay Shopping Centre, Peart Auto
Services, Rally4Real and Songasport
for supporting my BRC Challenge
campaign this year.”
Alongside competing Becky is also
involved in other aspects of the sport.
She has helped with fundraising
rallying calendars, participated in
various motor shows as part of the
Girlracer organization with the aim of
encouraging more women to take part
in the sport.
“I have also presented a television
program about rallying which included
me interviewing one of the biggest
stars in world rallying – a driver I will be
competing against very soon!”
When not working hard at
Stallingborough or out rallying, music
plays a big part of Becky’s life. “I
studied music at university with the
bassoon being my specialty. I now play
in an orchestra and I am also a soprano
soloist, singing at weddings and
concerts – so it’s not always easy to fit
everything in!
Becky’s website: www.beckykirvan.
co.uk ❄
‘
Rallying really
is my passion.
The thrill of
powering
a car as fast as
possible down
narrow slippery
tracks compares to
nothing else.
Whether it’s bouncing off a dirt road, skidding on
ice, taking a sharp turn or ploughing into mud,
Becky has done it all
33
in tervie w
WHEN PATHS MEET
AND STRETCH FOR
35 FRUITFUL YEARS
On July 5, 1976, two promising young analytical chemists began
their careers. Dominic Manganaro and Graeme Stephen both
studied Chemistry at the University of Western Australia, finishing
with honors in 1975. Neither of them knew that the other was
also starting at what was then Laporte, on the same day. Both of
them were offered an initial six-month contract. They continued
to work for the company for the next 35 years, contributing
enormously to Cristal Global’s development, innovation and
success. Summa Hollins reports.
DOMINIC MANGANARO
A
s Director-Cristal Bemax, Dominic’s
leadership drives the integration and
strength of Bemax’s position in the mineral
sands market. Dominic’s first role with the
company was as a chemist at Australind.
By 1979, he was Plant Superintendent
at the hydrogen peroxide plant in Banksmeadow, New
South Wales. In 1982, he was promoted to Plant Manager,
Bunbury Operations. He was appointed Site Director,
Ashtabula Complex, Ohio, USA in 1986. In 1999, he
returned with his family to Australia and resumed the role
of Site Director at Bunbury Operations.
34
GRAEME STEPHEN
G
raeme is currently the DirectorPigment, Commercial R&D, based
at Henderson, a suburb of Perth in
Western Australia. He began his career
with Cristal as an Analytical Chemist
and was quickly promoted through
the ranks to become the Production Manager by
1992. In 1999. Graeme was promoted to Site Director
of Le Havre, France. In 2001, he was transferred to
Stallingborough to take up the post of Site Director.
He returned home to Australia in 2004 to accept the
position of Director-Supply Chain.
Dominic Manganaro (left) and Graeme Stephen who were both offered an initial six-month contract back then
What has kept you with the company for 35
years?
DOMINIC: I have been very fortunate
to have been involved in many
interesting and challenging projects
and assignments both within Cristal’s
Australian and global businesses. So
I have really enjoyed the international
experience of being part of a larger
team, learning new skills, and being
involved in many varied and challenging
work assignments.
GRAEME: Mainly the people I’ve had
the opportunity to work with. Over the
years, I have worked in many roles and
at a number of sites, and the constant
factor is the quality of the people. I’ve
made many good friends along the way
and have always found the working
environment to be both challenging and
stimulating. The other great factor is the
35
technical challenge of both the process
and the products, which always makes
coming to work interesting.
What is the single biggest change you have seen
in business operations during your career?
DOMINIC: The biggest change I have
seen is the growth in the complexity
of managing business operations in
its modern environment. While new
technology has been useful in raising
our personal productivity, it has also
increased the level of complexity in
managing business.
Working in a complex world today means
that we have had to become very, very
good at choosing the right things to work
on!
GRAEME: I think the change in
technology from the sulfate to the
chloride process. While the sulfate
process was full of excitement for a
young chemist, the chloride process
has brought a higher level of stability
and a larger scale to the business. It has
also driven some fundamental cultural
changes, particularly on the safety and
environmental fronts.
Are there any business or personal achievements
that stand out in your mind?
DOMINIC: There have been many
challenges during my career but the one
that I am focused on at present is the
most important to me right now.
Mining is a very big challenge in today’s
competitive business environment. While
the past two years has been very difficult,
the successful commissioning of the
Snapper Project has transformed Bemax
into a larger and stronger enterprise,
with a more secure long term future. This
has been a great example of a combined
Cristal-Bemax team effort.
GRAEME: On the business side, I think
my involvement in the development of
36
the first generation of chloride products
for Australind, particularly Tiona RCL
575TM, was a highlight. All of that first
generation of chloride grades were
outstanding products that helped
establish the long term success of
the Bunbury operations and provide
a platform for many of our current
products. On the personal side, having
the opportunity to work and live in France
and subsequently the UK as Site Director
for Le Havre and Stallingborough were
wonderful experiences.
Have you had a mentor or a particular support
person who has assisted you professionally or
personally during your career?
DOMINIC: I have been around for a
while and so there are many leaders and
work colleagues that I have worked with,
both in Australia and overseas, who I
have admired. I consider myself fortunate
to have worked with so many talented
people within Cristal/Bemax. What I have
learnt from them is that everyone has a
contribution to make and getting results
is really a team rather than an individual
effort.
GRAEME: I have had the opportunity
to work with many wonderful people
who have helped and supported me
in my career but without doubt, Les
Hamor (retired Technical Manager of
the Bunbury Operations) stands out as
the person who assisted me most both
personally and professionally over the
years. Les had the ability to challenge
your thinking without challenging
you. He had that depth of knowledge
only gained through direct experience
but which also brought intelligence
and sophisticated thinking to every
discussion. He was an honest, caring and
compassionate leader and is still a great
friend to many Bunbury employees. ❄
g l o b a ll e c o n o m yy
A FADED SILVER LINING
Global economic uncertainty has been made worse by debt crises,
low growth in employment and policy dithering. The overall
scenario looks a bit rough for the moment, writes M. M. Paniel.
CRISIS WATCH
ON THE EDGE
T
he global economy still hasn’t recovered
from the 2008 credit crisis and has been
close to stalling anew for the past several
months because of unease over the
European financial system’s exposure
to sovereign bonds. Europe’s woes are
responsible for wiping out about $13 trillion of wealth
since July 1, analysts at Barclays Capital estimate. The crisis
“has reached a systemic dimension,” said European Central
Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Oct. 11.
Europe’s nightmare scenario would mean fresh financial
disaster, according to Nobel laureate economist Robert
Mundell. In the worst case, authorities fail to prevent
Greece from defaulting on 356 billion euros ($489 billion)
and investors react by triggering insolvencies as far as
Spain and Italy. Such a firestorm would devastate bank
balance sheets, rock markets, derail economic growth and
threaten to splinter the 17-nation euro area. The default
and spillover may cause the euro area to contract by 1.3%
in 2012, using the Lehman Brothers case as a benchmark,
estimated Laurence Boone, chief European economist at
Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in London. The European
Central Bank (ECB) would probably have to lead the
response as the Fed did in 2008. At New York-based
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., economist Andrew Tilton
says Europe is already slowing the U.S. “to the edge of
recession” by tightening financial conditions and limiting
American exports.
If financial markets freeze and governments cut budgets
even more, economies would probably be shoved back
O
n a sunny autumn day, as seagulls flew over
the campus lawns of the University of Sussex
in Brighton, U.K., Prof. Jon Mitchell, head
of doctoral research at the School of Global
Studies, listed an unusual topic for his new
research students to probe — the global
economic situation as it unfolds, here and now. While there are
other international issues such as climate change, unemployment
and security threats that call for rigorous research attention, the
economic situation is a concern that requires an urgent response
from pundits as well as practitioners.
A clear statement regarding the economic scene came from
across the Atlantic on Sept. 12. “The world economy has hit a
rough patch on the road to recovery and is in danger of skidding
off course,” said a report issued by the Massachusetts-based
think tank, Brookings Institution. An update of the Tracking
Indices for the Global Economic Recovery (TIGER) issued by
Brookings along with London’s respected daily, The Financial
Times, painted a rather gloomy picture: “The general picture
among G-20 economies is one of slowing growth, swooning
financial markets, and declining consumer and business
confidence.”
“A series of adverse shocks, coupled with political wrangling
that has stymied effective policymaking and added to
uncertainty, has crippled growth in advanced economies,” wrote
Brookings senior Fellow Eswar Prasad and senior analyst Karim
Foda. “Emerging markets have maintained strong growth so far,
but the battle against domestic inflation and weaknesses in major
export markets are beginning to affect their growth as well,”
they wrote in a commentary published by The Financial Times
in the following week. The authors argued that global economic
uncertainty has been made worse by debt crises, low growth
in employment and policy dithering in the major advanced
37
CRISISWATCH
WATCH
CRISIS
into recession. The Geneva-based International Labor
Organization said last month that there is a risk of 40
million fewer jobs in the G-20 next year than when the
credit crisis began in 2008.
CRISIS RESOLUTION STEPS
The ECB needs “to be very active” in managing the
regional crisis with steps that include allowing its bond
buying program to reach as much as one trillion euros,
maintaining liquidity in banks, and cutting its key interest
rate to 1% from 1.5% by early next year, according to David
Mackie, chief European economist at JPMorgan Chase &
Co., who forecasts an imminent recession.
European Finance ministers and central bankers
from the Group of 20 held their first in a series of crisis
resolution meetings on Oct.12 in Paris. European leaders
will then convene in Brussels on Oct. 23 and those from
the G-20 will gather Nov. 3-4 in Cannes, France.
“If the G-20 comes out of Cannes with nothing, that will
be a nightmare,” said Jim O’Neill, chairman of Goldman
Sachs Asset Management, who had crafted the concept of
the BRIC nations to describe the growing economic might
of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
The leaders are working on multiple fronts to manage
Greece’s finances, protect banks and overhaul Europe’s
economic governance to avoid a repeat. A default or
a country leaving the euro weren’t part of the single
currency’s original design.
The package of measures to stop the crisis from spinning
out of control should include requiring Greek banks to hold
more capital so they can withstand potential losses from
bond holdings, according to the IMF, which has put the
cost as high as $200 billion. Euro-area banks need at least
150 billion euros of capital under a plan similar to the U.S.
government’s U.S. Troubled Asset Relief Program, estimate
analysts at JPMorgan Cazenove led by Kian Abouhossein.
European governments also are laying plans to increase
the spending power of a 440-billion-euro bailout fund,
created in May 2010 to provide loans to cash-strapped
nations. It is now being revamped to allow it to also
buy bonds on primary and secondary markets, offer
precautionary credit lines and inject money into banks.
With taxpayers balking at providing more cash and
wealthy countries worried about hurting their own credit
ratings, officials may try to leverage the bailout fund’s
capacity, perhaps by insuring a portion of new bonds
issued by debt-ridden nations. Silvio Peruzzo, an economist
at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc in London, says two
trillion euros of capacity is needed to persuade investors
that Spain and Italy would have enough funding.
The need to make Greece’s borrowings more
manageable also may mean investors will have to take a
bigger share of losses on its debt than the 21% write-off
that formed part of a July aid deal. German banks are
reportedly preparing for losses of as much as 60%.
38
economies. Rising risk and inadequate policy responses have
made a dent in the confidence of financial markets around the
world, leading to stock markets taking a beating over the last
summer. They took note of the current scenario on either side
of the Atlantic and beyond and said withdrawal of fiscal stimulus
and dilly-dallying on the long-term debt problem, amid a lot of
political wrangling, have delayed the recovery process in the
U.S.
Meanwhile, the European debt crisis appears to be putting the
breaks on consumer spending and business growth. Everybody
is playing safe. At least for now. Japan, a major economy of
Asia, has yet to recover fully from the double whammy of the
earthquake and tsunami. Commodity exporters Australia and
Canada face the spin-off effects of the slowing down of the
major economies.
While emerging markets continue to perform well, they are
under pressure with problems such as high inflation. “India’s
financial markets have cooled off and GDP growth has slowed
slightly, but foreign trade and industrial output continue to grow
strongly,” the FT report noted. Still there are factors that affect
business that are not really highlighted, such as a high-voltage
campaign against what appears to be rampant corruption, with
several former ministers jailed for graft. Though China clocks
robust growth, there are signs of increasing domestic policy
tensions while balancing inflation control on the one hand and
maintaining the growth rate on the other. “Emerging markets
may find it difficult to continue being the drivers of global growth
for much longer if advanced economies’ policies fail to restore
their own economic growth,” the report warned.
The overall scenario looks a bit dull for the moment and the
silver lining still looks distant and dim. The UN Conference on
Trade and Development Report, 2011, titled Post-Crisis Policy
Challenges In The World Economy pointed out that global
economic recovery has entered a renewed phase of fragility.
In a clear, bold statement, the report said: “The recovery of the
world economy is slowing down, with strong downside risks.”
Released in September, the report listed a set of reasons that
has contributed to the scenario. Though the G-20 responded
effectively to the “Great Recession” that followed the collapse
of financial institutions, their response has left a lot of unfinished
business. Leading central banks have eased their monetary
policy, followed by most members of the G-20 pumping in fiscal
stimuli and laying down support mechanisms to restore financial
stability. “(T)hese measures stopped the economic freefall and
won policymakers an important first round in battling the crisis,”
the UNCTAD report noted. Still little progress, if any, has been
achieved in major areas like financial regulation, financialization
of primary commodity markets and reform of the international
monetary system for curbing speculation-driven, short-term
capital flows, the report added.
On another plane, many of the developed countries have
WORLD OUTPUT GROWTH, 2003–2011
(Annual percentage change)
Region/country
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011a
World
2.7
4.1
3.6
4.1
4.0
1.7
-2.1
3.9
3.1
3.0
2.5
2.8
2.6
0.3
-3.6
2.5
1.8
2.7
3.6
2.5
1.9
3.0
2.0
2.0
2.6
3.2
2.4
2.1
3.0
-1.2
0.4
0.5
-6.3
-2.6
-4.2
4.0
2.9
1.8
-0.4
2.3
1.9
2.2
2.5
1.2
1.5
3.0
1.7
1.9
0.8
0.7
2.2
3.1
2.2
3.4
2.0
2.8
2.8
2.4
2.7
1.5
2.7
0.5
0.2
1.0
-1.3
-0.1
-4.1
-2.6
-4.7
-5.0
-4.9
1.7
1.5
3.6
1.0
1.3
1.8
2.1
3.0
0.9
1.3
5.5
4.7
6.5
6.2
4.0
-3.6
2.2
3.2
7.2
4.1
7.6
7.7
5.6
7.9
6.5
4.7
6.7
8.3
5.2
8.7
8.6
6.1
8.8
5.4
4.3
5.5
-6.7
-3.7
-7.0
4.1
0.5
4.5
4.4
2.2
4.5
7.3
7.2
6.4
8.2
8.5
5.6
-7.9
4.0
4.4
5.4
7.5
5.2
6.9
8.0
7.6
5.3
8.0
6.0
5.4
5.9
2.5
5.4
7.4
1.8 4.
6.3
4 3.5
6.6
4.9
5.1
5.4
4.7
4.8
1.5 4.
1 0.2
5.5 1
2.9
3.0
4.6
5.4
5.3
6.8
5.6
7.2
5.5
6.8
3.7
4.2
-1.8
5.5
2.8
5.8
4.0
1.8
3.0
5.8
3.7
4.6
7.5
5.5
9.4
5.6
5.9
4.0
3.0
-2.2
0.3
5.9
3.3
4.7
3.4
3.8
1.4
1.9
4.2
4.1
6.9
4.8
3.3
5.1
6.5
4.8
5.5
7.1
3.4
6.7
4.3
1.5
5.3
-0.5
-6.5
-0.4
3.6
5.5
6.4
4.3
4.0
5.1
1.1
6.9
7.1
5.7
8.1
8.3
3.2
8.1
8.6
4.0
8.7
10.0
6.1
9.1
11.1
5.2
5.8
7.0
-0.6
4.2
5.9
7.5
8.3
9.4
4.0
7.2
8.0
10.0
7.8
10.1
7.5
11.3
8.2
12.7
8.4
14.
8.9
2 9.6
4.5
9.1
5.8
10.3
7.2
9.4
6.9
8.4
5.6
6.3
2.4
8.3
6.5
9.4
2.0
9.3
5.8
7.8
2.2
9.4
6.2
6.7
1.4
9.6
6.6
5.2
2.8
5.1
4.2
4.8
2.5
7.0
1.0
-0.8
1.4
8.6
7.8
6.0
2.9
8.1
5.0
6.4
3.5
Developed countries
1.9
of which:
Japan
1.4
United States
2.5
European Union (EU-27) 1.4
of which:
Euro area
0.8
France
1.1
Germany
-0.2
Italy
0.0
United Kingdom
2.8
European
4.3
Union (EU-12)b
South-East Europe
and CIS
South-East Europec
CIS, incl. Georgia
of which:
Russian Federation
Developing countries
Africa
North Africa, excl.
Sudan
Sub-Saharan Africa,
excl. South Africa
South Africa
Latin America and
the Caribbean
Caribbean
Central America, excl.
Mexico
Mexico
South America
of which:
Brazil
Asia
East Asia
of which:
China
South Asia
of which:
India
South-East Asia
West Asia
Oceania
Source: UNCTAD secretariat calculations, based on United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA), National
Accounts Main Aggregates database, and World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2011: Mid-year Update; ECLAC,
2011; OECD.Stat database; and national sources.
Note: Calculations for country aggregates are based on GDP at constant 2005 dollars.
a
Forecasts.
b
New EU member States after 2004.
c
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
39
CRISISWATCH
WATCH
CRISIS
Any fresh measures may still fail because of the range of
differences in Europe over what to do, according to Mackie
at JPMorgan Chase. The Germans and Dutch, for example,
want a deeper restructuring of Greece’s debt than France
and the ECB seem willing to accept, he said. Germany is
among the AAA-rated countries that have roiled markets
by seeking strict terms and trying to push bailout costs
onto investors. In Greece, voters have resisted the everdeepening austerity measures demanded in return for aid.
THE ALTERNATIVE
Invest strategists assign a 10% probability to a euro
breakup from a Greek default and say this alternative of
a smaller euro zone is dismal and may result in the euro
being the ultimate casualty A smaller euro zone may
mean a repeat of the Great Depression, according to HSBC
Holdings Plc economists Stephen King and Janet Henry.
Dissolving the single currency would threaten the
region’s financial system. Banks would have to disentangle
a mass of cross-border assets and liabilities. The
reintroduction of national currencies and legal ambiguities
would rattle markets. Peripheral nations may suffer
hyperinflation as their currencies plunged, while the core
economies would be hammered by surging exchange
rates, the HSBC economists said in a Sept. 30 report.
If a weak country such as Greece left the euro first to
regain control of exchange and interest rates, its new
currency would drop 60%, and local borrowing costs
would jump at least seven percentage points, imperiling
the balance sheets of banks and companies, according to
a Sept. 6 study by UBS AG (UBSN) economists. Departure
from the European Union would cause trade to fall by half
even with devaluation. The cost in that country would be
as much as 11,500 euros a person in the first year outside
the euro and 4,000 euros in following years, the UBS
economists calculated.
If Germany, the region’s largest economy, quit the
euro, its new exchange rate would probably surge 40%
and interest rates two percentage points, UBS said. Banks
would require recapitalization and trade would slide 20%.
Each person would lose as much as 8,000 euros in the first
year, UBS estimated. The pain would probably spread.
The S&P 500 Index (SPX) would tumble to about 750 from
1,203.66 on Oct. 13, and company earnings would slide
as much as 45%, according to Credit Suisse Group AG
strategists.
THE SPARK
The spark for a financial chain reaction may emerge
from anywhere. The Greek parliament may not accept
more budget cuts; a country such as Germany could tire
of bailouts; a bank could cease to have access to shortterm funding; or international investors could run out of
patience with policy makers and stop buying European
assets. – From Bloomberg reports ❄
40
moved their fiscal policy stance from stimulus to retrenchment,
risking prolonged stagnation, or even a contraction of the
economies, the UN report noted. “Given the lack of growth
in employment and wages in Europe, Japan and the United
States, their policies should aim at continued stimulation of their
economies instead of trying to ‘regain the confidence of the
financial markets’ by prematurely cutting government spending.
The main global risk is that wages and mass incomes might not
increase sufficiently to feed a sustainable and globally balanced
process of growth based on domestic demand.”
However, the risk of a higher inflation resulting from price rise
is remote, according to experts.
A cause of worry is the slowing down pace of global recovery
in 2011. Global GDP now is expected to grow by 3.1%, following
its 3.9% increase in 2010. During the course of 2011, in many
developed countries, the slowdown may even be accentuated.
Governments are busy putting in place policies to cut public
budget deficits or current-account deficits, the UN report
warned. In effect this could mean lack of business for firms
that depend on public works, besides hardship for people who
depend on such services.
Moreover, as indebtedness of households is still high in many
countries, banks shy away from offering new financing. In effect
this scenario could translate to fiscal and monetary tightening
risks that could lead to a prolonged period of mediocre growth,
if not outright contraction, in developed economies. “(T)here is
a high risk that the eurozone will continue to act as a significant
drag on global recovery.”
In most developing countries, however, growth dynamics are
still much stronger, driven mainly by domestic demand. Growth
rates in developing countries are likely to remain much higher
– at almost 6.5% – than in the developed countries. In many
developing countries, growth has been driven more by domestic
demand than by exports. Emerging market economies such as
Brazil, India, South Africa and Turkey (G-20 members) have
their own set of problems that have to do with short-term capital
inflows attracted by higher interest rates. Such inflows not only
put pressure on their domestic currencies but also weaken their
export sectors and widen their current-account deficits. Though
expansion has remained strong in the developing world in
general, North Africa and some countries in West Asia face the
lingering impacts of the recent political unrest. The Arab Spring
has adversely affected investment and tourism, and in turn
growth.
In the unfolding scenario that is rather sober, observers see
muting of the capital mantra of a reduced role of the State in
economic management. On the contrary, business and financial
leaders in many countries – across developed and emerging
market economies – have demanded and gained packages to
restore demand and to offer safety net. The governments have
often come across as “buyers and borrowers of last resort.”
A ‘Keynesian moment’ once again so to say. ❄
By increasing our global presence, staying in the forefront of new titanium
technologies, protecting the environment, and giving back to the communities
where we work, Cristal Global strives to be a model corporate citizen and a name
synonymous with the benefits of titanium products.
We are committed to the well being of our employees and communities. As a
critical component of who we are and what we wish to be, our commitment to
Safety, Health and Environmental Stewardship is a prominent part of our
company culture. We constantly strive to excel in our safety, health and
environmental performance.
Cristal Global Locations
www.cristalglobal.com

THE ART OF CLEANING THE AIR / BYPRODUCT

Transcription

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