Ashland India Begins Production and Distribution of Performance Resins And Gelcoats

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Ashland India Private Limited (Mumbai), the local subsidiary of leading specialty chemicals producer Ashland Incorporated (NYSE:ASH) (Covington, Kentucky), recently commenced production and sale of gelcoats and performance resins in the country. The Indian arm of the company will be part of the business unit of Ashland Performance Materials.

Ashland India's product line will include the ENGUARD and MAXGUARD range of gelcoats and the AROPOL brand of poly resin. The products will cater to manufacturers of composites in India and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Composites are made by blending two or more materials into a mixture. The constituent materials retain their individual strengths and abilities in the mixture, making it tenable for various applications.

The company has identified Natural Petrochemicals Private Limited (NPPL) (Mumbai) as a domestic partner. Ashland India will manufacture and deliver its range of products in India using NPPL's production facility and distribution network. Ashland India has also set up a dedicated team of technical experts to assist customers. The European division of Ashland Incorporated will manage the operations of Ashland India.

Established in 1924, Ashland Incorporated, a Fortune 500 company, has operations in more than 100 countries. The company's products find use in specialty chemicals, personal care, transportation, building and construction, automotive, plastics, food and beverage, printing technology, chemicals and hydrocarbon processing, paints, rubber, paper and lubricants.

Ashland's primary business divisions include Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, Ashland Consumer Markets, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Distribution. Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients is a world leader in solutions that modify the properties of water-based products. In November last year, the company acquired Hercules Chemicals (Wilmington, Delaware) for $2.5 billion. Hercules Chemicals is now part of the Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients division.

Ashland Consumer Markets handles marketing of the CAR BRITE range of automobile care and maintenance products and the MAXLIFE brand of motor oil used in high mileage vehicles. Valvoline, one of the oldest motor oil brands, is also part of Ashland's product portfolio.

Ashland Performance Materials, which produces epoxy vinyl ester and unsaturated poly resins, is also a technology leader in metal casting consumables, gelcoats, and structural and pressure-sensitive adhesives. Ashland Distribution handles sales and delivery of composite materials, plastics, and chemicals products and services in North America.

Ashland Incorporated recorded global sales of more than $8 billion in 2008 and has set a sales target of $10.7 billion for 2009.

NPPL owns and operates India's single largest facility for manufacture of gelcoats, vinyl ester laminating resins, unsaturated poly resins, and gel flame resistant resins. The unsaturated poly resins include orthophthalates, isophthalates, terephthalates and bisphenols. The production unit is located near the Kandla port in Gujarat, with easy access to the domestic market and export routes. The DIPOL range of poly resins, which are high-performance and cost-effective products, are used in a wide variety of applications including resin infusion processes, resin transfer molding, pultrusion, compression molding, centrifugal casting, open molding, and filament winding.

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