Lucobit materials now from Chemcoza
MATERIALS and additives supplier Chemcoza of Johannesburg is now representing Lucobit of Germany, a manufacturer of a wide range of speciality polyolefins, available internationally.
The Chemcoza team recently hosted a visit by Lucobit chief sales officer Rinos Muchenagumbo, during which they had visits with customers around the country.
Lucobit was established in 2000, following an MBO at Elenac, which emerged from a joint venture started by BASF and Shell (and later including PE Materials of Hoechst AG). Lucobit was created as a BASF brand and became both, the new company name and remains the brand for bitumen compounds. The head office of the polymer producer is in Wesseling between Cologne and Bonn near the Rhine River. Lucobit AG`s main products are flexible polymers based on ethylene copolymers as well as bitumen- based compounds for waterproofing solutions and asphalt modification.
Chemcoza is a new business focussed on supplying material to the masterbatch and plastics industry as well as the coatings and paint sectors. Partners Ian Clark and Louis van Greunen have been involved in the material supply sector for an extended period and in 2023 decided to start on their own. Clark cut his teeth at Lewis & Everitt which during the 80s and 90s was one of the top material supply businesses in the country. Van Greunen has also been involved in the converting sector, which can be an advantage in the material supplier sector. Chemcoza now operates a warehouse in Sebenza and is nationally active.
Lucobit’s technology
According to Rinos, who is originally from Zimbabwe, Lucobit is focussed on applications where properties such as tenacity, flexibility and impact strength are required. Lucofin materials enable higher output in film extrusion and outstanding filler loading for example HFFR compounds or diaper films. Recently Lucobit developed a ‘breathable’ diaper lining material for backsheets with a calcium carbonate loading up to 70%. Despite the high loading with CACO3, the produced film met all criteria at just 10 microns thickness and feels flexible and soft. To improve breathability, the films can be uni-directionally stretched to reach considerable water transmission.
Furthermore, Lucobit improved stretch hood applications by using Lucofin instead of other flexible polymers. The System generates films with a high tenacity, combined with high elongation, increased outputrate and reduced wall thickness (downgauging), achieving cost efficiency .
Because of Lucofin’s polarity the product exhibits compatibility to a wide range of different polymers and substrates such as PA, PET, EVOH, LDPE&LLDPE, PP, steel, paper, aluminium. It is used as an impact modifier as well as for bonding different multilayer structures.
