Rheology and Surface Modifiers

LATEST UPDATE ON SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern):

The European Union's new regulation (1907/2006EC) covering the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) came into force on 1 June 2007 and is managed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) located in Helsinki, Finland.

REACH covers the manufacture, importation, placing on the market and use of chemical "substances" as defined under the regulation.

Cray Valley has always been committed to the regulatory compliance and product stewardship of its CRAYVALLAC range of additives under all of the preceding  European directives - and is therefore well placed to offer all of its customers (both European based companies or those wishing to import into the EU) the comfort that the CRAYVALLAC range will remain fully compliant under REACH.

For companies who have previously marketed new substances (substances not listed on the EINECS inventory or  which are not "No-Longer Polymers") in the European Union without complying with the  European directive regarding dangerous substances (67/548/EC), they now find themselves in a more difficult position and must withdraw from the European market until the Direct Registration of their substance has been made and all testing completed - a process that will  take a number of years to complete depending on the tonnage band concerned.

Pre-registration of substances, under REACH,  is only permitted for those companies that can prove the phase-in status of their substances.   Pre-registration will close on the 30 November 2008, after this date companies which are accepted as being compliant in the system will need to further comply and complete their dossiers under REACH which will be time dependent on the volume bands for each specific substance.  In most cases this will  necessitate further work and testing of substances.

Cray Valley's regulatory team has dedicated people to work on REACH and the regulatory compliance of our product portfolio  - as well as assisting our customers who need help or advice.  For further information regarding REACH and the Crayvallac product range please contact sue.rimmer@crayvalley.com.


Neil Tariq - Business Director
  neil.tariq@crayvalley.com

Cray Valley has been manufacturing the Crayvallac® range of rheology and surface modifiers for more than forty years. Today these products are stocked and sold in over 100 countries around the world - using a sales infrastructure consisting of both our own local facilities and a comprehensive network of distributors.

From the early 1960s until June 2004, production of these additives and modifiers was centred around the Cray Valley Machen manufacturing complex in South Wales, UK. Today these same additives and modifiers are now manufactured in our new purpose built facility at Drocourt, in the north of France near Lille.

Drocourt is an existing Cray Valley resin manufacturing complex operating on a 23 hectare site and certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. The construction of this modern additives facility at Drocourt represents the culmination of some 40 years experience in the fields of micronisation, particle size control and particle size analysis. As well as undertaking an overall capacity expansion, a high level of automation and computer control has been adopted to ensure Cray Valley remains a quality producer of rheology and surface modifiers. As the manufacture of each additive product was transferred to Drocourt, extensive technical qualification was undertaken by our research centre to ensure that the characterisation, performance and overall integrity of each product remained unchanged.

Cray Valley is committed to the ongoing development of new additive products as part of its drive to remain a world class leader of rheology and surface modifiers. Over the last few years, Cray Valley’s high level of technical commitment and its vast experience in the fields of rheology and coatings technology have facilitated the introduction of many new rheology and surface modifiers for use in a wide range of applications.

Cray Valley’s business strategy is further supported by a central research facility located close to Paris, France. From this location some 65 scientists and research chemists work together to support the activities of Cray Valley’s Resin Division at a more fundamental level in a wide range of chemistries and application areas.

For more information regarding the activities of Cray Valley, please visit us at our central Cray Valley website: www.crayvalley.com

This website has been commissioned to assist our customers by providing up to date technical information on the CRAYVALLAC® range of Rheology and Surface Modifiers. We hope you find this website both informative and useful. If you have any suggestions regarding the structure and content, then please send your comments to:

Neil Tariq - Business Director
  neil.tariq@crayvalley.com

CRAY VALLEY, 16-32 RUE HENRI REGNAULT. LA DEFENSE 6. F92902. PARIS LA DEFENSE CEDEX
Telephone: (+33) 1 47 96 98 50; Fax: (+33) 1 47 96 99 81
Last Modified: 15th February 2010