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drymix.info Newsletter 326/2026; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 23. June 2026

1. Second Southern Africa Drymix Mortar Meeting, Johannesburg, 20AUG26: Ponte City Tour + Program
2. Outlook on Coming Events and Open Calls for Papers
3. BASF Sells Silicates Business in Germany to PQ
4. Sika Opens Drymix Mortar Plant in Bridgeton, NJ, USA
5. Wacker Chemie Increases Prices for Dispersions and Redispersible Powders
6. Argentina: Cementos Avellaneda Acquires Protex 
7. Nippon Paint Will Build Eight New Plants in India
8. Synthomer Sells its Acrylate Monomer Business to Mutares

1. Second Southern Africa Drymix Mortar Meeting, Johannesburg, 20AUG26: Ponte City Tour + Program

For the second time, drymix.info is organizing and hosting the Southern Africa Drymix Mortar Meeting, this time at the Protea Hotel Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton. On 20. August 2026 mortar experts from Southern Africa will meet to discuss our technology and its standardization. The meeting is being moderated by Celeste Bo Sung Kim. 

NEW: on Friday, 21. August 2026, 10:00 drymix.info invites to a guided tour through Ponte City, the architectural landmark in downtown Johannesburg (featured in our Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2026). This extra is open to all delegates free of chrge, RSVP is absolutely mandatory, however.

Ponte City, built in the 1970s with luxury apartments and shops, had fallen into decline following the Soweto uprising and the fight against the Apartheid regime after that. During the last decade, the architectural landmark was renovated and flats at moderate rents became available. The not-for-profit initiative called Dlala-Nje („Let us play“ in Zulu) will guide us safely through the Africa's tallest residential tower.

Here is a short glimpse at our preliminary program (in alphabetical order, subject to change without notice):

Avebe | Didier Delnoye | Starch Ether Functionality in Cement and Gypsum Based Drymix Mortar Systems
Bischof + Klein | Karsten Wamhoff | What Makes Players in the Global Drymix Mortar Industry Change from Paper to Plastic Packaging? (PP)
Celotech | Gary Xu | How to Prolong the Open Time and Workability of Your Tile Adhesive (PP)
DK Fine Chem | Min Lee | Specialty Cellulose Ethers for Drymix Mortar Formulations
Haver&Boecker | (speaker tbd.) | More Efficient and Sustainable Solutions for Your Packing Process (PP)
Imerys | Alexandre Franceschini | Toward Portland cement free formulations: Novel concepts for Tiling & grouting
NFLG | Hank Chen | The Digital Application in Drymix Mortar Plants (PP)
Round Table Discussion | (participants to be announced) | How can the Quality Level of Tile Adhesives Used in South Africa be Improved?
TAL | Obert Rukato | (WT) The Market for Tile Adhesives in South Africa - with Particular Focus on Tile Adhesive Quality, Standardization and Implementation of Binding Norms
Wacker Chemie | Mohammed Sanaobar | WT: Harmonized Tile adhesive Standard: Reducing the Risk of Tiling Failures

Delegate registration has already started on www.drymix.info. Admission to The Second Southern Africa Drymix Mortar Meeting is ZAR 12.500 | 650 Euro per delegate, reduced to ZAR 10.500 | 550 Euro for drymix.info members and partners. Drymix mortar manufacturers pay only ZAR 3.800 | 190 Euro p.p. A special travel rebate is available for drymix mortar manufacturers coming from outside the Gauteng and Free State Provinces, please inquire with us. Registration is open at www.drymix.info (Visa or Mastercard), you can request a paypal invoice.

2. Outlook on Coming Events and Open Calls for Papers

By mutual request, we give an outlook on coming drymix.info and related conferences, meetings and symposia. The date of expiry of the CfP is being given in parentheses. Please take those deadlines absolutely serious, we had to turn down late-comers for Istanbul - and we did not like it!

20AUG26: The 2nd Southern Africa Drymix Mortar Meeting, Johannesburg, South Africa (CfP expired)
17SEP26: The 9th Central and South European Drymix Mortar Conference cedmmc9, Istanbul, Turkey (CfP expired, program in next Newsletter)
15OCT26: The 2nd Egypt Drymix Mortar Meeting, Cairo, Egypt (CfP expires 31JLY26)
29OCT26: The 9th India Drymix Mortar Conference, New Delhi, India (CfP expired)
12NOV26: The 3rd South American Drymix Mortar Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina (CfP expires 31JLY26)
19NOV26: The 19th Annual SEADMA Conference, Bangkok, Thailand (CfP expired)
26NOV26: The International Conference and Symposium on Building Repair (ICB4R), Shanghai, China (CfP expires 31JLY26)
13 to 15JAN27: VI Simpósio de Argamassas e Soluções Térmicas de Revestimento, MTRS - International Conference on Mortars and Thermal Rendering Systems, Funchal, Madeira (CfP expires 31OCT26, drymix.info is co-organizer here)
18FEB27: The 6th Philippine Drymix Mortar Meeting, Manila, The Philippines (CfP expires 31OCT26)
26APR27: The 11th International Drymix Mortar Conference idmmcXI, Nürnberg, Germany (CfP expires 31OCT26)

And don't forget: the deadline for submissions to be published in our Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2027 is 01DEC26! (publishing fees may apply, please enquire with us).

3. BASF Sells Silicates Business in Germany to PQ

BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany,  has recently signed an agreement with PQ Corp, Malvern, PA, USA, about the sale of its sodium silicate business including the production assets in Düsseldorf/Holthausen, Germany. Apart from specialty silicates (not only limited to sodium silicates), PQ manufactures percipitated silica, silica gels and zeolites for the coatings and construction materials industry as well as for various other markets. A transaction value was not given by either party. Depending on obtaining the usual government clearances, the deal is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

4. Sika Opens Drymix Mortar Plant in Bridgeton, NJ, USA

Sika AG, Baar, Switzerland, has recently opened a production facility for drymix mortars in the United States, located in Bridgeton, southern New Jersey. The fully automated, high capacity and versatility plant is located well to service Maryland, Delaware and southern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia / Allentown metropolitan area) as well as the New York City metropolitan area. Sika plans to manufacture a wide portfolio of drymix mortars in Bridgeton, including repair and self-levelling mortars, tile adhesives and mixtures for sprayed concrete.

5. Wacker Chemie Increases Prices for Dispersions and Redispersible Powders

Wacker Chemie AG, Munich, Germany, has recently implemented price increases for resins, dispersions, and redispersible powders sourced from its production sites in Europe and the US (as of 1. June 2026, or as customer contracts allow). Prices for these products will increase by up to 15 percent. Price adjustments are results of „…(the) conflict in the Middle East (… and the) disruption in global supply chains, resulting in significantly increased costs for raw materials and logistics,“ according to the company.

6. Argentina: Cementos Avellaneda Acquires Protex 

Cementos Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina (a wholly owned subsidiary of Cementos Molins, Barcelona, Spain) has acquired a 70% majority stake in Prokrete Argentina SA, Buenos Aires (Protex). Protex, active in Southern America since close to 50 years, specializes in concrete admixtures and protection, waterproofing agents, sealants, adhesives, flooring and industrial coatings as well as specialty mortars. Protex also owns assets in the mining, energy, and heavy industry sectors. Protex's prior owners will remain as minority shareholders with board representation. 


7. Nippon Paint Will Build Eight New Plants in India

Nippon Paint K.K. (Co. Ltd.), Osaka, Japan, has announced a major expansion in India. The company will invest into eight new plants, thus doubling their manufacturing facilities in the country by 2029. Nippon Paint is a manufacturer of industrial and construction paints and coatings and also produces drymix mortars (mostly skim coats) in several markets such as Malaysia and Vietnam (we reported earlier). In India, a strong confrontation of the market leaders is imminent, also about the capillary distribution (retail) channels. According to Nippon Paint, their turnover last year was Rs 2,800 crore (255 mio Euro), the company plans on more than doubling this figure by 2029 to Rs 6,000 crore (550 mio Euro). „(...) we are a small player so far in India (...). There is now a pivot in the company’s approach and strategy. We feel that we don’t want to be a small player in India,” said Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India.

8. Synthomer Sells its Acrylate Monomer Business to Mutares

Synthomer plc, London, United Kingdom has announced the divestment of its acrylate monomers business in Sokolov, Czech Republic to Mutares SE & Co. KGaA, Munich, Germany. The Sokolov site (300 employees) also supports some of Synthomer's downstream activities, such as producing acrylic dispersions. According to Synthomer, these supply arrangements will continue under the new ownership. Mutares is a private equity-style company with focus on re-structuring („turnaround investments“). 

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This Newsletter is being researched using Analog Intellect (AI) - we personally apologize for any mistakes. Editor-in-Chief: Ferdinand Leopolder. All information is © 2003 - 2026 by Micro-Conference Pte. Ltd., 80 South Bridge Road, #03-01, Singapore, 058710, ACRA Reg. Nr. 201202876N.
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