DARMSTADT, Germany: Japan's earthquake and nuclear disasterhas knocked out the entire world supply of a popular metallic additive to automotive paint, the manufacturer, Merck of Germany, said Saturday.
Merck's product, Xirallic, an enhanced aluminium oxide, is addedto pigment and supplied to paint companies in a range of colours that go by names such as solaris red, stellar green and cosmic turquoise because of their cold, metallic glow.
The world's only Xirallic plant is located 45 kilometres from theFukushima nuclear power station. People living within 20 kilometres of the burned plant must leave, and within 30 kilometres are advised to evacuate.
Merck spokesman Gangolf Schrimpf said at Darmstadt in Germany that160 plant staff and their families had been relocated to safer places and it was unclear when the plant, which was damaged by the earthquake, could resume production.
He could not say what makes of car use Xirallic.
This isn't good....Due to a pigment shortage stemming from the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Ford has had to stop taking new orders for cars in Tuxedo Black, and is limiting orders of three shades of red. Officials from Ford say they're working on another source for the pigment as you read this, and have enough cars in each color to satisfy demand until production resumes.
The paint shortage affects the F-150 and Super Duty lines of pickups, as well as the Explorer, the Expedition, Focus, Taurus and the Lincoln MKS and Navigator. Ford's slowdown follows General Motors, who slowed production of pickups in Shreveport, Louisiana, as well as compact cars in Europe following parts shortages.
Honda, Toyota and Nissan have all experienced slowdowns as a result of the quake, though none have had to limit color choices.