Arkema announced on Thursday that it is to acquire ArrMaz Products (Mulberry, Florida), a producer of specialty surfactants, from Golden Gate Capital for $570 million. ArrMaz is a leader in specialty surfactants for crop nutrition, mining and infrastructure with $290 million in sales, an EBITDA margin of 18% and around 2.5% of capex to sales. … Read more
Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) has announced on Thursday that it has entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) to acquire 100% of Da Vinci from its shareholders for $163 million (about RM 760.6 million). Da Vinci’s shareholders include amongst others, funds managed by Bencis Capital Partner. Petronas Chemicals said the full cash consideration … Read more
Venator Materials announced the filing of a lawsuit against Tronox at the Delaware Superior Court. The lawsuit resulting from Tronox’s refusal to honor its contract to pay Venator a $75 million “break fee” over the divestment of the Cristal North American titanium dioxide business. Venator seeks a judgment for $75 million, plus interest in pre-and post-judgment, and legal … Read more
Archroma has officially inaugurated its new Global Competence Center for Automotive & Synthetic Dyeing in Korschenbroich, Germany. The site is part of former M. Dohmen, an international group specializing in the production of textile dyes and chemicals for the automotive, carpet and apparel sectors, that Archroma acquired between 2014 and 2018. The inauguration ceremony, held … Read more
Hempel announced that Lars Petersson, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer in Hempel A/S, will be succeeding Henrik Andersen as CEO by 1 July 2019. Lars Petersson joined Hempel in March 2015 as Group COO. Since then, he has delivered remarkable results and been a central driver of the global transformation in Hempel as … Read more
DuPont announced that Raj Ratnakar has been named Chief Strategy Officer for the Specialty Products Division of DowDuPont, which is expected to become an independent company (the new DuPont) on June 1, 2019. Ratnakar’s appointment is effective May 1. He will report to Marc Doyle, chief executive officer-elect for DuPont and chief operating officer, DowDuPont … Read more
Nouryon signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with SulNOx Group, a hydrocarbon fuel emulsification and additive specialist, to expand its offerings to customers in the fuels market. Under the agreement, Nouryon will introduce two new additives, Berol 6446 and Berol 6430, that help improve the combustion efficiency of diesel and lower-viscosity heavy fuel oil (HFO) … Read more
Nippon Paint Holdings Co. acquired Turkish paint manufacturer Betek Boya on Friday. An agreement was signed for the transfer of shares in Betek Boya and its subsidiaries. Betek Boya, well known in Turkey for its Filli Boya brand of paint, was expected to see sales of TL 1.6 billion ($268.4 million) last year. The value … Read more
Dow announced on Thursday its plans to expand the alkoxylation capacity at its existing facility in Tarragona, Spain to cater to the demand from Europe, Middle East, Africa and India region. The new capacity is “low capital intensive, high in returns and an incremental investment”, according to the company statement. This capacity which will be … Read more
BASF announced on Thursday its plans to invest a “mid-range double-digit euro million” sum in the modernization of its silica plant at the Düsseldorf-Holthausen site. The investment is aimed at modernizing and improving existing facilities and will help the company meet rising silicate demand, BASF said. “We want to continue serving our customers with high-value … Read more
INEOS Enterprises has announced on Wednesday the sale of INEOS Melamines & Paraform to Prefere Resins Holding GmbH. The agreement covers sites in USA, Germany and Indonesia. INEOS Paraform is Europe’s second largest producer of Paraformaldehyde. It employs around 120 people at its Mainz facility located close to the River Rhine and the port of … Read more
W. R. Grace & Co. announced today that it has signed an agreement with TechnipFMC PLC to jointly develop improved catalyst and process technology related to TechnipFMC Deep Catalytic Cracking (TDCC). TDCC is a high-severity fluid catalytic cracking process licensed by TechnipFMC and designed to produce very high yields of propylene and other petrochemical feedstocks. … Read more
A joint lab project between Wacker Chemie AG and Beijing Oriental Yuhong Waterproof Technology Co., Ltd. was officially launched in Beijing on Thursday, aiming to further strengthen the upstream-downstream cooperation in the waterproof coatings industry. With the joint labs set up in respective workplaces, the two companies will work together on the fundamental research and … Read more
Nippon Paint Holdings Co. will acquire major Australian paint company, DuluxGroup Ltd. for 300.5 billion yen ($ 2.7 billion) to strengthen its foothold in the overseas market, the two companies announced on Wednesday. The leading manufacturer of paint and coating aims to close the deal by mid – August to purchase DuluxGroup, which has the … Read more
Evonik announced on Monday that the company is commissioning a new plant initially for the production of KALCATTM and in the long-term also Metalyst Activated Metal Catalysts at its Catalyst’s manufacturing site in Dombivli, India. This new state of the art production facility allows Evonik to fully utilize its capacities in Dombivli while establishing significant … Read more
BASF SE will increase production capacity in Guaratinguetá, Brazil, for its sodium methylate plant. The nameplate capacity will increase by 30 %, from 60,000 metric tons to 80,000 metric tons. By 2020, the new capacity is expected to become operational. Sodium methylate is an effective and reliable catalyst that provides a sustainable solution for biodiesel production … Read more
Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, announced on Monday that after an extensive search, the Board has selected Lori Ryerkerk to succeed Rohr as CEO. The appointments are effective May 1, 2019, and at that time Ryerkerk will also join Celanese’s Board. Mark Rohr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), will assume … Read more
Merck KGaA won Versum board’s support for a $ 6.5 billion sweetened takeover offer, reversing an agreed merger with rival Entegris. “This proposal constitutes a ‘Superior Proposal’ as defined in Versum’s previously announced merger agreement with Entegris, Inc.,” Versum said in a statement on Monday. After reviewing business data and following meetings between Merck KGaA Chief … Read more
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) has started production of a new version of its dibenzoyl peroxide (BPO), Perkadox GB-50, at Los Reyes, Mexico. It is the first dry BPO on the market that does not use the desensitizing agent dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), which the European Union recently reclassified as a category 1B Reproductive Toxin. Perkadox … Read more
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) will start construction in May on a project to further increase capacity for chloromethanes at its site in Frankfurt, Germany, supporting growing global customer demand. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2020. The company first increased chloromethanes production in Frankfurt in 2017; the new project will increase annual … Read more