NEWS
Preventol boost at Lanxess
At the cost of “ a singledigit million euro amount ”, Lanxess ’ s Material Protection Products ( MPP ) business unit is expanding capacity for the active ingredient Preventol CMK ( chlorocresol ) at Krefeld-Uerdingen , Germany , by around 50 %. This will be completed within Q1 , the firm said . Preventol CMK is a registered active ingredient for disinfection and preservation . Lanxess , which is the world ’ s largest producer , uses it in its own formulations marketed under the Preventol and Virkon brands . Preventol is also used in industrial preservation for its broad spectrum of activity against moulds , bacteria and yeasts , notably in leather preservation and in construction , where it can replace products containing formaldehyde . Demand is growing particularly rapidly in human and animal disinfectants , including hospital and household care settings , thanks mainly to African swine fever , avian influenza and the COVID pandemic . This is expected to continue even after the pandemic , due to increased hygiene awareness , the company said . MPP has also joined up with Matrìca up to produce sustainable preservatives from renewable raw materials . The Matrìca plant at Porto Torres in Sardinia will supply it with bio-based raw materials from vegetable oils , which it will use to manufacture a new series of industrial preservatives in the Preventol range . Matrìca is a joint venture between Versalis and Novamont , a specialist in bioplastics and biochemicals . It makes the Matrilox range of bioproducts based on mono- and dicarboxylic acids and esters , using a technology that “ aims to use the molecular complexity of the vegetable raw material to produce chemicals with high added value ” for applications including paints and inks , bioplastics , biolubricants and bioherbicides .
Minafin partners with Origin
The US-based Green Chemistry division of the Minafin Group has formed a strategic partnership with Origin Materials of West Sacramento in California to industrialise speciality products based on Origin ’ s biobased , carbon-negative materials in the pharmaceutical , agricultural , cosmetics and personal care , and automotive industries . No further terms were disclosed .
MAR / APR 2022
This will involve multiple collaboration areas , the firms said . Minafin affiliate Pennakem and Origin will seek to develop new technologies to expand the market for Pennakem ’ s biobased products , while the EcoXtract unit is in discussions with Origin to commercialise its biobased extraction process , which has been used to extract plant oils for food , cosmetics and other applications , using materials produced by Origin .
Oaktree invests in Draslovka
Oaktree Capital Management is to invest $ 150 million in Czech firm Draslovka , “ providing preferred equity capital to support the company ’ s growth strategy ”. This follows multiple recent acquisitions by Draslovksa , a family-owned specialist in CN-based chemicals , including next generation fumigants and biocides . Simultaneously , Draslovka completed the acquisition of Australia ’ s Mining & Process Solutions ( MPS ), which owns exclusive rights to Curtin University ’ s glycine leaching process , an environmentally benign hydrometallurgical process to leach base and precious metal oxide , mixed oxide and sulphide ores . Terms were not disclosed . Draslovka , which is already the global market leader in chemicals for gold and silver mining , said that MPS adds an “ environmentally sustainable solution ” for the extraction of precious metals , plus copper , nickel and cobalt . Glycine leaching technology will also diversify its portfolio into sensitive locations where other forms of leaching are not suitable . This follows on from Draslovka ’ s acquisition of Chemours ’ Mining Solutions business , which was completed in December 2021 . The company said that the integration process is “ well under way and exceeding initial expectations ”. It also sought to buy Sasol ’ s sodium cyanide business but this was blocked by the South African competition authorities .
Draslova site in the Czech Republic