NEWS
IN BRIEF
Betaines plant divested Evonik and its joint venture partner PT Sumi Asih have sold the betaines site in Bekasi, Indonesia, to South Korean’ s Aekyung Chemical. This follows the sale of similar Evonik businesses in the UK in 2020 and the US in 2022, and the consolidation of its European betaines operation at Essen, Germany. The move is part of the company’ s transition into a focus on sustainable specialities.
IMCD buys in South Korea IMCD is to acquire Dong Yang FT to boost its presence in the South Korean personal care market. Based in Seoul, Dong Yang distributes cosmetic ingredients, working with cosmetic manufacturers across the beauty and personal care sector. It employs 14 people, turned over about € 34 million in 2024 and has its own R & D laboratory.
Kemira completes US buy Kemira has completed the $ 150 million acquisition of Nebraskabased Water Engineering, a deal that was originally announced on 30 August. Water Engineering, which specialises in industrial water treatment services, for the food and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare and other sectors, will become part of Kemira ' s Water Solutions business unit.
Two milestones at Daya Bay
Clariant has unveiled an expansion at its facility in Daya Bay, China, that has boosted its capacity in two areas of speciality chemicals for personal and home care applications and pharmaceutical excipients. This came only three weeks after the firm completed a second production line for its Exolit brand of halogen-free flame retardants there.
An additional reactor has been installed in the multi-purpose plant which makes speciality chemicals, including mild surfactants for personal care and soil release polymers for home care under the Texcare brand. This expansion has significantly increased Clariant ' s ethylene oxide derivatives capacity.
The pharmaceutical expansion includes a second spray tower specifically for API customers in south China. The total cost of this expansion was € 86 million.
The new line for flame retardants, meanwhile, will become fully operational in November and will supply the rapidly expanding e-mobility sector in the Asia-Pacific region. It completes a separate € 107 million investment at the site.
Clariant has also launched two new Exolit OP flame retardants specifically designed for polybutylene terephthalate applications in e-mobility. Exolit OP 1242( TP) is said to offer exceptional hydrolysis stability, while Exolit OP 1266( TP) provides a stable comparative tracking index of 600 V, even after extended storage periods.
Southern Ionics expand Southern Ionics is to expand capacity, make infrastructure improvements and add sodium metabisulfite production at its site in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Sodium metabisulfite is used as a preservative, antioxidant and reducing agent in applications including food and beverage, animal feed and pharmaceuticals, plus some industrial processes. There is currently insufficient capacity in North America to meet demand.
BASF is to build an ultra-pure, electronic-grade ammonium hydroxide( NH4OH EG) plant at its main site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Operations are expected to start in 2027. It will supply wafer cleaning, etching and other precision processes in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. The company said that the need for high-purity semiconductor-grade chemicals“ has been accelerated by a close cooperation partner of BASF, who is currently building a new chip production plant in Europe”. This is one of several search plants currently being constructed or expanded in Europe.
8 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981