NEWS
Chem Group buys MPR
Chem Group , a majority-owned affiliate of private investment firm Owner Resource Group , has acquired “ substantially all of the assets ” of MPR Services , a supplier of amine reclamation services , from Tessenderlo Kerley . This brings a facility in Alvin , Texas , which will be added to Chem Group ’ s existing three in Indiana and Arizona . Terms were not disclosed .
PQ deal complete
Cerberus Capital Management and Koch Minerals & Trading have completed the acquisition of the former PQ Group ’ s Performance Chemicals business . This will retain the name PQ and will continue to supply sodium silicates , speciality silicas and zeolites for multiple applications . The rest of the former PQ is now operating as Ecovyst .
New owner for Ascensus
New York-based private investment New Mountain Capital has acquired Ascensus Specialties from its previous majority owner , Wind Point Partners . Terms were not disclosed . Ascensus , which includes Callery Chemicals and Strem Chemicals , claims to be the world leader in borohydride , borane and speciality alcoholates , and to have achieved double-digit organic growth in recent years .
PI buys API business
PI Industries has agreed to acquire the API business of its Indian compatriot , Ind Swift Laboratories for $ 20.6 million . The company said that it “ expects to create significant value by leveraging combined capabilities and unlock synergies . The acquired business has over 20 products with global top five positions in several and a good R & D product pipeline .
New Halex plant for WeylChem
The WeylChem Group has announced that it is building the largest potassium-fluoride ( KF ) -based plant for halogen exchange ( Halex ) reactions in the Western world , at its Allessa site in the Fechenheim Industrial Park in Frankfurt . This is the largest investment in Allessa since it was incorporated into WeylChem eight years ago . The project will take two years to complete . Halex technology is used to convert chlorinated into fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbons , facilitating multiple new , multi-step syntheses that can be used to produce complex intermediates in high degrees of purity . It is mainly used in the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries , but electronic sector applications are also feasible . Some orders have already been received , the company said . WeylChem adopted the underlying technology from the Frankfurt-Griesheim site that closed in 2019 . As well as having access to the general facilities at Fechenheim , including maintenance , site safety and wastewater treatment systems , as and processes for the treatment and recycling of waste , the project was also designed around sustainability in other ways . The plant is being built in an existing production building , has an integrated energy management system and will obtain its main raw materials from nearby Frankfurt-Höchst , where WeylChem has a side-chain chlorination plant and will soon open a ring chlorination plant . In addition , the firm stated , KF technology is generally much safer than the commonly used hydrogen fluoride process . Shortly before this , WeylChem acquired Ineos Sulphur Chemicals Spain , Spain ’ s largest merchant producer of sulfuric acid . This brings with it a 350,000 tonnes / year plant in Bilbao that makes sulfuric acid derived from the sulfurburning process . It also offers oleum and molten sulfur . The plant , to be renamed WeylChem Bilbao Spain , will be combined with WeylChem ’ s French operations at Lamotte . According to WeylChem president , Uwe Brunk , the two production facilities will have a strong combined sales , distribution and logistics set-up . They will also cooperate in purchasing of raw materials and services , EH & S , engineering and regional supply chain optimisation .
WeylChem acquired Allessa in 2013
12 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981