NEWS
Oxiteno to extend Indorama in surfactants
Indorama Ventures ( IVL ) has acquired Brazilian firm Oxiteno from the Ultra Group in a $ 1.3 billion deal that should close in Q1 2022 , subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions . This will bring a significantly extended business in high-value surfactants within the Integrated Oxides & Derivatives ( IOD ) business , as well as other speciality chemicals . IVL expects synergies of $ 100 million by 2025 via portfolio adjustments , asset optimisation and operational improvements . “ This acquisition is a natural fit for us , said Aloke Lohia , CEO of Banngkok-based IVL . “ We have a solid track record of continuously driving value for shareholders through successfully integrating 50 acquisitions over the past 20 years .” These include the chemical intermediates and surfactants assets of Huntsman in January 2020 Oxiteno dates back to 1973 . It now has 11 industrial units in Brazil , Mexico , Uruguay and , most recently , Pasadena , Texas . There are also two global R & D centres , three R & D facilities and eight commercial offices in Argentina , Belgium , China and Colombia . The markets it sells into include home and personal care , agrochemicals , coatings , and oil and gas .
Lohia – Oxiteno a natural fit for IVL
Tasha Cerda ( right ), mayor of Gardena , California , presented a ‘ Certificate of Recognition ’ to Jobe Dubbs ( left ) and Myles Payne ( centre ), VP of marketing and CFO of Spectrum Chemical on the 50th anniversary of its foundation by Paul Burg in Gardena on 20 August 1971 . The company , which now supplies fine chemicals and lab equipment to over 70 countries , also marked the day with a donation of PPE and other safety products to local first responders .
Greening SPPS with Bachem
Bachem , the world ’ s largest
Reactor at Bachem ’ s site in Switzerland peptides manufacturer , has announced some results from two studies it carried out with Novo Nordisk , seeking to make solidphase peptide synthesis ( SPPS ) more environmentally friendly . SPPS requires large volumes of solvents and the current gold standards are N-dimethylformamide ( DMF ), dichloromethane and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone , thanks to their excellent solubilisation and stability properties for reagents and resin-swelling capabilities . All are also hazardous and face restrictions under REACH . Bachem and Novo Nordisk first investigated the properties of 19 solvents with acceptable REACH profiles that could be used neat or in mixtures . They found that binary mixtures with similar polarity and viscosity profiles to DMF , such as dimethyl sulfoxide with ethyl acetate , 1,3-dioxolane or 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran , to be both viable and less toxic . The second study focused on how such mixtures influence Fmocremoval , peptide coupling and common side reactions in SPPS , then used them to synthesise “ a range of challenging model peptides and peptide therapeutics on meaningful scale ”, proving them to be viable green alternatives to DMF . The polarity and viscosity profile of a binary solvent mixture can be used to predict its usability in SPPS , they found . In addition , it was established that varying the composition of the mixture during synthesis “ represents a novel and simple tool to mitigate certain side reactions in SPPS ”, for example an Arglactamisation in the synthesis of Bivalirudin at 7.5 mmol scale . “
14 ESTABLISHED 1981