Emerald Kalama Chemical, a business group of Emerald PerformanceMaterials,announced
that the company’s board of directors has
approved the plan to add a second benzoic acid purification and finishing process
at its facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The new process will add an additional
100,000 metric tons per year capacity of
high purity benzoic acid (Purox B) and
also provide an increased production capability for benzaldehyde. The project is
slated for completion in late 2016.
The company previously announced it
had begun engineering the expansion in
April, which would focus on high purity
benzoic acid to support growing demand
for the company’s Kalama and Purox
brands of benzoic acid flakes, sodium
benzoate granules and liquid benzoic
acid, which it provides for food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical and
a variety of industrial applications. The
main products from the company’s reactor train – benzoic acid and benzaldehyde
– are key intermediates used for the production of important downstream products, notably K-FLEX plasticizers and the
Kalama aroma chemical line.
“Reassessing our long-term strategic
plan for our key intermediates, our ex-
pectations for benzoic acid continue to
show strong growth and track according
to plan,” said Hubert Degens, vice presi-
dent of the Emerald Kalama Chemical
Benzoates and Intermediates business.
“In addition, our recent acquisition of
Innospec Widnes Ltd.’s aroma chemical
business — and growth plans for that
platform — are in line with our increased
production capacity for benzaldehyde.”
The company has been produc-
ing benzoic acid at its Rotterdam and
U.S. operations for more than 50 years.
Emerald Kalama Chemical’s portfolio of
benzoic acid products is FDA-approved
and GRAS-classified. The Rotterdam op-
eration is also certified to meet or exceed
a number of important quality standards,
including ISO-9001, ISO-14001, HACCP,
FamiQS and FSSC22000.
Lubrizol Expands Solsperse
Hyperdispersant Capacity
in the U.S.
The Lubrizol Corporation has announced
the launch of a new hyperdispersant reactor at its Avon Lake, Ohio facility. The
unit will be used for the manufacture
of Solsperse hyperdispersants. Through
excellent dispersion stability, Solsperse
hyperdispersants enable premium levels
of appearance and performance while
driving improvements to manufacturing
efficiency and quality in the production
of a wide ranges of paints, coatings, colorants and inks. The launch follows recent
expansion of hyperdispersant capacity in
Europe. Taken together, the recent actions
in the U.S. and Europe will significantly
increase Lubrizol’s ability to produce
Solsperse hyperdispersants to meet growing demand worldwide.
Commenting on the new U.S.-based
capacity, Tom Keir, director of product
management, said, “Our investment in
this new manufacturing unit underlines
our commitment to bringing high-value
dispersant chemistry to the global mar-
ket. The improved efficiency and opera-
tional flexibility offered by this added
capacity, coupled with our recent expan-
sion in Europe, will enable us to provide
our customers with a diversity of options
to meet their needs.”
The addition of the new reactor re-
quired additional operator resources as
well, growing the number of employees
at the Avon Lake facility by five percent.
Evonik Opens New
Business And Innovation
Center In Greater Richmond
Global specialty chemical company Evonik Industries has inaugurated its Richmond Business and
Innovation Center in Richmond, VA.
Dr. Klaus Engel, Chairman of the
Executive Board of Evonik Industries
AG, along with other company execu-
tives and state, county and local officials,
cut the ribbon for the new $15.4 million
facility in the Greater Richmond area as
more than 140 employees, dignitaries and
guests marked the occasion.
“At Evonik, new ideas are being in-
cubated while I speak,” Engel said. “Our
intention is to turn Evonik into one of the
most innovative companies in the world.
Evonik’s vigorous culture of innova-
tion will be further strengthened by our
new Richmond Business and Innovation
Center. The center will not only develop
new products and processes but also
bring together colleagues from different
parts of the company to identify break-
through technologies.”
In its continuous pursuit of innova-
tion, Engel noted that Evonik has estab-
lished strong relationships with leading
universities, around the world. “Here in
Richmond, we are collaborating with
Virginia Commonwealth University,”
Engel said. “We are participating in a
design project for process sustainability
with VCU’s Engineering College and we
are actively engaged with one-on-one dis-
cussions with renowned professors.”
“Rather than build an Innovation
Center elsewhere, Evonik purchased
a vacant 96,000 square foot structure
here and transformed it into a state-of-
the art Business and Innovation Center,”
DelGuercio said. “We expect to grow and
add 50 jobs over the next five years. In
addition, by locating the Center in the
Greater Richmond area, Evonik pre-
served 125 local full-time jobs.”
With the new facility, Evonik more
than doubles its laboratory and commer-
cial space in the Greater Richmond area.
Emerald Kalama Chemical to Break Ground
on $40 Million Expansion at Rotterdam Site
