Arkema acquires rubber peroxide supplier Oxido

Paris - Arkema has acquired Oxido, a supplier of organic peroxides used mainly as crosslinking agents in the synthetic rubber industry, the French group announced.

Oxido, based in Anagni, central Italy, specialises in the formulation of organic peroxides for the curing of rubber and other polymers. It is now part of Arkema’s High Performance Materials business following the deal completed 2 March.

The €20-million turnover company brings synergies, as well as new capacity in the form of a project currently underway in China and due to come on stream early 2016, said Arkema.

The French chemicals company is already a major supplier of organic peroxides to sectors such as cable, automotive and construction. With the acquisition, it now manufactures organic peroxides on 12 sites around the world.

Arkema said the deal would also help support the downstream integration of its organic peroxide productions in Europe.

This project is focused on bis-peroxide for which capacities were recently increased at its Spinetta (Italy) and Franklin (US) plants to meet growth in the synthetic rubber industry.

“This acquisition reinforces our European integration structure and our leadership in organic peroxides around the Spinetta and Günzburg plants, ideally complemented by the expertise of Oxido’s Anagni plant, a centre of excellence in organic peroxide formulation,” , said Jean Saint-Donat, director Europe of Arkema’s organic peroxide business.

“By fully integrating the production chain from active substance to formulation, we are now in a position to further improve the service we offer our customers,” he added.

Image source: Arkema