Arkema's purchase of peroxide operation, facility boosts base

ERJ staff report (R&PN)

Cleveland, Ohio -- The purchase of GEO Specialty Chemical Co.'s peroxide operation earlier this year has bolstered Arkema Inc.'s lineup of organic peroxides and expanded its base.

The Philadelphia-headquartered company, exhibiting for the first time at the ACS Rubber Division's Rubber Expo, recently acquired the organic peroxide business-including the Di-Cup dicumyl peroxide, Vul-Cup peroxide catalyst and other lines-for an undisclosed amount.

It made the deal to secure a solid industrial base in the U.S. for the production of the specialty peroxides, said Rich Rowe, global group president of Arkema's Functional Additives business unit.

Included in the purchase was an organic peroxides plant in Franklin, Va., that complements the offerings of the company's Functional Additives business, Leo Kasehagen, business director, automotive and initiation for functional additives, said at the ACS Rubber Expo.

"We did not make that line of peroxide in the U.S. previously, although we did in Europe," he said.

Rowe said the acquired product lines strengthen the company's range of offerings and market access in North America, bolster its position as a leader in the European market and reinforce its industrial capability globally.

Arkema's "line of organic peroxides is considered a standard in the crosslinking industry due to the products' excellent quality and ease of use," according to Kasehagen.

The company offers a variety of different organic peroxide products and chemistries for applications not only in the crosslinking and rubber industry, but also composites and polymer initiation.

In addition to its peroxides, the firm showcased its Echo A high-performance vulcanizing agent for chlorinated polyethylene at the expo.

The acquisition of the peroxide business has worked out well for Arkema, Kasehagen said.

"The things we had hoped to obtain have come to pass. We've become much stronger in terms of product production in North America," the business director said. "In one fell swoop we expanded our production line and facilities."

The plant in Virginia gives Functional Additives' North American operation three production sites in the U.S. and another in Mexico, he said.

The company also has three research and development centers and 16 primary manufacturing sites, 10 of which are dedicated to the production of a broad range of organic peroxides worldwide.

"This demonstrates that we're investing in our business, adding products and helping our customers," Kasehagen said. "It strengthens our company and makes it easier for our customers" to purchase a broader line of products.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)