Wacker Chemie is to invest an amount in the “low triple-digit million euro range” on a new, 20,000 tonnes/year silicones facility at Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic. Development work on the site is set to begin shortly, with construction starting in Q2, subject to approval by the authorities. It is due onstream at the start of 2025 and will create up to 20 jobs.
German speciality chemicals group Altana has agreed to acquire the Silberline Group subject to customary closing conditions. Terms are not being disclosed. The business will henceforth form part of Altana’s Eckart division. Based in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, Silberline employs over 450 people and had sales of about $80 million in 2022. It makes effect pigments for applications ranging from automotive coatings and printing inks to plastics, protective coatings and packaged consumer goods.
Solenis is to invest $193 million to expand its operation in Suffolk, Virginia. It will build a 7,400 m2 production facility, packaging facility and tank farm for polyvinylamine (PVAm) polymers and a rail spur. This will create 34 jobs. PVAm polymers are mainly used in paper and cardboard manufacturing.
“As demand rises for sustainable manufacturing operations, this new facility not only ensures we have capacity to supply the paper packaging market, it will also help us diversify into other applications that can drive additional growth,” said CEO John Panichella.
Ecolab has opened its new manufacturing plant in the Ho Nai Industrial Park, near Ho Chi Minh City. Covering 30,000 m2 and featuring a laboratory, manufacturing facility and warehouse, this will bring the company’s workforce in Vietnam to more than 100 and supply multiple industrial markets, including healthcare, building facilities, food and beverage processing, manufacturing, transportation, pulp and paper, microelectronics, petrochemicals and power generation.
BASF and Swedish firm have entered into a black mass purchase agreement. This is described as part of a broader collaboration, with the goal of setting up a battery recycling value chain for the European electric vehicle (EV) battery market.
The AGI Group has acquired Chemtrix, a Netherlands-based maker of flow reactors for industry and academia. It said that this “will bring flow chemistry scale-up capabilities into the AGI Group, supporting both pilot and manufacturing solutions”. Terms were not disclosed.
US custom manufacturing firm MFG Chemical has acquired Masters Company from private ownership. Terms were not disclosed and the deal has already been completed. Masters is based in Chicago and is active in the water treatment market, mainly in North America, though it has some international customers. It supplies reagents and test kits, carries out custom blending and manufacturing, makes private label products and offers analytical services for industrial water treatment.
