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Fujifilm to buy Entregris semiconductor chemicals business

Fujifilm has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire KMG Corporation, the semiconductor high purity process chemicals (HPPC) business of Entegris for $700 million. This will bring it 12 new sites, including seven manufacturing sites in the US, Europe and Singapore, employing about 560.

The company said that it will now be able to offer a wider range of electronic chemicals, including KMG’s line of HPPCs for etching and cleaning silicon wafers. It will also add KMG’s Total Chemical Management (TCM) business, which includes logistical services in Southeast Asia and Europe.

Evonik expands in Asian alkoxides

Evonik has begun construction of a new production plant for alkoxides on Jurong Island in Singapore. Described as a “mid double-digit million-euro investment” this will complement sites in Germany, Argentina and the US, supplying the growing Asia-Pacific market when it comes onstream at the end of 2024. The aim is to achieve zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions.

Nobian and Vulcan in lithium partnership

Vulcan Energy Resources and Nobian have announced today that they have signed a term sheet for a proposed strategic partnership aiming to jointly develop and operate a lithium hydroxide plant for electric vehicle batteries in Germany. This builds on 15 months of collaboration between the two firms but is not legally binding on the two parties in most respects.

Merck to grow speciality gases

Merck KGaA has reached an agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support a €300 million investment to expand its semiconductor manufacturing site in Hometown (pictured) by further develop the world's largest integrated speciality gases facility. About 68 new jobs will be created.

This is part of the Electronics business sector’s Level Up growth programme, which envisages spending over €3 billion in innovation and capacity expansion projects in the US, Germany and Asia by the end of 2025. Other investments to date and ongoing include:

Albemarle plans ‘Mega-Flex’ facility

Albemarle has announced plans to locate its previously announced lithium hydroxide ‘Mega-Flex’ facility in Chester County, South Carolina. The initial investment will be at least $1.3 billion, due to surging demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and lithium-ion batteries worldwide.

Pending permitting approvals, the facility will be located within an area of about 320 hectares. It is projected to create more than 300 new, permanent jobs and sustain more than 1,500 construction jobs.

Double Asian advance for Evonik

Evonik is making a “mid-double-digit million euro investment” in a production facility for its Aeroxide brand of fumed aluminium oxide at its site in Yokkaichi, Japan (pictured). This will be its first alumina plant in Asia and will be geared to making ultra-thin separator coatings the next generation lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Construction will begin this summer for a scheduled opening in 2025.

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