Nouryon to acquire metal alkyl business

SPECIALTY chemicals company Nouryon is to acquire the merchant triethyl aluminium (TEAL) business from Sasol, an integrated energy and chemical company. This includes Sasol’s specialty fleet of returnable cylinders.

TEAL is essential in the production of high-volume plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene, where it acts as a co-catalyst. It is also used to produce medium-chain alcohols.

The acquisition is the latest move in a series Nouryon has made to significantly increase its footprint in the metal alkyls market. It follows expansion of production capacity at Nouryon’s Rotterdam site, and acquisition of the metal alkyls producer Zhejiang Friend Chemical, in China.

According to Johan Landfors, President of Technology Solutions at Nouryon, the move comes as the next step in achieving the company’s ambition to strengthen its leadership position in catalysts for the global polymer industry.

The transaction is expected to finalise in Q2, after which Nouryon plans to gradually move production to its Rotterdam site.

Landfors commented: “We will continue to focus on building this part of our business and expect that we will make more bolt-on additions to our business in the future.”