Addivant (Middlebury, Connecticut / USA; www.addivant.com) has completed the first phase of the antioxidant capacity expansion at its Saudi joint venture Gulf Stabilizers Industries (GSI, Jubail / Saudi Arabia; http://gsi.com.sa). Once the upgrade is completed, GSI will have doubled its output of hindered phenolic antioxidants “Anox 20” and “Anox PP18” as well as phosphite antioxidant “Alkanox 240” to 10,500 t/y. Addivant did not specify when the upgrade would be finished or the investment cost involved. The materials are key building blocks for GSI’s “Anox” non-dust blends (NDB).

At the same time, the board of directors of GSI – a joint venture between Addivant and Zamil Group (Al Khobar / Saudi Arabia; www.zamil.com) subsidiary Zamil ChemPlast (Al Khobar / Saudi Arabia; www.zamilchemplast.com) – announced that it plans to raise output of Anox blends to 24,000 t/y to meet growing regional demand. GSI had raised Anox NDB capacity to 21,000 t/y in 2010 – see Plasteurope.com of 24.11.2009. The company said the material allows for multiple additives to be incorporated in non-dusting physical form, raising productivity while reducing production costs.

Addivant is the former antioxidant business of Chemtura (Middlebury, Connecticut / USA; www.chemtura.com). The latter sold the business to private investor SK Capital Partners (New York / USA; www.skcapitalpartners.com) last year (see Plasteurope.com of 06.05.2013).