Its ongoing operation under Chapter 11 in the US – for most recent coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 27.10.2010 – has not hindered US speciality chemicals manufacturer Chemtura (Middlebury, Connecticut; www.chemtura.com) from continuing to invest in its global facilities.

At a press conference held during “K 2010” in Düsseldorf / Germany, the company announced that its Organometallic Specialities business has made substantial investments in its facilities in the Middle East and Germany to meet the olefin polymerisation market’s growing demand for precursors and organometallic catalyst components. The project of building a new world-scale metal alkyls plant in Jubail Industrial City / Saudi Arabia, which Chemtura is undertaking together with its Saudi partner Al Zamil Group Holding Company (Al Khobar; www.zamil.com), is well on track, the group says, with the plant expected to come on stream in 2012. In addition, the US group’s organometallic plant in Bergkamen / Germany also is set to undergo further capacity expansion.

Overall, Chemtura believes future polymer growth will come mainly from the Middle East and the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. To make the most of this planned growth, the group plans to expand its facilities in the Middle East, including at its Gulf Stabilizers Industries (GSI, Jubail Industrial City / Saudi Arabia; www.gsi.com.sa) joint venture, which it says is the region’s only backward integrated producer of non dust blends (NDBs). To meet growing demand in Asia, Chemtura has increased stabiliser capacity at its plant in Pyongtaek / Korea, and is also planning to up the industrial ante in Brazil and China. Despite the regional focus on the Mideast and BRIC countries, the speciality chemicals manufacturer also recently announced plans to increase alkylated phenol capacity at its plant in Catenoy / France.

Aside from making major investments throughout the globe, Chemtura also recently rebranded its flame retardant, brominated performance products and fumigants business. Great Lakes Solutions (Wast Lafayette, Indiana / USA; www.greatlakes.com) made its debut at K 2010, introducing a new line of greener flame retardant products marketed under the brand name “Emerald”. The old-new division has introduced three new flame retardant products earmarked for the E&E and building and construction industries and plans to introduce a fourth Emerald grade in the coming weeks.

The new name takes the group back to its founding moments – in 2005, then-Great Lakes Chemical had merged with Crompton. The new company was named – you guessed it – Chemtura – see Plasteurope.com of 02.06.2005. So it is with a nod to its past that the new business aims to carve out a role for itself to realise its slogan: “For a better tomorrow”.