Arkema (Colombes / France; www.arkema.com) has announced plans to divest its tin stabilisers activities to performance chemicals and plastics producer PMC Group (Mount Laurel, New Jersey / USA; www.pmc-group.com). Tin stabilisers are organometallic products used to prevent heat-induced decomposition during the processing of PVC into finished products.

Arkema said the divestment of the tin stabilisers business, which belong to its Functional Additives division, is part of plans to refocus its activities on fast-growing core specialty businesses. Following the divestment, the Functional Additives division will be refocused on organic peroxides used as reaction initiators for commodity polymers, acrylic impact modifiers and glass coating chemicals for the manufacture of flat glass and bottles.

The tin stabilisers business includes “Thermolite” heat stabilisers, used in PVC production, and “Fascat” catalysts, used in automotive applications. Arkema said the business has sales of approximately EUR 180m and 234 employees, spread among four industrial sites. Two sites in the USA and one in China will be transferred to PMC, while a fourth site, in Vlissingen / The Netherlands, will be run by Arkema on behalf of PMC.

The divestment is expected to be completed in autumn. It follows the completion earlier this month of the sale of Arkema’s vinyl products activities to Swiss family-owned Klesch Group (Geneva; www.klesch.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 06.07.2012.