Arkema plans to acquire Organic Peroxide business of GEO Specialty Chemicals

12-Dec-08

French chemical company Arkema is planning to acquire the Organic Peroxide Business of the American company GEO Specialty Chemicals to fortify its Performance Products segment. "With this acquisition, Arkema will secure a solid industrial base in the United States for the production of specialty organic peroxides," explains Rich Rowe, Managing Director of Arkema's Functional Additives business unit. The Organic Peroxide Business of GEO Specialty Chemicals focuses on the manufacture and marketing of specialty products predominantly for the North American market. The world's second largest organic peroxide producer, Arkema also operates production plants in Asia (China, Korea, India and Japan), and in Europe (Germany and Italy). GEO's organic peroxides are produced at Franklin, Virginia. This site will complement Arkema's production in the Americas, which includes the Geneseo (NY), Crosby (TX), El Chapo, (Mexico) and Rio Claro (Brazil) facilities. Arkema's organic peroxide range, marketed under the tradename Luperox®, includes polymerization initiators, crosslinking agents for rubber and polyethylene, and curing agents for unsaturated polyester resins.