Lubrizol to spend US$40 mln to expand a specialty polymer plant in Calvert City

31-May-10

Lubrizol Corp. plans to spend US$40 mln to expand a specialty polymer plant in Calvert City, as per Plasticsnews. The investment will increase capacity for Lubrizol’s Carbopol-brand polymers, which are rheology modifiers used as thickeners in shampoos and other personal care products. Carbopol is sold in both powder and liquid form. The project will include construction of a new building and installation of proprietary machinery. The firm will receive a US$3 million tax incentive under the Kentucky Reinvestment Act for the expansion. The investment is being made “in response to increasing market demand and in anticipation of future growth,” Lubrizol executive Tom Malafronte said. Lubrizol’s Advanced Materials business also includes Estane-brand thermoplastic polyurethanes. The business had sales of US$1.3 bln in 2009, representing about 30% of Lubrizol’s total for the year.