MOSCOW (MRC) -- Akzo Nobel NV has announced that it will expand its production of biodegradable chelates, which are used in the production of detergents, using one of Ineos Nitriles Ltd.'s chemical products, as per 4-traders.
The Dutch paints-and-coatings company said its specialty chemicals unit has signed a long-term co-operation agreement with Ineos Nitriles, a producer of acrylonitrile, which is used in the automotive, home-appliance, carbon-fiber and water-purification industries.
Ineos Nitriles is part of Ineos Group Holdings SA.
With this partnership, Akzo Nobel said its specialty chemicals unit will be able to expand its chelates production in Europe and that it will invest in Ineos's production facilities in Cologne, Germany.
Construction of the new facilities is expected to start later this year, with completion due in 2020.
Demand for high-quality chelates has been increasing in the last couple of years, particularly following the European ban on phosphates in consumer automatic dishwasher detergents, Akzo Nobel said.
As MRC reported earlier, in December 2016, AkzoNobel finalized the acquisition of BASF’s global Industrial Coatings business, which supplies a range of products for industries including construction, domestic appliances, wind energy and commercial transport, strengthening its position as the global number one supplier in coil coatings.
Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
MRC