Ethoxylates work up a lather; U.S. leads expansion and realignment. (Soaps & Detergents) (Industry Overview)

Chemical Week, January, 1994 by Morris, Gregory DL

The US ethoxylate industry will undergo substantial realignment in 1994. In the commodity sector, comprising alcohol ethoxylates (AE) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE), the market leader Shell Chemical Co is in the middle of an expansion of its AE facility. Hoechst Celanese Corp will build a new plant and recently acquired Union Carbide Corp's AE business. Union Carbide, in turn, acquired the NPE business of Rohm and Haas Co. Texaco Chemical Co, the only manufacturer of both commodity and specialty ethoxylates, will be acquired by Huntsman Corp.

By this time next year the North American ethoxylates business will be substantially changed: Texaco Chemical is becoming Huntsman Corp., most companies are expanding, and commodity producers are increasing their...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Premium Content Partnership | HighBeam Research provides an in-depth online archive library of reference works.