BARRFLEX® TU: A JOINT VENTURE TO MAKE THE FLEXIBLE LINES OF THE FUTURE
Arkema and Barrday, a Canadian composite materials specialist, announced the creation of Barrflex® TU in September 2018. The joint venture will design and market high-performance carbon fiber and specialty polymer tapes
made from polyamide grades 11 and 12, PVDF and PEKK). The joint venture will pool the partners’ complementary expertise and innovation capabilities to meet the oil and gas industry’s latest requirements: lighter materials (to replace metal)
and more corrosion-resistant flexible lines for deep offshore and unconventional onshore production.
THE HONFLEUR PLANT IN FRANCE DOUBLES ITS MOLECULAR SIEVE CAPACITY
In 2017, Arkema invested €57 million to double the production capacity of its molecular sieve plant in Honfleur, France. This flagship site, which exports 95% of its production to Asia, the Americas and the Middle East, added two
new production lines to keep up with its customers’ growth. In partnership with Axens, it is developing a new, high-value-added activity at Honfleur: producing molecular sieves to separate isomers from xylene. The move is designed to fill
a huge order for 4,000 tons of sieves from a customer in Asia building a plant to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make bottles and textile fibers. More broadly, Arkema
pursues a proactive innovation policy in the field of molecular sieves, filing six to eight patents a year.
Solid Market Positions
Prochinor®, Inipol®, Bactiram®, Norust®
Buoyed by an ever-expanding lineup and a portfolio of more than 600 products, Arkema is a leader in the petroleum additives market in Africa and the Middle East, as aging wells drive growth in demand.
DMDS and Carelflex®
The undisputed global leader in dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) production, with unmatched operational know-how in the form of the Carelflex® service, Arkema is keeping pace with the growth of the world refining market — estimated at 7.6 million additional barrels a day between 2017 and 2022 — and the lower sulfur cap for fuels.
Spotleak® and Vigileak®
With an extensive line of natural gas and LPG odorants, plus a network in Europe, the U.S., Asia and South America recognized for its operational and technical excellence, Arkema is a leader in this moderately but steadily growing market. We also provide new solutions such as odorants for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Siliporite®
Active in the Middle Eastern, Asian and North American markets, Arkema is the world’s second-largest supplier of molecular sieve drying and purification solutions, in both the refining and petrochemical sectors.
Rilsan®, Kynar® and Kepstan®
Arkema is a partner of choice for major producers in Brazil, Africa (Nigeria, Angola) and the North Sea, to jointly design subsea flexible lines thanks to a wide range of technical polymers that can handle various operating conditions. Examples include Rilsan® polyamide 11 grades, Kynar® PVDF and, in the future, Kepstan® PEKK.
