Clariant has announced plans to expand capacity for its Hostapon range of sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) mild surfactants in Europe and USA.

Production in Tarragona, Spain, and Mount Holly, North Carolina will be increased and modernized with the additional output coming onstream during the first quarter of 2021. The projects will also optimize energy consumption and aggregate options for new SI grades (different carbon chains).

The Swiss specialty chemicals company said the investment is in support of the increasing shift by personal care formulators and brands toward using mild surfactants to differentiate applications. It also supports the growing consumer trend for hygiene products.

“Mild surfactants are a growing sector driven by consumers seeking new mildness claims, invaluable in helping formulators to answer needs for mild cleansing hygiene, sensitive skin solutions, solid formats and more natural ingredients,” said Christian Vang, global head of Clariant’s Industrial & Consumer Specialties business unit.

Clariant’s Hostapon SCI grades are natural (plant-based) anionic mild surfactants that are non-irritant, ultra-mild and compliant with a number of industry-recognized ecolabels.

Separately, Clariant announced in late May that its Catofin catalysts have been selected by Advanced Global Investment Company (AGIC) for its propane dehydrogenation (PDH) project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

AGIC, a joint venture between Advanced Petrochemical and SK Group, is building a PDH facility based on McDermott’s Lummus technology and producing more than 840,000 t/y of propylene.

Construction is expected to start in 2021 with commercial operations scheduled by the second half of 2024.