AkzoNobel has announced two steps in strengthening its global position in the market of monochloroacetic acid (MCA). Recently it has commissioned its expanded Delfzijl MCA facility in the Netherlands, which now has a capacity exceeding 100,000 mt/year. In parallel, AkzoNobel is to further increase MCA production capacity at its Taixing site in China to also reach a level of 100,000 mt/year.

Jürgen Baune, general manager of AkzoNobel's MCA business, said the company's key focus will be to serve the increasing demand for high purity MCA in main end markets like agrochemicals, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), surfactants and thioglycolic acid. The company estimates the global MCA market at about 650,000 mt/year.

In addition to the Delfzijl and Taixing plants AkzoNobel operates MCA facilities in the U.S. and in Japan via Denak, a 50/50 joint venture between AkzoNobel and Denki Kagaku Kogyo.