Nouryon said it plans to acquire the merchant triethyl aluminum (TEAL) business of South African petchems giant Sasol. Terms were not disclosed.

The deal is expected to be finalized during the second quarter, and Nouryon said it plans to gradually incorporate Sasol’s production into its Rotterdam operation.

Metal alkyls are used in catalysts such as Ziegler-Natta, single-site and other specialized systems for production of high-volume plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene includes a specialty fleet of returnable cylinders.

For the former Akzo Nobel specialty chemicals arm, the acquisition is the latest in a series of moves aimed at significantly increasing its footprint in the metal alkyls market. It follows the expansion of capacity at Rotterdam and the acquisition of Zhejiang Friend Chemical, China’s largest producer of TEAL.

“Our ambition is to strengthen our leadership position in catalysts to the global polymer industry and this acquisition allows us to take the next step in that journey,” said Johan Landfors, president of Technology Solutions at Nouryon.

Landfors added that the company will continue to focus on building this part of its business and expects to make more bolt-on additions to it in the future.