The company said the added capacity will help to meet growing demand in various high-value applications including non-phthalate plasticizers for PVC, engineered fluids for such as refrigeration lubricants and animal feed Most of the output will be for its own captive use.

A new plant to be built on the site of its existing carboxylic acid production operation at Stenungsund, Sweden, will mirror the output of the company’s original facility and will produce acids from C3 to C9 chemistry. The dual operation will be integrated into Perstorp’s Oxo production platform.

“The expansion fits with our strategy for growth and an increased emphasis on specialty products and will reinforce our pioneering position in sustainable solutions for our key focus segments,” said Betty Lu, vice president for Oxo chemicals at Perstorp.

Lu added that the company’s acid capacity expansion is now back on track after a temporary delay due to Covid. “This investment,” she said, “will remove our last bottleneck and enable us to grow our unique non-phthalate plasticizer Pevalen and Pevalen Pro unconstrained in the coming years.”

Perstorp also uses carboxylic acids for its in-house production of various grades of food preservatives (Profina CP) and animal feed preservatives (ProSid). It claims to be the only company in the world making these products with upstream integration.

Reflecting strong demand, the Swedish producer said it plans to “significantly increase” capacity for calcium propionate, which it makes at Castellanza, near Milan, Italy. The additional volume could go on stream by early 2024. Various sites are under consideration.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist