AkzoNobel has finalized a deal to acquire Brazil’s Polinox, a leading South American producer of ketone peroxides, which are used in the manufacture of polymers. Included in the purchase are Polinox’s brands and trademarks, including Brasnox, Perbenzox and TecnoxSuper, as well as its customer list and production knowhow.

The Dutch paints and coatings group said the move will establish it as one of the region’s leading producers of curing systems for polyester thermoset resins. AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals will invest to add capacity at its own site in Itupeva, Brazil, and transfer manufacturing there after the expansion is completed.

Johan Landfors, AkzoNobel’s executive committee member responsible for polymer chemistry, commented: “Over the past three years, we have invested more than €180 million to better serve our customers, upgrade technologies, increase capacity, and reposition our global manufacturing footprint. The acquisition of Polinox presents a great opportunity to further strengthen our presence in the South American market."

Financial terms of the acquisition, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, were not disclosed.

Earlier this month, AkzoNobel broke ground on an organic peroxide plant in Tianjin, China. The €90 million facility will replace the company’s existing organic peroxides plant in China, supporting efforts by Chinese authorities to optimize urban planning and upgrade its chemical industry. The project, scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2020, will expand capacity between 30% and 70% depending on product line.

In May, the Amsterdam-headquartered firm announced another €4 million investment to upgrade its organic peroxides plant in Mahad, India, hiking output by 80% to meet growing demand from domestic customers and those in the Middle East.

Other organic peroxide projects include a €12 million upgrade and expansion in Los Reyes, Mexico, as well as a second-phase expansion in Ningbo, China, where capacity for crosslinking agency dicumyl peroxide (DCP) will double to 38,000 t/y by the third quarter of 2018.