FRANKFURT, GERMANY: AkzoNobel Industrial Chemicals and Fluorchemie have formed a joint venture CF Carbons GmbH for production, marketing and sales of the fluorocarbon HCFC22 (R22) at Frankfurt, Germany. Financial details were not disclosed. The 50:50 joint venture of CF Carbons will be effective as of January 1, 2012.
AkzoNobel brings to the joint venture its knowhow about chlorine production, whereas Fluorchemie brings the production assets and its fluorine knowledge. The R22 plant has a production capacity of 24 kt/yr.
According to Erhard Leistner, CF Carbons’ Managing Director and Dr Christian Rocktaschel, Owner, Fluorchemie Group, the co operation on R22 is essential for both AkzoNobel Industrial Chemicals and Fluorchemie. “This co operation improves the security of supply of R22 which will be of interest to all players in the fluoropolymer markets in Europe as well as globally,” both said.
With the joint venture, AkzoNobel secures its supply position for chloroform and Fluorchemie secures its supply position of hydrofluoric acid (HF), both of which are main raw materials for the production of R 22, the companies informed.
R22 is the most important feedstock for PTFE, which is seeing growth of 4 per cent/year. Also future potential for R22 lies in a newly developed refrigerant and as a substitute for automotive air-conditioning systems. The joint venture will have its operation in Frankfurt where AkzoNobel in June 2011 announced a €140 million investment to convert its chlorine plant to the membrane electrolysis technology. The plant will come on stream in the fourth quarter of 2013.
(C) WOC News