Perstorp is increasing production capacity for 2-ethylhexanoic acid, a chemical intermediate that can be used to make synthetic lubricants and oil additives, the company announced last week.
The company, based in Malmo, Sweden, said it has already started implementing the expansion. Perstorp says it has the largest 2-EHAcid production capacity in the world.
The company did not disclose the size or cost of the project.
“As industries are recovering and adjusting to the ongoing pandemic, demand for 2-EHA has increased significantly in the past two quarters, indicating an increased demand for high quality raw materials,” Betty Lu, vice president of business management oxo at Perstorp, said in a June 2 press release. “We have continued to successfully serve our customers with 2-EHA and are now investing in this expansion to meet future needs.” Perstorp’s business manager, Sam Chia, said: “We see that the market development for several applications where 2-EHA is crucial requires that we respond with an increased production capacity. We are already in the implementation phase and in just over six months from now we expect to offer more 2-EHA to the market than today.”