Chattem Chemicals Inc. said last week that it has purchased the Hamposyl line of surfactants from a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Co. An official said Chattem has transferred production of the surfactants – which are used in lubricants and other applications – to its manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Chattem is a specialty chemical manufacturer, and this business fits well with some of the other products we make, such as glycene and aluminum catalysts, said Sales and Marketing Manager Art Pavlidis, who came to Chattem in the transaction.
For the past 25 years, Pavlidis had been with Hampshire Chemical Corp., the Dow subsidiary. Production facilities for the Hamposyl line had been in Nashua, New Hampshire, where Hampshire is based. The transaction included equipment and rights to the Hamposyl trademark and brand name.
The Hamposyl products are specialty surfactants used in lubricants and greases, as well as personal care applications such as shampoos and shaving gels. Pavlidis said they are suited to lubricants because of their lubricity and corrosion inhibition properties.
Chattem, a subsidiary of Elcat Inc., is based in Chattanooga. It did not disclose terms of the acquisition.