Hercules Inc. on Nov. 1 completed expansion of its Louisiana, Mo., synthetic lubricants manufacturing facility, which produces synthetic polyol esters used as lubricants for refrigeration and air conditioning applications.
The expansion doubled manufacturing capacity, Hercules spokeswoman Catherine Abernathy told Lube Report. Although they are doing some final optimizing, the plant is in operation.
Hercules Paper Technologies and Ventures is based in Wilmington, Del. Since the mid-1990s, Hercules and Uniqema, whose refrigeration lubricants business is now part of Lubrizol, had a synthetic lubricants manufacturing agreement. On July 31, 2006, Hercules and Uniqema announced the extension of the agreement, which covered production of the Emkarate RL line of synthetic polyol esters.
In September 2006 Croda completed its acquisition of Uniqema from Imperial Chemical Industries PLC, including the refrigeration lubricants business. Following the acquisition, Croda determined the refrigeration lubricants business was not part of its core business.
This past September Croda then sold the refrigeration lubricants business to Lubrizol Corp., in a transaction completed Nov. 1. The sale included Crodas polyol ester and alkyl benzene refrigeration lubricant technology, Emkarate and Icematic brand names, customer lists, manufacturing know-how and complementary intellectual property. No manufacturing facilities were included in the transaction.
Hercules is going to be a toll manufacturer for us for the Emkarate brand, of refrigeration lubricants, Lubrizol spokesman James Baldwin told Lube Report.
Lubrizol will market our products, and we will also sell some direct, Hercules Abernathy said.
Both business partners representatives were there on Tuesday at the ribbon cutting for the Louisiana, Mo., plant expansion, she said, referring to Lubrizol and Croda.