Baton Rouge, La.-based Albemarle on June 13 announced price increases of 30 cents to 60 cents per kilogram on Ethanox lubricant and fuel antioxidants, depending on product, region and packaging as of July 15, or as contracts allow.

Rising costs of raw materials, energy and transportation, in addition to REACH-related regulatory support, make it necessary for us to implement this price increase now, said John McChesney, manager of Albemarles global additives business.

Ethanox antioxidants enhance stability, improve performance and extend storage life of lubricants and fuels. The antioxidants business is part of the companys polymer additives business segment.

Norwalk, Conn.-based Arch Chemicals on June 12 announced price increases on list and off-list prices for biocides that will go into effect on or before July 1, or as contracts allow. The company said specific price increases and surcharges will vary by customer, depending on the products purchased and their exposure to higher raw material, energy and shipping costs. Arch said it will also implement fuel surcharges to address unprecedented increases in transportation costs.

Archs biocides are used in a variety of products, including metalworking fluids.

Troy Corp. on June 13 announced a global price increase of up to 20 percent effective July 1, or as contracts allow, on all its products. According to Troy President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Gwillim, factors driving the price increases include escalation in the costs of key raw materials, energy, transportation and packaging.

The Florham Park, N.J.-based company makes and markets products for metalworking fluids, including biocides, specialty defoamers and microbial contamination test kits.

Cincinnati-based specialty chemical supplier Pilot on June 17 announced price increases effective July 1 or as contracts allow on its full product offering, including chemicals used in metalworking fluids. Those include increases of 15 to 22 cents per pound on Aristonate alkyl aryl sulfonates, 15 to 24 cents per pound on Aristonic acids, 20 cents per pound for Calamide amides, and 7 to 40 cents per pound for Calimulse emulsion aids. Pilots recently acquired Intertrade products, including sulfonates and organic acids that complement Pilots chemicals used in metalworking fluids, will also go up, by 6 to 20 cents per pound.

According to Pilot, the increases are a direct result of unprecedented, rapidly increasing crude oil prices and its impact on feedstock, natural gas and transportation costs.

CECA earlier this month announced increases of 150 per metric ton on sales prices of its specialty surfactants, effective July 1. The company will implement the price increases worldwide across every market segment. The surfactants applications include usage as lubricants for bottling lines. CECA is a subsidiary of Colombes, France-based Arkema Group.

For a number of years now we have been implementing action plans to improve productivity and reduce costs, explained Luc Meurin, CECA director of specialty surfactants. However, these increases in the price of our specialty surfactants have become absolutely necessary in response to the major surge in the combined cost of energy, packaging, raw materials and transport.