Chemtura Corp. will increase calcium sulfonate grease capacity by 60 percent at its West Hill, Ontario, Canada, plant, adding three new kettles, announced Sean OConnor, vice president of Chemtura Petroleum Additives. The higher volume, intended to help meet growing demand worldwide, is scheduled to go on line by fall 2009.
Chemtura declined to disclose current or future capacity.
Were doing this in an effort to service the growing needs of all of our customers, not just one particular market, Naureen Stone, Chemturas industry lead for industrial lubricants and greases, told Lube Report. But the areas that we see are growing are areas where they need a grease that really does well in hot, wet environments. The areas include food grade greases, the steel market, power generation, paper – those types of industries, and general industrial.
Calcium sulfonate grease is primarily a private label business for Chemtura today, she said. Demand is high for the calcium sulfonate greases in North America, Europe and Asia. We see larger growth coming in Asia because manufacturing has moved over there, Stone added.
She said the capacity expansion is not related to last years acquisition of Anderol, which made lithium complex and lithium hydroxy stearate greases at a plant in Oakville, Canada. That plant closed early this year.
The West Hill plant was acquired by Witco when it bought Surpass Chemical in 1979. Witco merged with Crompton to form CK Witco, which later became Crompton. In 2005, Crompton merged with Great Lakes to form Chemtura.