Ciba Specialty Chemicals announced Friday that it has entered a joint venture with a Chinese chemical maker to build an antioxidant factory outside Shanghai. The facility, being constructed in cooperation with Jiangsu Feiya Chemical Co., is scheduled to begin production during the fourth quarter of this year.
Officials said the regions demand for alkylated diphenyl amines for use as lubricant antioxidants is growing due to its need for more and higher-performing lubes.
The market demand for technologically advanced lubricants for automotive and industrial applications continues to increase with the growth of the Asia Pacific region, said Thomas Engelhardt, global head of Cibas lubricant additive business.
The partners did not disclose the cost or capacity of the factory. Under terms of their agreement, Jiangsu Feiya will build the facility and manufacture the products using Cibas process technology. Ciba will be exclusive marketer, selling the products under its Irganox brand name.
Jiangsu Feiya is headquartered in Nantong, China, and claims to be Asias largest producer of antioxidants used in the manufacture of rubber. Its primary product is diphenyl amine, which is usedto synthesize rubber anti-aging compoundsas well as inother applications including lubricants. The company is 11 years old and claims on its website to have existing capacity to make 20,000 metric tons per year of diphenyl amine.
Ciba is based in Basel, Switzerland, and supplies chemicals to a variety of industries. Beside antioxidants,products made for the lubricants industry include friction modifiers, antiwear additives, metal deactivators and corrosion inhibitors.