Clariant’s catalysts business unit has signed long-term cooperation agreements with CB&I’s Lummus Novolen Technology GmbH business unit to accelerate R&D efforts to develop improved polypropylene catalyst and donor technologies.
The agreement includes a new Ziegler-Natta polypropylene catalyst production line. Clariant and Lummus Novolen will jointly invest about CHF 65 million in this new polypropylene catalyst production line at Clariant’s catalyst production hub in Louisville, Ky.
The plant is expected to be on stream in 2015.
By leveraging the licensing and process design experience of Lummus Novolen and the catalyst R&D capabilities of Clariant, the two companies expect to further strengthen their joint position in polypropylene catalyst. The polypropylene Ziegler-Natta catalyst market is expected to continue the high growth pace shown over the last decade with estimated growth rates of more than 5 percent in the next five years.
For more information, visit www.clariant.com.