Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Company (SOCC) has started up its aluminum alkyls facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, the company said July 9. The facility will manufacture 6,000 metric tons annually of tri-ethyl aluminum (TEA), used as a co-catalyst in the plastics industry. An ultra-low hydride grade of TEA (TEA-ULH) will also be produced at the SOCC plant.
SOCC is a 50-50 joint venture between Saudi Specialty Chemicals Co., a manufacturing affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Albemarle Netherlands BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Albemarle Corp.
The new facility will have the ability to meet the growing needs for TEA and ULH-TEA in the region. TEA is a Ziegler Natta co-catalyst used in the plastics industry.
The first batch of TEA, which was successfully completed in mid-April, met or exceeded all commercial specifications, according to SOCC.
For more information, visit www.sabic.com.