Albemarle and ICL sign long term agreement

Albemarle Corporation, a leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of flame retardants, and ICL, a leading specialty chemicals company in bromine and bromine derivatives, have announced that they have entered into a long term agreement for the supply of a polymeric flame retardant. The product is manufactured at ICL's facilities in the Netherlands and in Israel using technology licensed from Dow Global Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.

This next generation flame retardant, which is marketed by Albemarle under the brand name GreenCrest® and by ICL under the brand name FR122P, is a sustainable alternative for customers transitioning from hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)-based flame retardants currently used by the building industry in extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation products. Albemarle will supply ICL with bromine for the production of GreenCrest, associated with the agreement. The agreement is subject to certain conditions precedent, including approval of Israel's Antitrust Authority.

"With this agreement, we are combining Albemarle's expertise in compaction technology, our technical service capabilities and our unique bromine resource position in Magnolia, Arkansas and the Dead Sea with ICL's history of manufacturing excellence," said Raphael Crawford, President of Albemarle's Bromine Specialties global business unit. "We will have the ability to supply GreenCrest on a commercial scale, which will greatly benefit our customers as they look for a sustainable and reliable alternative to HBCD-based flame retardants."

Commenting on the agreement, ICL Industrial Products' Executive Vice President, Anat Tal, stated, "We are delighted to enter into this agreement with Albemarle to increase the availability of our respective polymeric flame retardant offerings to the EPS and XPS industries. Our production of this innovative, sustainable polymeric product at ICL's sites in Israel and the Netherlands will help ICL and Albemarle to meet growing market demand for next generation flame retardants. As a leading manufacturer of polymeric flame retardants with our own access to vast bromine resources, we are happy to join with Albemarle to offer our respective customers unique grades of powder and compacted materials."

Albemarle and ICL will continue to provide independent marketing, sales and technical service to their respective customers in Europe and around the world to ensure a smooth transition as EPS and XPS producers continue to shift from HBCD to the polymeric flame retardants.

Adapted from press release by Francesca Brindle

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/24022016/icl-albemarle-sign-supply-agreement-sustainable-polymeric-flame-retardant-2571/