LANXESS has agreed to acquire two businesses from Flexsys, a division of U.S.-based Solutia Inc. (St. Louis, Missouri) to strengthen the portfolio of its Rubber Chemicals business unit. LANXESS will acquire the primary accelerator business as well as the anti-reversion agent Perkalink 900. Employees will not be transferred to LANXESS. Both parties have decided not to disclose the acquisition prices. The acquisition of the primary accelerator business requires approval from the relevant antitrust authorities.

“The transactions clearly underline our commitment to maintain a reliable supply of high-quality chemicals to the tire and technical rubber industries,” said Luis López-Remón, Head of the Rubber Chemicals business unit.

LANXESS will take over selected parts of Flexsys’ primary accelerators business and integrate them into its existing production facilities in Kallo, Belgium, and Bushy Park, South Carolina (USA). LANXESS is already a leading supplier of primary accelerators, with its Vulkacit brand, and has invested EUR 10 million over the last two years to upgrade its Kallo world-scale plant. 

Accelerators help determine the speed of the vulcanization process and help to achieve the desired properties of the finished rubber product. Vulcanization is a chemical process for converting rubber into more durable materials via the addition of sulfur.

In addition, LANXESS will take over from Flexsys the anti-reversion agent Perkalink 900. It is one of the leading products to avoid the risk of reversion during the vulcanization process and thus improve the service life of tires, as well as other technical rubber products. It also complements LANXESS’ existing specialties portfolio, which includes products such as the anti-reversion agent Vulcuren.

The Rubber Chemicals business unit (RUC) of LANXESS is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of rubber chemicals to tire manufacturers and producers of technical rubber goods. Its portfolio comprises a broad range of premium products to enhance properties of rubber. RUC has sites in Leverkusen, Brunsbuettel, Krefeld-Uerdingen (all Germany), Kallo (Belgium), Bushy Park (United States), Tongling (China), Jhagadia (India) and Isithebe (South Africa).

Flexsys is part of Solutia's Technical Specialties product portfolio, which provides the manufacture and supply of market leading, differentiated, high-quality rubber chemicals and specialty fluids.  Solutia's annual revenue is approximately USD 1.7 billion and employs about 3,400 in more than 50 worldwide locations.