Clariant
Encyclopedia
Clariant is a Swiss
speciality chemical company which was formed in 1995 as a spin off from Sandoz
.
, near Basel
, Switzerland
.
Clariant manufactures a range of specialty chemicals based largely on pigment
, surfactant
and polymer
chemistry.
The company expanded by the incorporation of the speciality chemicals business of Hoechst
(Germany) in 1997 and the acquisition of British Tar Products (BTP plc) in 2000. In 2011 Clariant acquired German speciality chemical company Süd-Chemie.
Clariant's largest business units make functional chemicals such as biocide
s, industrial ingredients, and detergent
s as well as chemicals and dye
s for textiles, leather, and paper. Clariant's other segments make pigment
s for inks, paints, and plastics and masterbatches, which are highly concentrated additives for plastics and textiles. It is also among the leading manufacturers of de-icing agents and fire retardant
s. Active in 150 countries on five continents, Clariant is now focusing on its fast-growing fine and specialty chemicals and on expanding operations in Asia.
The company is a supply of chemicals and colors for the textile
, leather
, paper
, packaging, plastics, printing
, oil & gas
, detergent
, mining
, personal care
and metalworking
industries.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
speciality chemical company which was formed in 1995 as a spin off from Sandoz
Sandoz
Founded in 2003, Sandoz presently is the generic drug subsidiary of Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company. The company develops, manufactures and markets generic drugs as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnological active ingredients....
.
Business
The company has a turnover of around US$8 billion and is headquartered in MuttenzMuttenz
Muttenz is a municipality with a population of approximately 17,000 in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. It is located in the district of Arlesheim and next to the city of Basle.-History:...
, near Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Clariant manufactures a range of specialty chemicals based largely on pigment
Pigment
A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...
, surfactant
Surfactant
Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid...
and polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
chemistry.
The company expanded by the incorporation of the speciality chemicals business of Hoechst
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
(Germany) in 1997 and the acquisition of British Tar Products (BTP plc) in 2000. In 2011 Clariant acquired German speciality chemical company Süd-Chemie.
Clariant's largest business units make functional chemicals such as biocide
Biocide
A biocide is a chemical substance or microorganism which can deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism by chemical or biological means. Biocides are commonly used in medicine, agriculture, forestry, and industry...
s, industrial ingredients, and detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
s as well as chemicals and dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
s for textiles, leather, and paper. Clariant's other segments make pigment
Pigment
A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...
s for inks, paints, and plastics and masterbatches, which are highly concentrated additives for plastics and textiles. It is also among the leading manufacturers of de-icing agents and fire retardant
Fire retardant
A fire retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion. This typically refers to chemical retardants but may also include substances that work by physical action, such as cooling the fuels; examples of these include fire-fighting foams and...
s. Active in 150 countries on five continents, Clariant is now focusing on its fast-growing fine and specialty chemicals and on expanding operations in Asia.
The company is a supply of chemicals and colors for the textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, packaging, plastics, printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, oil & gas
Petroleum industry
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
, detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
, mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, personal care
Personal care
Personal care or toiletries is the industry which manufactures consumer products used for beautification and in personal hygiene.-Subsectors:Subsectors of personal care include cosmetics and feminine hygiene....
and metalworking
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
industries.
Key Personnel
- Chairman: Jürg Witmer
- Vice-chairman: Rudolf Wehrli
- CEO: Hariolf Kottmann
- CFO: Patrick Jany
- Executive Committee member responsible for Businesse Units Industrial & Consumer Specialties, Textile Chemicals, Oil & Mining Services and Leather Services as well as for the Functions Group Procurement and Supply Chain Management: Mathias Lütgendorf
- Executive Committee member responsible for Business Units Pigments, Masterbatches, Paper Specialties, Detergents & Intermediates, Additives and Emulsions as well as for the Functions Group Technology and ESHA: Christian Kohlpaintner
- Executive Committee member responsible for Business Units Catalysts & Energy and Functional Materials: Hans-Joachim Müller