PARIS - Specialty chemical producer Rhodia, Paris, France, has completed the acquisition of the new guar derivatives production unit belonging to the Suzhou HiPro Polymers, based at Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, China. The acquisition will enable Rhodia to meet the fast-growing demand for guar–based products in Asia-Pacific.

The Chinese unit will complement Rhodia’s existing global guar manufacturing footprint with production units located in the United States, France and India.

In parallel, Rhodia also is investing in its North American facility in Vernon, TX, to increase its guar derivatives production capacity and improve its competitiveness.

Rhodia’s guar-based range, mainly sold under the Jaguar® trade name, is derived from the vegetable and renewable fibers of guar beans. Natural guar-based products are used in the personal care market to provide hair and skin conditioning benefits in shampoo and cleansing products. They are also used as a thickener in oil and gas extraction and as antidrift agents in Rhodia’s patented agrochemical applications.