Emerald Kalama Chemical Opens New Technical Center
Emerald Kalama Chemical began its toluene oxidation operation in 1962 under Dow Chemical. The Kalama operation grew, experienced changes in ownership and diversified its portfolio over the years. Manufacturing of the K-FLEX plasticizer products began in 1981.
According to Shamsi Gravel, K-FLEX Product Line Manager for the Americas, market demand drove the need for the new technical center, as customers are seeking more environmentally friendly materials that have low VOCs, biodegradability and more favorable product regulatory profiles than phthalate-based plasticizers and traditional high-VOC coalescents. “Over the last couple years, rulings regarding phthalates have fueled a significant increase in the number of customer development projects,” said Gravel. “The expanded laboratory facilities will enable us to deliver even greater value to our customers by switching to a more environmentally friendly alternative that also can bring many improved performance features to their products. We have even greater capabilities to further develop and expand our range of products, evaluate and optimize performance in targeted end-use applications.”