Raw material price fluctuations represent one of the primary impediments to growth for the global activated alumina market, especially when they result from geopolitical influences, supply chain disruptions or market speculation. When prices spike due to geopolitical influence or market speculation, manufacturers face increased production costs that reduce profits.
Activated alumina is used as both a desiccant and filter to remove harmful compounds such as fluoride, arsenic and selenium from drinking water. Furthermore, activated alumina is employed in drying gasses and liquids.
Porocel Corporation
Porocel Corporation is an industry-leading supplier of catalyst services and specialty adsorbents like activated bauxite and silica for use in oil, gas and chemical processing industries. They also provide purification and catalyst regeneration services; customers include refiners, petrochemical producers and others worldwide. Their products are produced at five facilities around the globe.
The global activated alumina market is highly concentrated with large companies controlling an outsized share. Many invest significantly in research and development to expand their product lines and manufacturing capacities – examples being Huber Engineered Materials, BASF SE and Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd as examples.
Activated alumina has a large surface area and can be formed into granules and powders with varied grain sizes for use in many applications, including sandblasting, ceramic injection molding, slip casting and lapping. Furthermore, this material comes in various shapes sizes and colors to meet various specifications.
Mike uses MPulse to keep the equipment functioning efficiently by tracking maintenance activities and managing inventory of spare parts, all with an aim of maintaining quality processes that pass inspections and audits. Furthermore, this software enables him to track his team members’ performance so as to determine if additional training or resources may be required for them.
Axens Group
Activated alumina has an array of uses. In the oil and gas industry, it’s commonly employed to dehydrate compressed gases such as natural and liquid petroleum gas (CNG and LPG). Furthermore, activated alumina is popularly employed as a purification media due to its ability to eliminate fluoride, color, odor and phosphate from water sources. Furthermore, activated alumina’s high capacity at absorbing polar ions makes it highly efficient while its low bulk density, good strength properties, resistance at attrition loss further enhance its versatility.
Axens is a French company offering products and services to energy and petrochemical markets worldwide. Their offerings span technologies (licensor), products (catalysts and adsorbents), service solutions (digital applications, consulting, training, start-up support and operation support), presence in 11 countries with five manufacturing sites as customers serve them directly.
Asia Pacific is projected to hold more than 30% of the global activated alumina market by 2023 due to increasing oil production and rising water treatment demands. Asia Pacific can be attributed this success thanks to rapid development in water treatment industries as well as stringent government regulations and public-private investments that support their expansion, coupled with rapid population growth fuelling increased need for clean water supplies. Alumina also continues its surge in popularity within aerospace due to its numerous advantages over competing materials – low friction levels, superior abrasion resistance properties and anticorrosive qualities among others.
Porocel Industries
Porocel Industries, founded in 1937 and headquartered in Houston, Texas is a producer of activated alumina and specialty adsorbents as well as catalyst products and services, serving both refining and petrochemical industries. Their offerings include desiccant for desiccators; desiccant catalyst substrate; inert bed supports for catalyst regeneration services and catalyst regeneration/resale services as well as processing/consulting services. They were the pioneer of activated alumina production.
Porocel’s rejuvenation technology serves as a “fountain of youth” for used catalysts, making the need for new ones unnecessary and helping reduce depletion of natural resources, waste disposal costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Acquiring Porocel will enable Evonik to expand their catalyst business without needing to invest additional capacity.
Mike wanted to ensure his team at Porocel were doing everything in their power to meet ISO 9000 compliance. MPulse provided Mike with everything he needed – including creating schedules for critical assets as well as monitoring safety logs and inventory levels in his plant.
Porocel’s operations had previously been managed by three separate entities-its bauxite division was managed under Engelhard Corporation, which had been purchased by a private investor in 1996 and acquired by Porocel as part of an agreement made that year with them. This division between operations caused tension within corporate, especially between those who dealt in minerals-and-chemicals or precious metals operations and those working on minerals and chemicals- and precious metals products.
Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd.
Sumitomo Chemical is a company that produces various chemicals and materials for various applications, including pharmaceuticals, plastics and fertilizers. Their petrochemical businesses specialize in polyethylene polypropylene methacrylic resins used for industrial fabrics automobiles electronics etc.
The company provides a range of other products, including polyurethane and propylene glycol that are used in heat insulating and cushioning materials, cosmetic manufacturing and pharmaceutical production. Furthermore, there is also engineering design and project management services provided.
Sumitomo Chemical has its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. With subsidiaries and joint ventures located across more than thirty countries worldwide, their business operations are divided among five Strategic Business Units (SBUs). Chemicals, Electronics, and Agriculture SBU creates global sales networks and supply chains by trading organic and inorganic chemicals as well as synthetic resins. Meanwhile, Basic Chemicals SBU expands manufacturing with global partners from across all sectors, including electronics. The Green Chemicals SBU creates environmentally-friendly chemical products and contributes to the realization of a net-zero society. With decades of innovation and purpose behind them, their multi-billion research and development network gives access to science, technology, expertise as well as diversity that meets customers needs around the globe.