Specialty Chemicals

Widely diversified – from flame retardants to concrete superplasticizers

Specialty Chemicals is the segment within the PCC Group that generates the highest revenues. It has an exceptionally broad product portfolio. PCC Rokita SA is the biggest manufacturer of phosphorus-based flame retardants for polyurethane foams in Eastern Europe and also supplies Central and Eastern Europe with naphthalene derivatives as concrete additives. PCC Synteza S.A. manufactures additives for hydraulic fluids and lubricating greases, among other things, and both our Polish quartzite quarry and our traditional commodities trading business are allocated to this diversified segment.

PCC Specialty Chemicals

Phosphorus and naphthalene derivatives

The products offered by our Specialty Chemicals segment include, for example, phosphorus derivatives such as phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride, which is an important feedstock for the manufacture of esters of phosphoric acid. These in turn serve as plasticizers and flame retardants in, for example, plastics, paints and coatings. In the surface treatment of metals, they serve as corrosion inhibitors and they are used as additives for hydraulic fluids. Naphthalene derivatives likewise make up an important part of the product portfolio of PCC Specialty Chemicals. In particular, they improve the laying properties of fresh concrete.

Alkylphenols

Alkylphenols are a family of organic chemical compounds manufactured through the alkylation of phenols. PCC Synteza S.A. produces nonylphenol and dodecylphenol at its production site in Kędzierzyn-Koźle in Poland.

Commodities Trading

Also allocated to the Specialty Chemicals segment are the commodity trading activities of PCC Trade & Services (formerly Petro Carbo Chem) GmbH headquartered Duisburg – the original and founding company of the PCC Group – and also those of PCC Morava-Chem s.r.o. headquartered Český Těšín in the Czech Republic. Over the past two decades, PCC has successfully positioned itself in the market through this trading business with chemical commodities based on coal and petroleum. Our trading operations also support our Group companies in the purchasing and marketing of chemical products.

Quartzite

The Specialty Chemicals segment is rounded off by the quartzite quarry and the associated processing plant of PCC Silicium S.A. in Zagórze, Poland.

Application spectrum

Applications for PCC’s phosphorus chemistry

Our range of phosphorus derivatives is based on the in-house production of phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride which we use in the manufacture of plastics additives such as plasticizers, flame retardants and stabilizers. The conveyor belts employed in mining, for example, contain phosphorus-based plasticizers and flame-retarding substances, while flooring products receive the flexibility they need courtesy of our plasticizers. Our phosphorus derivatives are used in the following industries:

Polyurethane industry (manufacture of rigid and flexible foams)
Automotive industry
Furniture industry
Plastics, paints and coatings
Mining industry
Pharmaceuticals industry
Chemicals industry

Applications of PCC’s naphthalene derivatives

Our naphthalene derivatives are used in the construction industry and also in the plastics and textile sectors.

In the construction industry, they serve as additives to improve the laying properties of fresh concrete as well as the facilitating the manufacture of plasterboard. They are particularly important as superplasticizers for ready-mix concrete. In these applications, they help to reduce the water requirement, thus significantly reducing the transport costs of the fresh concrete. They also increase the final strength of the concrete once cured. They improve the flow behavior of the concrete without the otherwise necessary addition of excess water to facilitate the workability of the cement-sand-aggregate-water mixture, which would otherwise adversely affect strength. The use of such plasticizing additives also saves water and energy in the production of plasterboard used for interior lining work.

Naphthalene derivates are likewise employed in the plastics and textile industries as additives for the manufacture of synthetic rubber (elastomers) and also to facilitate dyeing and coloring processes.

Applications of PCC’s alkylphenols

Nonylphenol is used in the manufacture of surfactants for industrial cleaning products, for charging ink cartridges and for coating paper, and also as a rubber additive. Dodecylphenol serves, for example, as an additive in hydraulic fluids and lubricating greases. PCC Synteza S.A. also manufactures fuel additives.

Applications for the quartzite we mine

PCC’s quartzite is predominantly used as a backfill material for the construction of roads and railway tracks. However, some also goes to the ferrosilicon industry. In addition, we use a portion of this quartzite in Iceland where we are currently commissioning an advanced silicon metal production plant. The plant was commissioned in 2018. Back in 2013 we received a JORC certificate confirming that the quartzite earmarked for this application was of the necessary high quality.

Our products

For more information on our products, please visit PCC’s extensive product portal on www.products.pcc.eu containing more than 800 products and chemical formulations for numerous industrial applications.