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Koppers Solidifies Commitment
to Naphthalene Market
with Strategic Alliance with I. Q. Nalon
(Spain)
Oct. 22, 1999, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Koppers
has reached an agreement with I. Q. Nalon of Oviedo, Spain to market
Nalon's refined naphthalene in North America. Koppers currently
markets its own crude naphthalene (96% purity) and is the largest
coal tar naphthalene producer in the world. "The addition
of refined naphthalene to our product mix demonstrates Koppers
commitment to serve the naphthalene merchant market and expands
our growth opportunities worldwide," according to Robert Mason,
General Manager of Koppers chemical business.
Historically, Koppers
had been a part-time participant in the North American naphthalene
merchant market, having a captive but flexible
use for naphthalene in its own phthalic anhydride production. Koppers
began to rethink its role in the merchant market when rationalization
of the coal tar industry began to take place earlier this year.
And with the recent upsurge in the merchant market, Koppers has
decided to commit a percentage of its domestic 150 million pound
production to serve the merchant market long term. "The timing
was just right," reports Mr. Mason. "And with our Nalon
alliance, we are able to serve the total naphthalene market - crude,
intermediate, and now, high purity refined. We see a real opportunity
for growth, and intend to be a major supplier to this market."
Refined naphthalene is 99.9% pure and is snow white in appearance.
It is produced by Nalon in a unique hydro-refining process that
achieves exceptionally lowsulfur (<2 ppm) and low nitrogen(<5
ppm) also. High purity naphthalene is used in the production of
organic intermediates for pharmaceuticals, textile chemicals, and
specialty superplasticizers. In Europe, this material is used by
customers who have catalytic processes that are sensitive to sulfur
and nitrogen.
Koppers is making refined naphthalene available
delivered in fully equipped, stainless steel ISO containers at
this time.
Koppers
is exploring the option of using a terminal to improve delivery.
I. Q. Nalon is a Spanish producer of coal tar
products. Its 1998 sales were about $85 million. Nalon is one of
Europe's major coal
tar distillers producing a full range of coal tar derivatives and
belongs to an industrial group involved in shipbuilding, civil
construction, and hauling activities, with annual sales of $255
million. Its new hydro-refining plant is located in Trubia, Spain
and has produced high purity(>99.9%) naphthalene since autumn
1997. Nalon's plant in northern Spain has an annual capacity of
21,000 metric tons and can serve the entire European and North
American market at its current capacity.
Koppers, based in Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania, is a leading integrated producer of carbon compounds,
chemicals, and treated wood products
for use in a variety of markets including the chemical, railroad,
utility, wood preserving, rubber, aluminum, and steel industries.
Koppers operates 21 domestic and 14 Australian and Pacific Rim
facilities and serves European markets through its Tarconord
joint venture in Denmark. On a combined basis, 1998 sales were
approximately
$700 million. The company's stock is held by a large number of
management investors and by majority equity owner Saratoga Partners
of New York City.
View the Koppers 2002 Earnings. |
